TENOR, SOPRANO SAXOPHONES
Born in 1963, in Ithaca, New York, Michael began the study of
piano at age seven. At eleven, he began taking private
saxophone lessons as well, with Ithaca College professor Steven Mauk.
In High School, Michael won various awards, including a scholarship,
as "outstanding soloist" at a New York State High School jazz band
competition, to study with Dave Leibman and Rich Beirach, at
Bard College. Michael opted for Cornell University, but transferred
a year later to Berklee School of Music, where he studied on
scholarship with George Garzone, Bill Peirce and Gary
Burton, among others, and graduated Magna Cum Laude after 5 semesters.
During his stay in Boston he performed frequently in the local clubs
with various musicians including pianists Danilo Perez and Bruce
Bartz.
Michael left Boston almost immediately after graduation in 1987 to do a
short tour in Italy with keyboardist Delmar Brown, and performed
that summer at the "Lugano Festival Jazz" in Switzerland. He
subsequently settled in Italy, where he has been highly successful as both
a live and studio musician.
During his tenure on the southern european music scene, Michael has
played at several major jazz festivals and has performed and/or
recorded with virtually all of Italy's and Switzerland's most important
jazz artists, including ECM recording artists Enrico Rava and Franco
D'Andrea, and Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti, to name
just a few. He has also played with more than a few well-known
American musicians, such as Jim Hall, Carl Anderson, Tommy
Cambpell, Peter Erskine, (who provided a quote on the jacket of
Michael's cd "Elusive Creatures"), and Mike Stern and
Kenny Wheeler, both of whom personally invited Michael to sit in on
their own concerts after having heard him play on earlier occasions.
He has been guest jazz soloist at several performances by various
musicians from the world-renowned La Scala Orchestra, and has
toured extensively in Northern Europe, performed in major concert halls
such as the "Zenith" in Paris, and the "Olympiahalle" in
Munich, played in professional soccer stadiums in both Italy and
Argentina, and appeared on national television in Switzerland,
Sweden, France, Germany and Italy. After a four year stint as lead soloist
in the big band for one of Italy's most popular TV shows, Michael
recently freed himself up in order to concentrate on his solo career.
He is currently playing numerous engagements in concert halls and
jazz clubs, both in Europe and, when visiting, in New York City, where he
retains numerous contacts.As a studio musician, Michael has recorded solos
on approximately seventy albums/cd's of every conceivable genre and for a
vast array of Italy's most widely known singers, including Mina,
Adriano Celentano and Renato Zero. He shares album
credits with such musicians as Tom Brechtlein, Steve Ferrone, Enrico
Rava, Oscar Cartaya and Bo Diddley. In addition, his saxophone
solos were featured on the soundtrack for the ISO dance group's
1991 performances in Tokyo and at the Rockefeller Center in
New York City.
Michael's first solo album, "Elusive Creatures", on Splasch
Records, was released in 1996, and with the exception of one
standard, consists entirely of his own material. The cd
received excellent reviews in the Italian press, and also in the Canadian
monthly Cadence . His second cd, entitled "Sweet
Lingering", was recorded in New York City in 1998 with an excellent
group of New York based musicians, including percussionist Cyro
Baptista and keyboardist Werner "Vana" Gierig (pianist for
Regina Carter). At this time Michael is preparing for the
imminent release of his third cd, a live recording of a concert with his
band in Southern Italy, as well as for an up-and-coming cd in the studio
which will include Swiss trumpet wizard Franco Ambrosetti.
For More Info: tel: 0039-02-33601270,
0039-339-4468338 (cell)
e-mail: michael@rosenmusic.com
website: www.rosenmusic.com
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Michael
Rosen
