The name Mike Henderson is most likely not a familiar one to most bluegrass fans. As one who has been immersed in the business side of the music for 20 years, I was only briefly acquainted with the name, having seen it associated with a song recorded in the 1980s by the Virginia Squires. In March of 1998, I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Henderson and his wife Gay at a Patent Pending new release party. It turns out that Mike, a native of West Virginia, has been a huge fan of bluegrass music for many years and is very well connected with many of the music’s top performers, especially those from the Washington, DC area. He has been an avid songwriter for a long time; the highly entertaining Dry Branch Fire Squad is among the most frequent users of his material.

Silver Lining is an excellent new solo collection which highlights many of the fine original songs that Mike has composed – some old and some recent. To assist with the production of the album, Mike engaged the services of a host of super pickers including Emory Lester, Bill Emerson, Ronnie Simpkins, Rickie Simpkins, Fred Travers, Mark Newton, Peter Bonta, and Steve Spence.

Even before the idea for this project was conceived, Mike had been (and continues to be) blessed with the friendship of a host of pickers and singers. Many are full-time professionals, while others are avid back porch pickers. As Mike’s song writing and musicianship took form over the years, a common chord that firmly resonated from his many musical friends was “Man, you need to make an album!” A seasoned player since the 1950s, one could say that Mike’s new album was 40 years in the making. He lamented recently that the project has been long overdue, and was a long time coming. On the plus side, however, Mike expressed the opinion that he has a project he is very proud of. He has the right songs wedded to an equally right set of pickers and singers. It was a long wait. But, if patience and persistence offers any reward, it certainly shows itself here. Gee, every cloud does have a silver lining.