"Michael Blanco is an imaginative bandleader, an emerging composer and a damn fine bassist." -- Fred Hersch
"Transplanted San Diego native Michael Blanco, now a
New York-based bassist, places himself among the top
jazz bassists and composers with his new album.
Polished, confident, imaginative, "In the Morning" is
a mature album of straight-ahead jazz...It's a
promising debut, and ought to put Blanco on most jazz
fans' listening lists."
-- Jim Trageser, North County Times/The Californian
"Bassist/Composer, Michael Blanco is one of the new rising individuals who possesses an abundance of musical talent and savvy. "In The Morning", his new recording, is a perfect example of excellent world-class bass playing combined with a great program of sophisticated original compositions.
Bravo Michael!"
-- Rufus Reid
"A composer of remarkable promise." -- Primetime A&E Magazine
Michael Blanco is a bassist and composer living in New York City. He is a two-time recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award (2005, 2006) and now presents those winning compositions on In The Morning, his debut release for the esteemed Fresh Sound/New Talent jazz label out of Barcelona, Spain.
Since moving to New York City in January 2000, Michael has been involved in a wide variety of musical projects, including bands led by Doug Wamble (Marsalis Music), Bob Reynolds (Fresh Sound/New Talent), John Chin (Fresh Sound/New Talent), Frank LoCrasto (MAXJAZZ), John Stevens (Maverick), and Frank Basile (Village Vanguard Orchestra). He was a founding member of the alternative jazz/rock band Overground with singer-songwriter Zack Hexum (Trauma Records), with whom he recorded the album What Happens Now.
Michael has twice been selected by the U.S. Department of State to be an artistic representative for the United States abroad. First, in 2001, he toured South America, Central America, and the Caribbean as part of the Kennedy Center's Jazz Ambassador program. Then, in 2008, he toured the Middle East as part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center program The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad.
Michael is also in high demand outside of the world of jazz; he is the bassist for the current Broadway revival of Grease and has performed in the orchestras of a dozen other Broadway shows, including Spring Awakening, Wicked, Avenue Q, Mary Poppins, Grey Gardens, Wonderful Town, The Threepenny Opera, Les Miserables, and Fiddler on the Roof. A frequent accompanist to singers, he has performed in concert with such notable artists as Carole King, Norah Jones, Idina Menzel, Kristen Chenoweth, and Maureen McGovern.
Michael currently leads a jazz quintet dedicated to performing his original compositions and has performed at major New York City venues including Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Birdland and Blue Note and smaller important laboratories for jazz like Makor, Tonic, Smalls, Barbes and La Lanterna.
Although he spends most of his time in New York City, Michael has also had the pleasure of performing in Bahrain, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Yemen.
For more information, please visit: blancobass.com
