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Most recently, Michael has joined forces with smooth jazz guitarist and composer Robert Harris. Michael is featured on a few of the tunes on Robert's latest CD including the title track "City Lights". Robert's CD "City Lights" is due out for official release later this year. The Robert Harris Group can be heard on smooth jazz radio stations all around the country.For more info on Robert's latest CD paste the below URL in your browser: http://www.robertharrismusic.com/Order_CD.htm
Michael's latest project is a new set of Demo CD's that are being recorded at DIVI Music Studios in Oviedo, FL that will include a wide variety of tunes including everything from Classic Straight Ahead Jazz to Contemporary Dance music and will be completed in October 2007!
To request a copy E-Mail: [email protected]
The tunes on this web page are some of Michael's jazzy'r numbers that he occasionally performs at some performances. The majority of venues normally calls for more variety R&B, Smooth Jazz and everthing from Sinatra up to current hits from John Mayer, Santana, Toni Braxton, Sublime, Sugar Ray and more.... During the course of any one night's performance you will hear a wide mix that always gets jazzed up while everyone is chillin' and having a good time.
See below for a list of the artists, musical styles and categories that you can expect to hear.
A short list of some of the venues that Michael has performed at includes; Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island - West End Stage, Universal Studios City Jazz, Universal City Walk's Bob Marleys, Hard Rock Live, House of Blues - Blues Kitchen, Howl At the Moon, Disney's Boardwalk, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Sun Cruise, Joe Robbie Stadium, Performed for past Presidents - Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, Concert Performances with The Temptations, The Ringling Museum, The King Center, The Polasek Museum, The Science Museum, Beluga in Winter Park, Palmanos in Winter Park, Holiday Inn Altamonte Springs, Adairs Restaurant in College Park, The newly renovated Lexington Hotel's District 5, numerous private engagements, fund raisers, festivals and many other artistic and cultural events too numerous to mention .
Specialized musical performance in: Smooth Jazz Latin Jazz Jazz Standards R&B Dance Music including Funk, Disco, Techno, Reggae, Calypso and Rockn'Roll Light Rock
For larger venues and most nightclubs etc. Michael's stage setup includes a state-of-the-art PA, a dazzling light show and an excellent selection of background music to keep things lively during breaks.
If you are looking for a true professional entertainer - capable of taking you on a musical journey from the past up to the present - Michael is your man!
Whether you are looking to fill a dance floor with a lot of lively vocals and instrumentals -or- a more smooth sophisticated approach -or- something in between the two - Michael enjoys it all and will keep it fun while matching your exact preferences for your event.
Numerous references also available upon request.
** An up and coming star Michae has received several favorable reviews including coverage from Lynda Englehart and the Central Florida Jazz Society's - "Jazzin' Around Town" monthly publications. See BLOGS on this page.
For booking inquiries contact: Phone: 407.977.7729 E-Mail: [email protected]
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Specialized performance in the below list artists (grouped by musical category):
Jazz Vocals: Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Louis Prima, Louis Jordon, Michael Franks and more......
R&B / Contemporary - Vocals and Instrumentals: Sublime, Sugar Ray, John Mayer, Earth Wind & Fire, Santana, Smash Mouth, Kool and the Gang, Isley Brothers, AWB, Tower of Power, Chicago, Dave Mathews, Aleysha Keys, Lionel Ritchie (Commodores), Wilson Pickett, Blues Brothers, Steeley Dan, Jimmy Buffet, Lenny Kravitz, Janet Jackson and more......
Smooth Jazz Instrumentals: David Sanborn, Grover Washington Jr., Gato Barbieri, Dave Koz, Four Play, Kenny G and more.....
Jazz Standards: Hundreds of tunes from artists too numerous to list here Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Miles Davis, Louis Prima, Irvning Berlin and many many more....
Latin/Reggae/Calypso: Bob Marley and the Whalers, Andy Narell, Paquito D'Rivera and more......
Rock / Light Rock: Beatles, Eagles, Pink Floyd, James Taylor, Steve Miller Band and more.....
_________________________________Begin (Mostly Musical Highlights) Bio: * Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Began playing drums at age 4. (On older brother Glenn's Drumset).
* Started piano lessons at age 5.
* As the youngest of 6 children growing up in a very musical household (mother-vocalist, father-saxophone/clarinetist, brother-drummer, sister-pianist) gained an early appreciation for many different types and styles of music at an early age.
* Moved to Miami Beach, FL at the age of 8.
