Although Mike West has lived in New Orleans for quite a while, and writes many of his lyrics about his neighborhood, the Ninth Ward (a legendary hotbed of blue-collar local culture), his musical style is *not* especially influenced by any of the many local musical genres. In other words, it is not Cajun-style, not trad-jazz, not Fats-Domino-style '50s R&B, etc. He describes his style, I believe, as "urban hillbilly" -- contemporary city-boy lyrics set to mountain-style American folk music. Pretty much the type of sound I'd expect from a banjo/mandolin player.

He's a true original who sounds nothing at all like anyone else in New Orleans. I knew he was from Australia; don't know for sure whether he has also lived in the UK, or if so for how long.

He used to perform with his ex-wife Myshkin (of Myshkin and the Ruby Warblers, who someone recently praised in one of these threads). Both of them worked solo as well as together. Within the last year or so, he remarried and his new wife also performs with him sometimes; incidentally, they were expecting a child last time I saw them. (Maybe the baby's been born by now -- I don't know). I wonder if they're traveling together; for such a quick tour, maybe not.

If you get to one of his gigs, put in a request for his song about visiting the Jimmie Rodgers Museum in Mississippi. It's hilarious to see and hear him sing the refrain, "Jimmie Rodgers was a very skinny man," because Mike West is about the skinniest individual you'll ever see.

I see his bumper sticker on cars all over town: "Squirrel -- it's not just for breakfast anymore."