Jim McCarty & Mystery Train Live at Brownie's On The Lake!

24214 Jefferson Avenue,St. Clair Shores MI 48080

08 October, 2022

Description

Detroit guitar legend Jim McCarty broke onto the music scene as guitarist for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels in 1964. From ‘64 thru ‘66 they charted with the songs “Jenny Take A Ride” (#4), “Devil With A Blue Dress On” (#2) and “Sock It To Me” (#4). When Mitch Ryder decided that he wanted to turn the group into a Las Vegas act, McCarty knew it was time for a change. Jim moved on to join up with Corry Siegal and the Siegal Schwall Blues Band. On a trip to the west coast, he met Buddy Miles, who was coming off the “Electric Flag” and putting his own band together. Buddy asked Jim to join the Buddy Miles Express. McCarty accepted because he wanted to work with the big sound of a horn section. Jim recorded two albums with the Buddy Miles Express, the latter being produced by Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was around quite a bit and talking to Buddy about putting a band together. “It was a little intimidating”, McCarty remembers, “doing guitar overdubs with Hendrix in the studio but he was a Mitch Ryder and Detroit Wheels fan so it was cool.” Jim had the chance to play with Hendrix on quite a few occasions with the most memorable being in L.A. with players that included Jimi Hendrix, Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin, Mitch Mitchell, Buddy Miles and Jim! With the end of The Vanilla Fudge in late ‘69, Jim was approached by Carmine and Tim to form Cactus. McCarty was heavy into Jeff Beck’s first two albums (Truth and Beck Ola) so it seemed like good timing. The band recorded three albums and broke up because of different views about the direction of the music, but the music Cactus made had a strong cult following which still exists today. With the end of Cactus in ’72, McCarty moved back to Detroit and put the “Rockets” together with his old drummer from the “Wheels,” the legendary Johnny B-Badandek. They cut 6 albums and toured constantly with artists including ZZ Top, Bob Seger, REO Speedwagon, The Who, The Cars and others. The Rockets were together for ten years, but Jim was feeling a strong desire to play the kind of music that had always been close to his heart, the blues. With the end of The Rockets, Jim joined the “Detroit Blues Band”. Jim stayed with this group for eight years and recorded 4 CD’s. New things were on the horizon for Jim when a new blues club in Royal Oak, called the Memphis Smoke, opened. They asked Jim to put together a house band, and he used its as an opportunity to put together a band with musicians of his choice. The band that resulted was named “Mystery Train." They are still together today with 4 CD’s to their credit. Jim is at home with Mystery Train playing his brand of blues and rock & roll!