At the tender age of 14, Colorado native Michaela Rae Knox has been playing blues guitar for a good decade. Much like her major influences, such as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Johnny Lang, Michaela's musical path is similar and started at a very early age. Her father also had a profound effect on her as she watched him play, and together they went to blues open mics and jams on a regular basis. She naturally gravitated towards the blues sound and the works of other artists like Jimi Hendrix, BB King and Albert King.
Michaela's first guitar, a gift from her father, was a 3/4-sized model to fit her four-year-old body. While her recollection of learning during those very young years is vague, her sense of love for the music and the joy of playing is clear: "It's really cool," she responds, noting the freedom of improvisation the guitar brings. "There are no real rules." Now under the mentorship of one of Colorado's most consummate professional guitarists, Dave Beegle, she has blossomed into a promising young talent on the Colorado blues music scene.
Her debut album, Blues with a Backbone, "a solid blues album and better than some from full grown adults" (RockOnColorado.com), was released in June 2009. The album features Beegle, who also produced the record, bass player Michael Olson and drummer Matt Henderson. The band recorded it in a live, multi-track setting, performing each cut five or six times over a two-day recording timeframe. With nine tracks total, the material includes a few covers as well as several originals, three of which were written by Michaela Rae and Beegle. In addition to Michaela’s "plenty solid" guitar playing (Westword), the album features her new foray into singing. In a review of the album, Bruce Iglauer of the respected blues record label, Alligator Records, says “…this young woman is an impressive player.â€
Michaela's debut performance was at the 2006 Pinedale Blues Festival, playing the main stage with Jasco and Miss Blues. She went on to perform at stages for other top-notch Colorado blues fests such as the Greeley Blues Festival, Blues from the Top (appearing with Bob Margolin on the main stage in 2008 and then opening the festival in 2009) and the Mile High Blues Festival's Blues of the Future stage. Her touring profile is also on the rise regionally and nationally, with appearances at events like the Snowy Range Blues Festival (Laramie, Wyo.) and representing the Colorado Blues Society at the esteemed International Blues Challenge (Memphis, Tenn.).
Writing new material, Michaela is preparing to re-enter the studio in the near future to begin work on a new album. Her next International Blues Challenge showcase appearance is set for January, 2010. She's also planning on branching out into other genres, citing a love for classic rock 'n' roll like the Rolling Stones. Michaela is also a diligent student, excelling in art and math, her sights set on attending college in addition to continuing to play music. In her spare time, she enjoys going fast on the drag race track.
Contact: Morris Beegle -
[email protected] - 970-581-5049
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Michaela Rae at BandCamp
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