Genres Jazz Name Michael Blum Occupation(s) Musician, composer Role Musical Artist | Instruments Guitar, vocals Albums Commitment Website michaelblumguitar.com | |
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Born May 30, 1993 (age 31) Great Neck, NY ( 1993-05-30 ) | ||
Michael Blum (born May 30, 1993) is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, and composer.
In 2015, he was named the "Rising Star" guitarist in the 63rd Annual Critics Poll in Down Beat magazine.
Life and career
Blum was born in Great Neck, New York to a musical family. His father, a classical guitarist, was his first music teacher. Blum began his music studies on piano, then played saxophone before ultimately studying guitar at age nine.
In 2011, Blum began studying at Dartmouth College, from which he graduated with a double major in music and cognitive science. 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. He soon began studying with Berklee College of Music professor, Jim Stinnett, who previously taught Blum's father. After studying with him for a year, Stinnett suggested that he and Blum record an album together.
In February 2014, Blum released his debut album, Initiation, with his quartet, which features bassist Jim Stinnett, pianist Brad Smith and drummer Dom Moio. All About Jazz called Initiation a "stellar debut," 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." 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."
In June 2015, 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.