Michael Mann - I Still Got My Guitar (2008)

From pastime to profession, but forever a passion, music has always been a calling for Michael Mann, a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Atlanta, Georgia. Deeply rooted in the south, Michael overpowers you with his electrifying mix of hard-driving southern rock and soulful blues. You can almost feel his heart beat in every expressive note and every soulful word on his debut album, I Still Got My Guitar.

Years ago, Michael asked a roommate to teach him a few chords on the guitar. It wasn’t long before he was off to buy his own guitar and he has been playing ever since. Michael recalls, “I got a credit card in the mail and took it straight to the music store to buy my first guitar. Afterward, the card had a little left, so I finished it off buying beer to celebrate…so much for the emergency credit card.”

Michael has played in various bands over the years, performed in regional singing showcases and composed music for a documentary movie. However, for years he limited his involvement in music to a hobby and outlet for expression while maintaining a regular day job to pay the bills. Unable to deny his passion any longer, Michael finally gave up the monotonous and meaningless rat-race to pursue music full time. Since then, Michael has completed and released his debut album and has been packing in as many live shows as humanly possible, including three months of performing in Southeast Asia.

I Still Got My Guitar showcases the talents of Michael Mann. Though they follow in the tradition of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, each of the eleven songs on this groundbreaking CD has a distinctive edge reflecting Michael’s unique style. Kick-ass, take-no-prisoners songs like “Worth The Ride”, “Where Has The Good Gone”, and “Chasing Your Shadow” are driven by blunt narrative and live-wire guitar riffs that have the power to ignite. Interspersed with these high-energy southern rock anthems are more introspective tracks including “When I’m Alone”, “I’m Not Staying Long”, and “I Still Got My Guitar”, which owe their poignancy to Michael’s evocative lyrics and expressive guitar playing. This debut effort by Michael Mann will undoubtedly haunt the listener long after the CD has ended.