The Wild East

The Wild East is not only the title of this new project, but it is also the name of the Western North Carolina band led by Michael Wayne Avery. On this new project, Avery plays mandolin, resonator guitar, is the lead vocalist, and the main songwriter. The band also includes Sam Gottlieb (guitar, vocals), Charles “Chuck” Wagner (banjo), and Eric Johnston (bass), and there are guests Kristina Miller (fiddle) and Karen Batten (vocals).

Avery grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he learned guitar and listened to the contemporary music of the time. His family was musically Gospel, which is where he learned harmony. His father was a kind of boogie-woogie pianist, and Avery came to like that style, which led him to the then-popular Carolina shag beach music scene. But now, on this new project, Avery has come back to his Western Carolina old-time roots with a collection of original songs of his that have an interesting historical aspect in them. Each song title includes a year date in parentheses, which indicates the intended time frame of the topic of the song. Avery’s songs include “Done Me Like Dirt (1867),” “Monroe Garland (1896),” “Double Crossed The Deputy (1888),” “Gunfight At The General Store (1890),” “Fly Frankie (1833),” “White Mule (1912),” “Devil’s Den (1899),” “Gold In Those Mountains (1851),” and “Revival (1856),” and Gottlieb offered his “Cold Foot Rag (1897).” This project is a good showcase of Avery’s songwriting, his vocals, and the skills of the other musicians and guests.