"Back to the Blues" has been a long time coming for Nebraska based guitarist, singer, songwriter and bandleader Mick Schafer. In 2017, Mick assembled some of the best musicians of Portland's talent-saturated blues scene and built his own band. "Back to the Blues" was born in the throws of the pandemic, during which Mick recruited some truly legendary players, including Shemekia Copeland guitarist Ken "Willie" Scandlyn and drummer Jimi Bott, and legendary blues guitarist Jason JT Thomas. Produced by award winning bassist Timmer Blakely, the resulting album reflects Mick's lifelong passion for blues, and finally fulfills the long-held dream born in church choirs as a child, that of spending his life making the music he loves.