Michael Kaeshammer
Michael Kaeshammer | |
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Background information | |
Born |
Offenburg, Germany | 7 January 1977
Genres | Boogie woogie, blues, stride, jazz |
Instruments | Piano, vocals |
Years active | 1996–present |
Labels |
Alert Records (2008) BSB Productions (1996) Alma Records (2000) Alma/Universal Records (2003) |
Website |
Michael Kaeshammer (born 7 January 1977, Offenburg, Germany) is a Canadian boogie-woogie pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger.[1]
Background
After studying classical piano for seven years in his German homeland, 13-year-old Kaeshammer (pronounced "case-hammer") discovered boogie-woogie and stride piano as played by Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Pinetop Smith, and Fats Waller. In three years, he was playing boogie-woogie piano in clubs, concerts, and festivals all over Germany. After his family moved to the west coast of Canada, he attracted attention almost immediately, performing at blues and jazz festivals across the country during the summer of 1996.
Besides playing the piano he also sings blues and jazz. His first album, Blue Keys (BSB Productions), was released in 1996, followed by Tell You How I Feel (Alma Records) in 1998, which was recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. He subsequently recorded No Strings Attached (Alma Records), released in 2000; Strut (Alma/Universal Music), released in 2003, Days Like These (Alert/Universal Music), released in 2007; and "Lovelight", released in 2009.[2]
Kaeshammer is best known in Canada, but has performed and toured extensively in the United States and Europe. Some of his most popular songs are "On a Saturday Night", from the album No Strings Attached; "Comes Love", from Strut; and "Cinnamon Sun", from Days Like These.
He has lived in Offenburg, Vancouver Island, Toronto, and New York City.
Blue Keys (1996) |
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Michael Kaeshammer – piano, vocals; produced by Michael Kaeshammer; recorded at Kaleidoscope Theatre, Victoria, BC; released October 1996 by BSB Productions |
Tell You How I Feel (1998) |
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Michael Kaeshammer – piano, vocals; Vito Rezza – drums; Paul Keller – bass; Kevin Breit – guitar; Guido Basso – trumpet; Phil Dwyer – tenor sax; Terry Promane – trombone; Laurie Bower[3] – trombone on "Basin Street Blues"; Joe Sealy – piano on "Same Old Blues"; Doug Riley – piano on "Same Old Blues"; Carol Welsman – vocals on "Basin Street Blues"; arranged by Michael Kaeshammer; produced and additional arrangement by Peter Cardinali; recorded by Scott Lake; recorded at Phase One Studios, Toronto, Ontario; released November 1998 on Alma Records |
No Strings Attached (2000) |
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Michael Kaeshammer – piano, vocals; Art Neville – Hammond B3 organ; Eddie Bo – piano, vocals on "Drown In My Own Tears"; Johnny Vidacovich – drums; Jorn Anderson – drums; Terry Clark – drums; Vito Rezza – drums; Bob McLaren – drums; George Koller – bass; Neil Swainson – bass; Kevin Breit – guitar; Armando Borg – percussion; featuring the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra on "Snow at Lake Simcoe"; produced by Peter Cardinali; engineered by Denis Tougas; released October 2000 by Alma Records |
Strut (2003) |
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Michael Kaeshammer – piano, prepared piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, vocals; Johnny Vidacovich – drums; Ben Wolfe – bass; Kevin Breit – guitar, mad man on "Soundtrack to Something Beautiful"; Richard Bell – Wurlitzer on "Cry to Me"; John Johnson – flute, alto flute, alto sax, tenor sax, bartitone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet; Brian Barlow – percussion, vibes, marimba; Michael Dunston – tambourine; produced and arranged by Peter Cardinali; tracks 2, 3 and 11 arranged by Michael Kaeshammer; engineered by Denis Tougas; recorded at Bad Manors at Scott Carmichael's Cottage, Stoney Lake, Ontario; released November 2003 by Alma Records/Universal Records |
Days Like These (2007) |
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Michael Kaeshammer – voice, piano, Fender Rhodes; Neal Caine, David Piltch – acoustic bass; Arthur Latin II, Jay Bellerose, Davide DiRenzo – drums; Doug Riley – Hammond B3; Kevin Breit, Rob Piltch – guitar; Don Rooke – lap steel; Ben Grossman – hurdy-gurdy; William Sperandei – trumpet; Gord Myers – trombone; Doug Burrell – tuba; Dione Taylor – vocal-duet; Sharon Lee Williams, Meddie LeRoy, Dione Taylor – background vocals; produced by David Piltch; engineered by George Seara at Phase One Studios, Toronto, assisted by Jeff Pelletier, except "Stop That Train" and "If You Knew", engineered by S. Husky Hoskulds at Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, assisted by Jason Gossman; mixed by George Seara at Phase One Studios, Toronto, except "My Love", mixed by Jay Newland at River Music, New York; mastered by Chris Athens at Sterling Sound, New York; released October 2007 by Alert Records/Universal Music |
Lovelight (2009) |
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Kaeshammer (2011) |
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With you in mind (2013)[4] |
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Performances and festivals
- Touring in United States, Canada, Europe
- 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy
- 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China
- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
- Big Joe Duskin (a Canadian Jazz Festival Tour)
- Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto
- Canada Day @ Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom
- Performed at the Massy Hall, 25 May 2013, with Kellylee Evans (who played before him)
- Several jazz festivals in the United States
- European tours
- Tours with Colin James, Holly Cole, Anne Murray
- Canadian National Jazz Awards (host and performer)
- Tour with Jill Barber 2010
Television appearances
- SOLOS: the Jazz Sessions (Bravo! Canada 2004)
References
- ↑ Griffey, Gary (2002-04-12). "CD/LP review: David lee Roth". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
- ↑ d'Gama Rose, Raoul (2009-09-18). "CD/LP review: Lovelight". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
- ↑ Archived 12 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Weekly Jazz n Blues (2016-07-20). "With you in mind – Michael Kaeshammer". Weekly Jazz n Blues. Retrieved 2016-07-20.