Michael was born in New York City in 1960, but grew up in the San
Francisco Bay area. His musical career began as therapy, when at the age of 15 he took up
strumming the guitar to strengthen his wrist after a skateboard accident. Following his
graduation from Berkeley High School when he was 15½, he moved to Seattle and frequented
local jam sessions, keeping his fingers on the guitar strings and his mind on making his
music reach a wider audience. Says Powers, “I learned how to play by sitting in at
as many places as I could, developing eclectic tastes by playing with all types of bands:
Jazz, Rock, Blues, R&B, and Top 40. I wanted to learn how to play any kind of music
that featured a guitar as a solo voice.” As Michael’s musicianship
progressed, his interests broadened to include music theory. He enrolled at Seattle’s
prestigious Cornish College of the Arts where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor
of Fine Arts in Composition and Performance in 1982. While at Cornish, Powers studied
under composers Gil Evans and Sam Rivers, bassist Gary Peacock, pianist Art Lande, and
trombonist Julian Priester. His style was also influenced by a diverse group of musicians
which includes Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Charlie Parker, George Benson, Stanley
Jordan, Miles Davis, and Kevin Eubanks. On stage, Michael has shared
performed with, recorded with or shared billings with piano
giant Herbie Hancock, classic Jazz saxophonist Eddie “Clean Head” Vinson,
B3 master Dr. Lonnie Smith, Ronnie Cuber, Gil Scott Heron, Keiko Matsui, Nancy Wilson, Les McCann, Najee, Tommy Davidson, Dr. Cornel
West, the
legendary Ray Charles, Afro-pop star King Sunny Ade, Grammy award-winning vocalist Diane
Schuur, R&B greats Gladys Knight and the Pips and Atlantic Starr, contemporary Jazz
artists Ronny Jordan, Tom Grant, David Benoit, sax great Ernie Watts, the Yellowjackets, and the duo of Tuck
& Patti. “It’s hard to categorize my music, although it usually ends up
in the Jazz record bins,” says Michael. “If I had to put a label on it, I
would call it contemporary instrumental music. It’s a sound rooted in the Jazz
tradition that keeps pace stylistically with Pop, R&B, and Blues; with Blues being at
the core of my inspiration.” His powerful performances have regularly commanded
standing ovations.""Michael Powers' music seamlessly and simultaneously honors the past, celebrates the present, and fearlessly reaches into the
future!
Frameworks Guitar (custom builder of my wonderful 'Modern Classic with MIDI' guitar based in Frankfurt Germany. Have Frank Krocker make you one!)
Michael 'Patches' Stewart (legendary trumpet man for Labelle, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones and Marcus Miller, featured on my "20 Songs for 20 Years", "Cinco de Michael and "New Jack Jazz" releases)
Lee Oskar (legendary Harmonica man for WAR, featured on my "20 Songs for 20 Years" and "Live at the Moore Theater" releases)
Rob Mullins (Great pianist & keyboardist featured on my FULL CIRCLE and FROSTY THE BLUESMAN releases. He is always cranking out some fabulous new CD's!
Garey Williams (Great Drummer featured on my COVER TO COVER release)
Tony Gable and 206 (Featuring a great group of musicians from the 206 area code, and of course my great friend Tony, who is featured on my "Full Circle" release!)
Mark Isham (film composer, trumpeter. I studied with him at Cornish Institute)
Susan Scott (photographer who took my website front page photo!)
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Copyright ©, 2008 Michael Powers Music