Medicine Crow
(Michael Iott)
Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist
http://medicinecrow.net
Mike Iott, the youngest and least disciplined of
five very musically talented siblings, began playing guitar when he was 14
years old. His mother, in despair at his unwillingness to "knuckle
down" and take his piano lessons seriously, relented and bought him a
cheap, Japanese made classical guitar for Christmas
in 1967. He took lessons for about six weeks and then launched out on his own
creative adventures of learning songs by the Beatles, The Byrds, Peter Paul
& Mary and eventually finding his way to the treasury of Bob Dylan songs.
His gravitating toward Bob Dylan was met with horror by his musically
sophisticated siblings. The melodic structure and relatively light hearted
lyrics of the Beatles (pre-Revolver) were always appreciated and the vocal
arrangements of Peter, Paul & Mary were well loved, but the harshness of
Bob Dylan's voice and the raw forcefulness his lyrics were met with much "wailing
an gnashing of teeth." His older sister did,
however, like the feel of his nylon string guitar and persuaded him to trade it
to her for her handmade 1959 Gibson LG0 flattop that she always found difficult
to play. She thought she was really pulling a fast one on her naive younger
brother. Mike still owns and plays that Gibson to this day, it was perhaps the
best trade he&..39;s ever made. That old classical guitar was reduced to kindling
sometime during the early 1980's.
Mike played and wrote songs throughout several years of traveling the country
in the early 1970's, hitchhiking and laying over to replenish his finances and
learning lots of new material and techniques in the course of his travels. In
the mid-seventies music took a back seat to School and earning a living. During
that time he built a repertoire topical songs from the likes of Woody Guthrie,
Dylan, Stephen Stills and bands such as The Band; Crosby, Stills, Nash and
Young and The Byrds.
In the early nineteen-eighties he teamed up with harmonica virtuoso, Bill Price
to produce an acoustic blues album called "Friends." The album of all original material received excellent reviews but
very little airplay. When the Iott & Price band disbanded, Mike
performed solo and with bassist Don Diamond (The Sentinels) in and around the Lansing , Michigan area for the remainder of the eighties. Still focusing on topical original and cover material.
In the 1990's after yet another hiatus from performing, Mike joined The Last
Hippie Band, a Lansing area cover and jam band that that primarily featured prodigious talents of Thom
Burke. Mike and Thom found that their vocal talents and instrumental
skills complemented each other quite well and for most of the late nineties,
The Last Hippie Band was known for giving their audiences a mind-blowing and
eclectic mix of the familiar and the not-so-familiar of the psychedelic era of
rock music. They featured cover material by The Grateful Dead, The Band, Bob
Dylan, The Beatles, Bob Marley and The Wailers plus many other obscure songs
from that era, as well a handful of powerful original songs.
When the adoption of his son in 2000 made traveling with The Last Hippie Band
impractical, Mike reverted to playing solo in the local ( Lansing MI ) area and adopted the stage name of Medicine Crow.
In late 2001 Medicine Crow released a self titled CD of 16 original songs and
an adaptation of the Katherine Lee Bates classic "America The Beautiful" in recognition of the events of September 11,
2001 . That release sold
fairly well and received an enthusiastic response from his audiences.
In October of 2005 Medicine Crow signed with Illegible Records, an independent
record label in Lansing , Michigan and in March of 2006 released his second CD of
original material titled "A Much Better Reality". Since it's release Mike has been performing solo and occasionally
with his friend and fellow Illegible Records artist Ghetto Gas John, ( http://www.myspace.com/ghettogasjohn )
in support of that release. His next release, to be titled "Nahnah's
Garden", will be a re-recording of most of the songs from his first CD
(with a few new ones) to take advantage of better recording technology and
techniques. "Nahnah's Garden" is due for release in early 2007.
Medicine Crow and Ghetto Gas John have played various topical festivals throughout Michigan as well as Ohio and Missouri . In September of 2005 Medicine Crow and Ghetto Gas John made their first appearance at the Old Town Blues Festival in Lansing , MI . In October 2005 and again in September 2006, Medicine Crow and Ghetto Gas John were headlined at the annual "Writers Block Party" featuring Lansing based writers, artists and musicians. When not out of town playing other engagements, Medicine Crow has hosted an Open Mic at Van Java Café in Holt , MI , and Espresso Royale in East Lansing as well as making regular appearances at Magdalena ..s Tea House, 2006 E. Michigan Ave. , Lansing, MI 48912 (517) 487-1822, and Gone Wired Cafe 2021 E Michigan, Ave, Lansing, MI 48912 (517) 853-0550. He has also appeared at Way Station Books & Stuff, 223 South Washington , Lansing , MI (517) 853-1336 and Schuler Books, Music & Chapbook Café, 2820 Towne Centre Boulevard , Lansing , MI 48912 (517) 316-7495.
Mike cannot "not" play music. His songs cover a wide range of genres, from folk ballads to blues to light jazz, with passion for things spiritual and political.
Medicine Crow continues to perform anywhere and everywhere he is allowed to unpack his guitar case and connect with an audience.
Much Love..Mitakuye Oyasin!
I created my own profile using nUCLEArcENTURy.COM and you should too!Medicine Crow - A Much Better Reality - Available online at:
Medicine Crow
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