* Learned to speak spanish and enjoy salsa, montuno, merengue and basically was fascinated with all aspects of Latin Music/Latin Jazz by age 9.
* Studied Guitar lessons at ages 9 and 10.
* Played drums in 7th grade and switched to saxophone at age 12 later that same year.
* Began working professionally at age 15 with the Boca Pops Orchestra in Boca Raton, FL.
* District Champion Wrestler - Deerfield Beach High School Wrestling Team.
* Freshman and Junior Varisty Football - Deerfield Beach High School and Central Bucks West High School (in Doylestown PA) - Defensive Back.
* Age 16 travelled to and attended the Stan Kenton Jazz Clinic at Towson State College in Maryland that was overflowing with talented high school and college musicians at the time. Auditioned and made 1st Tenor in the 1st Band (out of 15 Bands). Playing in Hank Levy's Band was a Blast! 12-12-12-123 Time Charts Baby! Also was invited to play in the Stan Kenton band during some of their rehearsals that week.
* Taught Jazz Improvisation to High School Jazz Band at Central Bucks High School as a Junior in High School.
* Attended Broward County School of Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, FL During senior year of high school.
* Taught private Lessons to fellow sax students during senior year of high school
* 1st Jazz Tenor in the Florida High School State Jazz Ensemble (senior year).
* Received several offer letters from music scholarships from several leading universites.
* Enrolled in college (while still in high school ) in order to rehears and perform with Florida Atlantic University and Broward Community College Jazz Ensembles. Florida Atlantic University (under the direction of legendary arranger/composer/multi-instrumentalist Dr. William Prince) and Broward Comm College (under the direction of local jazz legend/Jazz Trumpeter extraordinaire - Bernie Switzer.
* Two days after high school graduation - began working for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and travelled all around the world while performing in both the ship’s orchestra andjazz combo bands.
* Rented motorcycle in Aruba at 17 yrs of age and drove up and down the island at speeds of over 100+ MPH - what was I thinking?$@
* Married at age 20 and as the years flew by I have always kept up playing and performing on a regular basis.
* Played with the Dave Stahl Big Band at age 18 and made a lot of friends in the business thanks to Dave!
* Performed with and/or opened for - The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Spinners, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, Chubby Checker, Beach Boys, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Buddy Guy.
* Jazz Artists - performed with Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton Orchestra, Ira Sullivan, George Benson, Al Dimiola (guitarist from Chick Corea Return to Forever), Jazz Saxophonist-Peter Christlieb (who played 20yrs on Johnny Carson Show), Jazz Trombonist-Bill Watrous, Legendary Jazz Bassists Art Davis and Rufus Reed (Art played with John Coltrane for 12 years), Dave Stahl (davestahl.com), Kenny Drew Jr. and many more.
* List of local Orlando artists performed with includes: Christian Valenzuela, John Steele Smith, Sunyatta(Sunyatta.com), Event Music (Eventmusic.com) Scott Wilson and Greg Little(Trumpeters Extraordinaire), Wes Hambrick (Westin Grand Boheme), Don Scaletta, Southtown Fever(Tampa) and the Altamonte Springs Jazz Ensemble.
* Debuing with Robert Harris Group on November 3rd, 2007 at the Leu Gardens Fall Jazz Stroll - hope to see you there!
* AA Degree in Business Administration, Broward Community College
* AS Degree in Computer Science, Broward Community College.
* Most notable jazz legends worked with in the past two years - Pete Christlieb (http://www.petechristlieb.com) of Johny Carson Show and Steeley Dan fame and Jazz trombonist legend Bill Watrous (http://www.billwatrous.com) both performances were with the exceptionally good Altamonte Springs Jazz Ensemble. Getting to hang out and really get to know both of those cats was a true privilege.
* Most notable musical accomplishment to date -- played over 3,500 gigs and still going! while continuing to work full-time over the years in various IT related jobs including IT Director and Software Developer and raising a family of three children - Carlyn, Steven and David (and now 1 grandchild - Jaylin) with my lovely wife Christine of 26 years.
* Over the years performed at all sorts of events and places ranging from Hotels and Convention Centers, Nightclubs Jazz, Blues, Rock Festivals, and yes even Disco back in the day!), Cruise Ships, Concert Halls all over the U.S and Europe, Disney’s West End Stage, Joe Robbie Stadium, Superbowls, Universal Studios Citywalk and the “Hard Rock Live†(see picture above), political conventions and performances for presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton.