Michael Shay Band

Shannon McNally wrote this about her music, and it also describes well what the Michael Shay Band is about: "I don't need to sound like Trey Anastasio to be a jam band. You just have to push the boundaries of the common song, set a mood, allow the waves to rise and fall and to connect with the audience's gathered heartbeat, oh yeah and JAM, which means leave the script behind (or not). It's a concept of the blues and jazz.The Grateful Dead had studio records that just displayed their songs in standard 4 minute fashion and then when you saw them live they interjected all the shit that doesn't fit on a record. The Meters, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, Elmore James, Nina Simone and Neil Young all did/do the same. They were presumably the greatest jam bands of all time though they can be decribed by a dizzying array of terms all meant to cut music up into little tiny market bits...and that ain't nothing but segregation which I am not down with period."END QUOTE. The Michael Shay Band is: Rock n Roll, Americana, a dash of classical, some jazz, some world music, plenty of 4-part harmonies, plus some cello, sax, flute and bass flute (on top of the standard guitar /bass /drums backbone). Add some seriously intense jams, sublime singing and unique songwriting, and there it is...Preparing to record their first CD ("Portrait of a Heroine") in May 2007, the live recordings of the Michael Shay Band that are posted on www.michaelshay.com and here on myspace are a good hint of things to come. Michael's solo CD of 2004 ("Lines of Darkness, Lines of Light") presents more mellow, acoustic incarnation of some of his songs. It features guest appearances from The Two High String Band, Anais Mitchell, Libby Kirkpatrick, Melanie Hersh, Idgy Vaughn, and others. Michael also recorded a bluegrassy CD in 2002 with Alive and Well (a cello/guitar with Geoff Union) called "Life Is Short." Both of these CD's are available and can be heard on www.michaelshay.com.