Michael Wolff is a genuine hipster -- a Manhattan-based family man and internationally acclaimed pianist-composer-bandleader who returns to his roots with the release of his eleventh album, 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz'. This soulful, instrumental collection is everything fans have come to embrace in Wolff's virtuoso jazz piano playing.
Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff is a genuine hipster -- a Manhattan-based family man and internationally acclaimed pianist-composer-bandleader who returns to his roots with the release of his eleventh album, 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz'. This soulful, instrumental collection is everything fans have come to embrace in Wolff's virtuoso jazz piano playing.
A baby boomer in his prime, Wolff is renown for his old school jazz roots, melodically fresh and rhythmically compelling multi-keyboard style, and ever-expanding media presence. A New Orleans native who’s father taught him blues on piano before he began classical lessons at age eight, Michael also grew up in Memphis and Berkeley, California, getting his first significant professional gig when he was 19 from Latin jazz vibist Cal Tjader. He made his recording debut with Cannonball Adderley’s band in 1975, and has worked extensively with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Christian McBride and others including his late friend Warren Zevon and singer Nancy Wilson, for whom he wrote orchestral arrangements and conducted more than 25 major symphony orchestras during world-wide tours. Wolff’s own band Impure Thoughts, launched in 2000, is an infectious improvising ensemble, richly percussive thanks to Indian tabla player Badal Roy, drummer Mike (Headhunters) Clark and electric bassist John B. Williams (on his new Trio CD, Wolff is joined by Williams and drummer Victor Jones.) Wolff’s recent performances include an Impure Thoughts concert at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms and a trip to the British Virgin Isles. He tours the U.S. regularly, and will perform a series of Trio dates in support of 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz'.
'jazz, JAZZ, jazz' is a nine-song collection of standards, including "My Funny Valentine," "Cry Me A River," "Autumn Leaves" and more. The tracks deliver previously unreleased performances by the Michael Wolff Trio. Wolff comments: "'jazz, JAZZ, jazz' represents what I love best about making Jazz -- playing wonderful, evocative material on the spot with great musical collaborators -- unplanned, unrehearsed, by the seat-of-the-pants. The music led us; we didn’t lead the music. All we had to do was get out of the way and play…"
Wolff’s repertoire and his manner of interpreting it reveals a lot about his underlying aesthetic and broadly encompassing strategy. Of the upcoming 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz,' critic Howard Mandel has already praised: "Michael Wolff's music just gets better and better -- his straight-ahead piano trio album, following his crooner-at-the-keyboard success ‘Love and Destruction,’ interprets choice standards by Miles, Dizzy, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, et al. with elegance, energy and nuance that establishes him in the first rank of urbane jazz pianists.
The secrets he discovers in these familiar selections makes them, and us, feel a little more sophisticated. And what simpatico support from John B. Williams and Victor Jones!" Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor of AllAboutJazz-New York, raved: “Without a doubt one of the strongest piano trio CDs I've heard all year... A stimulating listen from beginning to end...” After previewing Wolff’s upcoming CD, jazz critic Bob Karlovits of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review commented: “Once again, Michael kicks ass.”
'jazz, JAZZ, jazz', Wolff's second release on Wrong Records, will be sold digitally via itunes, on his website and other downloadable formats. A limited run of CDs will be available for purchase at live shows and via www.MichaelWolff.com. Wolff's recently-revamped website, by Scott Design, has won a Silver ADDY Award in the 'Consumer Website' category of the Silicon Valley ADDY Awards competition.
Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff is a genuine hipster -- a Manhattan-based family man and internationally acclaimed pianist-composer-bandleader who returns to his roots with the release of his eleventh album, 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz'. This soulful, instrumental collection is everything fans have come to embrace in Wolff's virtuoso jazz piano playing.
A baby boomer in his prime, Wolff is renown for his old school jazz roots, melodically fresh and rhythmically compelling multi-keyboard style, and ever-expanding media presence. A New Orleans native who’s father taught him blues on piano before he began classical lessons at age eight, Michael also grew up in Memphis and Berkeley, California, getting his first significant professional gig when he was 19 from Latin jazz vibist Cal Tjader. He made his recording debut with Cannonball Adderley’s band in 1975, and has worked extensively with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Christian McBride and others including his late friend Warren Zevon and singer Nancy Wilson, for whom he wrote orchestral arrangements and conducted more than 25 major symphony orchestras during world-wide tours. Wolff’s own band Impure Thoughts, launched in 2000, is an infectious improvising ensemble, richly percussive thanks to Indian tabla player Badal Roy, drummer Mike (Headhunters) Clark and electric bassist John B. Williams (on his new Trio CD, Wolff is joined by Williams and drummer Victor Jones.) Wolff’s recent performances include an Impure Thoughts concert at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms and a trip to the British Virgin Isles. He tours the U.S. regularly, and will perform a series of Trio dates in support of 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz'.
'jazz, JAZZ, jazz' is a nine-song collection of standards, including "My Funny Valentine," "Cry Me A River," "Autumn Leaves" and more. The tracks deliver previously unreleased performances by the Michael Wolff Trio. Wolff comments: "'jazz, JAZZ, jazz' represents what I love best about making Jazz -- playing wonderful, evocative material on the spot with great musical collaborators -- unplanned, unrehearsed, by the seat-of-the-pants. The music led us; we didn’t lead the music. All we had to do was get out of the way and play…"
Wolff’s repertoire and his manner of interpreting it reveals a lot about his underlying aesthetic and broadly encompassing strategy. Of the upcoming 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz,' critic Howard Mandel has already praised: "Michael Wolff's music just gets better and better -- his straight-ahead piano trio album, following his crooner-at-the-keyboard success ‘Love and Destruction,’ interprets choice standards by Miles, Dizzy, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, et al. with elegance, energy and nuance that establishes him in the first rank of urbane jazz pianists.
The secrets he discovers in these familiar selections makes them, and us, feel a little more sophisticated. And what simpatico support from John B. Williams and Victor Jones!" Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor of AllAboutJazz-New York, raved: “Without a doubt one of the strongest piano trio CDs I've heard all year... A stimulating listen from beginning to end...” After previewing Wolff’s upcoming CD, jazz critic Bob Karlovits of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review commented: “Once again, Michael kicks ass.”
'jazz, JAZZ, jazz', Wolff's second release on Wrong Records, will be sold digitally via itunes, on his website and other downloadable formats. A limited run of CDs will be available for purchase at live shows and via www.MichaelWolff.com. Wolff's recently-revamped website, by Scott Design, has won a Silver ADDY Award in the 'Consumer Website' category of the Silicon Valley ADDY Awards competition.