Over the course of her career, Zora Young has become a mainstay on the Chicago blues scene where she has performed with many of the biggest stars of Chicago royalty. Zora (Howlin’ Wolf’s cousin) is a regular at the Chicago Blues Festival and a frequent headliner in both European and American Blues Festivals. On the recently released, Friday Night, Zora is backed by New York City stalwarts, Little Mike and the Tornadoes, one of the most prolific and veteran blues bands in the world. Zora covers a range of material that includes originals songs by band leader Little Mike and guitarist Tony O’Mello, as well as covering some of her favorite modern blues classics. The influence of her mentor, Lucille Spann, can be heard on “Country Girl” and she also pays tribute to her very good friend, the late Bonnie Lee, with a tough, gritty version of Lee’s, “I’m Good.” With the help of Little Mike and the Tornadoes, and the great, yet under acclaimed piano player Jim McKaba, Zora delivers a modern Chicago blues sound that only blues veterans can provide. Little Mike and the Tornadoes started recording and releasing successful recordings on their own after touring and recording with Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Louis Meyers, Jimmy Rogers, Roscoe Gordon and Big Daddy Kinsey all throughout the eighties. It was only natural that 25 years later old friends got together for a collaboration of this sort.
We think you will agree that Zora’s soul-drenched vocals put her at the head of the class.  Website