Michael Robinson knew the minute he met Bay Area blues legend Johnny Nitro that his life was about to change. And change it did!

What started as a 10-week blues workshop several years ago turned into a musical odyssey the result of which is Playing in the Dark, Michael´s stunning blues debut that features five tracks co-written with his mentor. Michael also has a hot new live band that is playing extensively throughout Northern California.

Though the disc stays true to roots music, it features a wide range of styles and rhythms. From the Chicago-flavored "Full Time Lover" to the Bo Diddley beat of "Wishful Thinking" to the Chuck Berry-driven "If I Could Marry My Guitar," to the BB King-inspired "Even Jesus Had the Blues," each song expresses a unique personality.

Playing in the Dark also showcases Michael´s gift for clever lyrics yet simple honest stories, his trademark gutsy vocal style and tasty solos. His talents have grown enormously from the days when he was fronting the rock group the Tabloids, which started off playing original alternative rock but ended up performing an extensive list of classic blues covers as the band barnstormed Northern California clubs.

An award-winning former newspaper reporter and critically acclaimed author, Michael has spent the last five years honing his writing, playing and singing into a distinctive style he calls Roadhouse Blues and Roots Rock. After all, he says, "If you flip a blues coin with Muddy Waters on one side, it´ll have Chuck Berry on the other."

Michael´s other major influences include Albert King, Billy Gibbons, Freddie King, George Thorogood, Tommy Castro, Jimmie Vaughn and Howlin Wolf.

After a rapid rise in newspapering that included a Pulitzer Prize nomination, Michael became a songwriter at age 30. He issued his first CD at age 34 and learned to play guitar the next year.

He started the Tabloids, his first band, at age 39. "Train of Thought," the Tabloids´ last CD, received airplay on 120 college radio stations and garnered steady gigs throughout Northern California and extensive press coverage. Michael kicked off his blues career just three weeks before his 44th birthday when that fabled workshop band opened for Johnny Nitro at the infamous Saloon in North Beach. It all came full circle in late July 2006 when Michael and his new band opened for Nitro at the Saloon to a packed house.

Today, Michael says he is the most fulfilled he has ever felt in his 20-year musical career. That relaxed sense of confidence permeates "Playing in the Dark." Michael sounds like a man who is having the time of his life -- and he is.