Mitch Woods

Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88's coined the term "rock-a-boogie" for their swinging style, breathing fresh life into the jump blues sound that dominated the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Woods relocated to San Francisco in 1970. During his Brooklyn years he immersed himself in both jazz and classical piano, yet after settling in the Bay Area his focus shifted almost entirely to jump blues and R&B. Local guitarist Hi Tide Harris exposed him to the exuberant swing of Louis Jordan, prompting a complete redirection of Woods's musical direction. From 1970 through 1980 he worked as a solo performer, appearing regularly at clubs throughout the region. In 1980 he assembled the Rocket 88's, enlisting Harris on guitar, and four years later the group issued its first recording, Steady Date, for Blind Pig. That release opened doors to appearances at major blues venues and festivals across the United States, plus a series of European engagements in 1987. The following year brought the band's second album, Mr. Boogie's Back in Town, which prompted further touring throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Solid Gold Cadillac, their third effort, surfaced three years later. Throughout the 1990s Woods & His Rocket 88's maintained an active schedule of performances, capped by the 1993 release of Shakin' the Shack. Jump for Joy arrived in early 2001. Following a five-year recording hiatus, Woods resurfaced in 2006 with Big Easy Boogie, cut in New Orleans alongside players steeped in the city's characteristic idiom. Jukebox Drive, issued in 2008, captured material taped during a European tour with the pianist supported by the Spanish swing ensemble the Lazy Jumpers. Another New Orleans-inflected project, Gumbo Blues, appeared in 2010 and featured Woods interpreting songs penned by blues legend Smiley Lewis. A 2012 concert trek through Turkey yielded the live set Blues Beyond Borders: Live in Istanbul. Jammin' on the High Cs, another concert document released in 2015, documented performances from the seagoing festival known as the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. Friends Along the Way, which surfaced in 2017, gathered guest sessions with an array of prominent blues figures that included Van Morrison, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, and James Cotton.