{{Infobox musical artist | name = R.J. Mischo | image = | caption = | alt = | image_size = | birth_name = Robert Joseph Mischo<ref name="AMG"/> | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|03|18}} | birth_place = Chilton, Wisconsin, United States | origin = | death_date = | death_place = | instrument = Harmonica, vocals | genre = Electric blues<ref name="AMG"/> | occupation = Harmonicist, singer, songwriter, record producer | years_active = Late 1970s–present | label = Various including Delta Groove Productions and CrossCut Records | website = {{URL|http://rjblues.com/|Official website}} }}
'''R.J. Mischo''' (born March 18, 1960)<ref name="Crossroadblues"/> is an American electric blues harmonicist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. To date he has released twelve<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rjblues.com/?page_id=51 |title=DISCOGRAPHY | RJ Mischo & His Red Hot Blues Band |website=Rjblues.com |date= |accessdate=2016-10-24}}</ref> albums on a number of labels, and his music has been aired on independent film scores, television commercials, and documentaries on the Discovery Channel. Mischo has contributed to a couple of Mel Bay harmonica instruction books. In addition, he was listed in that author's ''The Encyclopedia of Harmonica''.<ref name="Bio"/>
Mischo's own compositions, "King of a Mighty Good Time" and "Two Hours From Tulsa", were both number one on the playlist at Sirius XM Radio. His album releases, ''Knowledge You Can't Get in College'' and ''Make It Good'', made the Top 50 in ''Living Blues'' albums of the year listings.<ref name="Bio"/>
==Life and career== '''Robert Joseph Mischo''' was born in Chilton, Wisconsin, United States.<ref name="Crossroadblues">{{cite web|url=http://www.crossroadblues.de/mischo.html |title=R.J. Mischo – Crossroadblues – Die Kult-Tour im Internet |website=Crossroadblues.de |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> He was the youngest of four brothers, all of whom were proficient in a musical instrument.<ref name="Blast">{{cite web|url=https://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-rj-mischo/ |title=Featured Interview – RJ Mischo |publisher=Blues Blast Magazine |date=2015-04-05 |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> Mischo himself began playing the harmonica aged nine and ten years later was working as a professional musician.<ref name="Bio">{{cite web|url=http://rjblues.com/?page_id=48 |title=BIO | RJ Mischo & His Red Hot Blues Band |website=Rjblues.com |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> His passion for the blues was further ignited after attending a Muddy Waters concert.<ref name="Blast"/> He began playing in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late 1970s, and was soon in contact with a number of other blues musicians from that area. These included Percy Strother, Milwaukee Slim, Sonny Rogers, George "Mojo" Buford, and Lazy Bill Lucas.<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|author=Ann Wickstrom |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rj-mischo-mn0000388794/biography |title=R.J. Mischo | Biography & History |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref><ref name="Bio"/> Around the same time, he befriended Lynwood Slim, who gave the younger Mischo tips and guidance on playing the harmonica. His other friendship with Mojo Buford lasted the latter's lifetime.<ref name="Blast"/>
After playing solo for a while, Mischo formed Blues Deluxe, which the ''Star Tribune'' commented was "Minnesota's hardest working blues band". He later formed R.J. Mischo & the Teddy Morgan Blues Band, which released ''Ready to Go'' in 1992 on Blue Loon Records.<ref name="Bio"/> The album got a good response and Mischo was nominated for several local awards. In 1994, he and his band toured across Europe and appeared at the Notodden Blues Festival. In December 1995, Mischo's album, ''Gonna Rock Tonight'', was released on Blue Loon Records.<ref name="allmusic1">{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/gonna-rock-tonight-mr0000106163 |title=Gonna Rock Tonight – R.J. Mischo | Release Info |publisher=AllMusic |date=1995-12-13 |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> The album's cover stated it featured Teddy "Kid" Morgan, Bruce McCabe, Billy Black and Rob Stupka, ostensibly his renamed 'Red Hot Blues Band'.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.amazon.com/Gonna-Rock-Tonight-R-J-Mischo/dp/B00000AWB3 |title=R.J. Mischo – Gonna Rock Tonight – Amazon.com Music |website=Amazon.com |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> The album contained his cover versions of Snooky Pryor's, "Judgment Day" and Sonny Boy Williamson II's "Bye Bye Bird". AllMusic noted "R.J. Mischo resurrects the glory days of '50s Chicago harp-playing..."<ref name="allmusic1"/> The following year, ''Rough N Tough'' was released by CrossCut Records, the first of five albums of his that were issued by that German independent record label.<ref name="Albums"/>
