Michael Kaeshammer

Michael Kaeshammer
Background information
Born 7 January 1977
Offenburg, Germany
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. He attracted attention almost immediately after the family moved to the west coast of Canada, 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. No Strings Attached (Alma Records) in 2000, Strut (Alma/Universal Music) in 2003, Days Like These (Alert/Universal Music) in 2007 and "Lovelight" 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)
  1. Swanee River [5:29]
  2. Blues for Dorothy [5:13]
  3. Tico Tico [4:47]
  4. Sweet Lorraine [4:29]
  5. Honky Tonk Train Blues [4:32]
  6. When I Lost My Baby [4:10]
  7. Down the Road a Piece [4:04]
  8. Just a Closer Walk with Thee [2:33]
  9. Bilingual Boogie [2:24]
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)
  1. Doodlin' [3:35]
  2. Move It on Over [2:38]
  3. Sweet Georgia Brown [4:41]
  4. I'll Always Love You [4:57]
  5. Sunny Side of the Street [4:44]
  6. John Brown's Body [4:59]
  7. Caravan [4:08]
  8. Jivin' with Dal [4:14]
  9. Basin Street Blues [5:35]
  10. Airmail Special [3:02]
  11. Same Old Blues [4:25]
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, ON; Released November 1998 on Alma Records
No Strings Attached (2000)
  1. Snow at Lake Simcoe [5:19]
  2. On a Saturday Night [3:42]
  3. Kaes Closed [2:55]
  4. Maple Leaf Rag [3:28]
  5. Fish This Week, But Next Week Chitlins [3:23]
  6. West Broadway [4:56]
  7. Drown in My Own Tears [5:33]
  8. Nora's Boogie (RA) [4:22]
  9. I Mean You [4:06]
  10. Boogie Woogie Stomp [5:35]
  11. On a Rainy Day [3:29]
  12. Dusty's Blues [6:06]
  13. Mose [2:59]
  14. Portly Pear [1:52]
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)
  1. Twentysomething
  2. Sleepy Time
  3. Bass Gone Crazy
  4. Comes Love
  5. Now?
  6. Almost a Rag
  7. You're a Good Dancer, Johnny!
  8. At the Vinyl Cafe
  9. Blue Skies
  10. Soundtrack to Something Beautiful
  11. Sunny Morning
  12. Cry to Me
  13. Maybe Tomorrow
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 (musician) - Percussion, Vibes, Marimba; Michael Dunston - Tambourine; Produced & Arranged by Peter Cardinali; Tracks 2, 3 & 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)
  1. Cinnamon Sun [3:38]
  2. My Love [4:13]
  3. Stop That Train [4:17]
  4. Too Far Down [3:46]
  5. Days Like These [3:41]
  6. If You Knew [4:33]
  7. I Found a New Baby [4:03]
  8. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face [5:59]
  9. Free of Love [4:03]
  10. St. James Infirmary [5:15]
  11. I Left a Note [4:06]
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)
  1. Lovelight
  2. On My Own
  3. Isabelle
  4. Goodbye
  5. Glory of Love
  6. I Wish I Knew
  7. Give You My Heart
  8. Cupid
  9. Dawn's Song
  10. Now That My Baby's Gone
  11. Bei Mir Bist Du Schön
  12. Hamps' Boogie
  13. Maybe Tomorrow
KAESHAMMER (2011)
  1. Rendezvous
  2. Kisses in Zanzibar
  3. A Little Bit of Love
  4. Tightrope
  5. The You-and-Me
  6. People Get Ready
  7. Heartbeat
  8. Shalimar Wind
  9. Love Me or Leave Me
  10. Remedy

Performances and festivals

Television appearances

References

  1. ↑ Griffey, Gary (2002-04-12). "CD/LP review: No Strings Attached". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  2. ↑ d'Gama Rose, Raoul (2009-09-18). "CD/LP review: Lovelight". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  3. ↑

External links