Michael Landau

Michael Landau - The Star Spangled Banner - 2001 - Ulftone/Unconscious

More intense than Michael's other albums. Michael Landau is an incredibly talented guitar player. "The Star Spangled Banner" is not full of the blistering guitar solos that Michael Landau is capable of, but the album is full of good electric guitar jazz with a fusion-tinged tone. Michael's vocals are not great, but his songs are well structured and original. If you want to hear more of Michael's blistering solo work, listen to his "Live" album. His "Tales from the Bulge" is another great album, with some beautiful understated blues solos in the "less is more" style of Eric Bibb or Robert Cray

TRACKS

1 Old Mind 1:19
2 That Day 4:41
3 Monk 5:11
4 Good Friend 3:43
5 Star Spangled Guitar 5:59
6 This House 3:49
7 Tacos 2:30
8 Problem 3:10
9 Rascal Balls 7:05
10 Red Fireplace 1:28
11 Another Day 3:05
12 Indian Man 3:26
13 Born in the Rain 6:08

MUSICIANS

Michael Landau - guitar, bass, vocals, sounds
Ted Landau, Mike Elizondo, Jimmy Johnson - bass
Jeff Babko - keys, melodica
Tom Keane, Jeff Young - keys
Abe Laboriel Jr.,Toss Panos - drums
Satnam Ram Gotra - tabla, percussion

BIO

To cover Michael Landau´s career takes a long time. He is one of the most used sessionplayers, he is a fantastic musician. Musician and composer Michael Landau was born and raised in Los Angeles California. He grew up with the music of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream and The Band. His grandfather Ernani Bernardi arranged and played the alto sax and clarinet during the "swing era" with the Dorsey Brothers and Benny Goodman. Michael began playing the guitar at age 11. As a teenager he quickly became very interested in jazz and electric jazz music. Weather Report, Pat Martino and Jaco Pastorius were some of his early obsessions. In the mid '70s Michael played in the L.A. dance clubs with an R&B band and toured the west coast with The Robben Ford Band, which included members of the Yellow Jackets, Jimmy Haslip and Russell Ferrante. At age 19 he joined Boz Scaggs for a world tour and by the age of 20 he started to do session work with the help of Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro. Some session highlights over the coming years would include Pink Floyd, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, BB King, James Taylor, Seal, Ray Charles and Rod Stewart. There is a complete session discography at allmusic.com with over 500 records and soundtracks listed. In 1984 Michael toured again and recorded with Joni Mitchell. This tour was called "The Refuge Of The Roads" with Vinnie Colaiuta, Larry Klein and Russell Ferrante. In 1989 he released his first solo studio album "Tales from the Bulge", an instrumental record initially released in Japan and on "Creatchy" records in the states. Wayne Shorter, Steve Tavaglione, Vinnie Colaiuta, Carlos Vega, David Garfield and Jimmy Johnson were among some of the players on this release. In 1990 he formed the blues-rock band Burning Water with his brother Teddy Landau, David Frazee and Carlos Vega. They put out 4 discs of original material and played in Japan and locally in L.A. It was also around this time that he started to record and tour with James Taylor. In 1993 he won the readers poll for "Best Studio Guitarist" in "Guitar Player Magazine". In 1994 Michael formed The Raging Honkies, a spicy rowdy rock band with Teddy Landau and Abe Laboriel Jr. They released 2 discs and toured in Europe and the US. In 2001 he released a double live album of original material and a studio album "The Star Spangled Banner" on his own label "Unconscious Records". Michael has also produced and or mixed some selected artists and side projects including: Scott Henderson, The Jazz Ministry, Stolen Fish and Freak Juice. He currently tours and performs with The Michael Landau Group, The Wreckers, Robben Ford, The Jazz Ministry, Stolen Fish, Hazey Jane and James Taylor. His most recent project, a double live album will be released on "Tone Center" records in the states, "Mascot Records" in Europe, and "Vega Music" in Japan. [Words from Jazz Network]http://www.bluedesert.dk/michaellandau.htm