In 1996, Mischo relocated to San Francisco, California, where he established his reputation by appearing at venues and festivals across the United States, and in Europe.<ref name="Bio"/> In San Francisco he recorded ''West Wind Blowin''' (1999), which included guest appearances by Steve Freund and Rusty Zinn on guitar and vocals.<ref name="AMG"/> In 1997, ''Cool Disposition'', was issued by CrossCut Records,<ref name="Albums"/> and in June 2000, Mischo played at the second annual Apple River Blues Festival in River's Edge Park, Somerset, Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mnblues.com/review/appleriver2000.html |title=The 2nd Annual Apple River Blues Festival Live Review |website=Mnblues.com |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref> His move to California also led to him meeting fellow harmonica players such as Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson, Mark Hummel and Andy Just.<ref name="Blast"/> Albums including ''Meet Me on the Coast'' (2002), ''He Came to Play'' (2006), ''King of a Mighty Good Time'' (2008) and ''Knowledge You Can't Get in College'' (2010) all followed.<ref name=Albums/> Mischo continued to develop his own style, normally using the resources of pick-up bands while on tour and session musicians in the recording studio. His 2014 album, ''Everything I Need'', had Jeremy Johnson and Frank Krakowski on guitar, Bruce McCabe (piano) and a rhythm section of Billy Black and Victor Span. ''Make It Good'', was issued on Delta Groove Productions two years before, although Mischo enjoyed the extra freedom of self-releasing most of his more recent output.<ref name="Blast"/> ''Make It Good'' featured Johnny Moeller and Nick Curran among the guest performers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/make-it-good-mw0002354591/credits |title=Make It Good – R.J. Mischo | Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref>
Mischo has also assisted as an instructor at several of Jon Gindick's Harmonica Jam Camps in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Mischo is endorsed by Hohner harmonicas.<ref name="Blast"/>
He currently resides in Southern California.
==Discography==
===Albums=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year || Title || Record label || Credited to |- | 1992 || ''Ready to Go!'' || style="text-align:center;"| Blue Loon Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo & the Teddy Morgan Blues Band |- | 1994 || ''Gonna Rock Tonight'' || style="text-align:center;"| Blue Loon Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo and His Red Hot Blues Band |- | 1996 || ''Rough N Tough'' || style="text-align:center;"| CrossCut Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo and His Red Hot Blues Band |- | 1997 || ''Cool Disposition'' || style="text-align:center;"| CrossCut Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo and His Red Hot Blues Band |- | 1999 || ''West Wind Blowin' (Mountain Top Productions, Vol. 3)'' || style="text-align:center;"| Mountain Top Productions / CrossCut Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo featuring Steve Freund and Rusty Zinn |- | 2002 || ''Meet Me on the Coast'' || style="text-align:center;"| CrossCut Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |- | 2004 || ''Down Home Super Trio: In the House'' [live] || style="text-align:center;"| CrossCut Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo, Richard innes, Frank Goldwasser |- | 2006 || ''He Came to Play'' || style="text-align:center;"| CrossCut Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |- | 2008 || ''King of a Mighty Good Time'' || style="text-align:center;"| Challis/CD Baby || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |- | 2010 || ''Knowledge You Can't Get in College'' || style="text-align:center;"| Greaseland Records || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |- | 2012 || ''Make It Good'' || style="text-align:center;"| Delta Groove Productions || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |- | 2014 || ''Everything I Need'' || style="text-align:center;"| rjblues/CD Baby || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |- | 2018 || ''I Hope You're Satisfied'' || style="text-align:center;"| Bluebeat Music || style="text-align:center;"| R.J. Mischo |}<ref name=Albums>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rj-mischo-mn0000388794/discography |title=R.J. Mischo | Album Discography |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2016-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rjblues.com/?page_id=51 |title=DISCOGRAPHY | RJ Mischo & His Red Hot Blues Band |publisher=Rjblues.com |date= |accessdate=2016-10-24}}</ref>
==See also== *List of electric blues musicians
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://rjblues.com/ Official website] *[https://www.discogs.com/artist/3297170-RJ-Mischo Partial discography @ Discogs]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mischo, RJ}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American singers Category:21st-century American singers Category:American blues singers Category:American blues harmonica players Category:Record producers from Wisconsin Category:Contemporary blues musicians Category:Electric blues musicians Category:Musicians from Minneapolis Category:People from Chilton, Wisconsin Category:Singers from Wisconsin Category:Songwriters from Wisconsin Category:Songwriters from Minnesota Category:Singers from Minnesota