Topic: Michael Lee Ammons and The Water Street Hot Shots

[Ammons]

Hello Everyone,
We thought we would try a post.  We play old-time string band blues and wanted to throw our stuff out there.  Our repertoire consists of mandolin rags, slide standards, jug band tunes, hokum, and an occasional waltz.  Our new recording features resonator guitar, fiddle, washboard, banjo-mandolin, harp, kazoo and jug.  If you are into this type of thing, we would appreciate some feedback!  Our site is www.ammonshotshots.com.   We are based out of Sheboygan, WI and we gig a bit.  Is there anyone out there interested in trading web links with us?

[uncle bud]

Welcome Michael. Love the CD cover and old-style label.

[Cambio]

Mike is an old friend of mine and we've played a lot together over the years.  He grew up in the town next to Grafton, Wisconsin and used to fish at the damn that powered the chair factory where so many of the great Paramount records were recorded.  A couple of years ago Mike took me to the site of the factory and we broke some rocks out of the remaining foundation to give as gifts to various blues fanatics.
His new CD is a good mix of tunes with a lot of fun rags and blues on it.  These guys have a weekly gig at a pub in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (bratwurst capitol of the world) and they've learned to have a good time in a setting that can at times be unrelenting.  I think that feeling comes through in a lot of the material.  You have to love any band that employs a jug and a banjo mandolin in the 21st century.

[uncle bud]

I notice a photo of him on the website playing a rather nice 12-string as well...

[Stuart]

I did a CDBaby order a few weeks back that included Mike and the HotShots latest effort--its quite enjoyable.