Michael Blum (born May 30, 1993) is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 2020, he was named an inaugural recipient of ASCAP's Peggy Lee Songwriter Award,[1] and he was named the "Rising Star" guitarist in the 63rd Annual Critics Poll in DownBeat magazine.[2]

Life and career

1993-2011: Early life

Blum was born in Great Neck, New York[3] to a musical family. His father, a classical guitarist, was his first music teacher.[4] Blum began his music studies on piano, then played saxophone before ultimately studying guitar at age nine.[3]

2011-2019: Jazz releases and The Reservoir

In 2011, Blum began studying at Dartmouth College, from which he graduated with a double major in music and cognitive science.[5] During the summer of his freshman year, Blum worked as a pit musician at the New London Barn Playhouse, where he decided to pursue music professionally.[6] He soon began studying with Berklee College of Music professor, Jim Stinnett,[7] who previously taught Blum's father.[3] After studying with him for a year, Stinnett suggested that he and Blum record an album together.[8]

In February 2014, Blum released his debut jazz album, Initiation, with his quartet, which features bassist Jim Stinnett, pianist Brad Smith and drummer Dom Moio.[9] All About Jazz called Initiation a "stellar debut."[10] In a review of Initiation, Downbeat Magazine compared Blum to "Kenny Burrell, Charlie Byrd, Jim Hall, Johnny Smith, Emily Remler...or Columbia-era George Benson," and called Blum "an articulate player who executes with clarity...[and] shows unusual maturity."[11] In a review of Initiation, Vintage Guitar Magazine said, "Hope for jazz guitar's future abounds in this release by the 20-year-old Blum and his quartet…[it's] the perfect debut for a player who seems wise beyond his years."[12]

In June 2015, Blum was named the "Rising Star" guitarist in the 63rd Annual Critics Poll in Downbeat Magazine.[2] That same month, Blum released his second album and vocal debut, Commitment, which features bassist Jim Stinnett, pianist Brad Smith, saxophonist Fred Haas and electric bassist Grant Stinnett.[13] The next year, Blum released Chasin' Oscar: A Tribute to Oscar Peterson, which Downbeat Magazine praised for its "enviable and rare combination of technique and taste."[14] Later in 2016, Blum released Expansion,[15] a jazz fusion project.

In January 2017, Blum released his first jazz-pop album as a singer-songwriter, The Reservoir.[16][17]

2019-present

In 2019, Blum moved to Los Angeles, CA and began co-writing with and producing for artists including WESLEY, Jenna Lotti, Jake Clark, Sophie Ann and more.[18]

References

External links

• Official Website