There’s a New Band in Town!

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The Moody Swamp Blues Band is a new Tuscaloosa-based blues band put together by Mike McCracken, who was the guitarist and band leader for the Kokomo Blues Band for over 20 years. He brings some deep roots from the blues world. He has paid a few dues over the years and is well known as an Alabama blues pioneer as he was the co-founder of the Alabama Blues Project that started back in the 90’s doing blues in the schools programs and teaching kids all over the state about Alabama’s rich musical heritage. He promoted the existing blues musicians back then who were often overlooked and unheard of outside of our state, and by many inside our state. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame named him an “Achiever” for his efforts. 

He was also the co-founder of “Debbie Bond and the Kokomo Blues Band” which was formed in 1981. They backed the legendary bluesman, Johnny Shines, for 10 years and performed with many other Alabama blues musicians such as Topper Price, Jerry “Boogie” McCain, Little Whitt and Big Bo McGee, James Peterson, and Willie King. He and Debbie Bond co-founded the Alabama Blues Project and toured Europe for over two months with Little Whitt and Big Bo performing over 50 gigs.

As you can see, McCracken has a solid foundation in the blues, and he has now put together a new band with his nephew Sam Wilson on second guitar, friend David Barger on drums, Eric Simmons, who was also in Kokomo for several years, on bass, and Jonathan Blakney, who came up through the Alabama Blues Project as a student singer and harp player in their advanced blues band. The advanced band performed regularly at many community and educational events spreading the word about Alabama’s rich blues history.

Things seem to have gone full circle now that McCracken is performing with one of the students of the organization that he helped create!