Upcoming Events

---

April 5th 2025 - Ticket Link

Educational Workshop at 2pm (free)

Concert sets at 6pm & 8pm

 at Hamilton Studio 

When you trust your gut, you give in to your most natural inclinations. By doing so, you have no choice but to be honest. 

Michael Mayo leans on his intuition as a vocalist, composer, songwriter, and arranger. Much like molding and shaping a sculpture out of clay, he stretches his voice through layers of heavenly harmonizing, hard-hitting beatboxing, and heartfelt crooning.

The Los Angeles-based phenomenon creates from the heart without filter or pretense, allowing his voice to transmit raw emotion above an ever-evolving backdrop of jazz, neo-soul, and R&B on his second full-length LP, FLY [Mack Avenue Records/Artistry Music].

Born and raised in Los Angeles, music quite literally surrounded him. As a sought-after background vocalist, mom shined alongside Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston. Meanwhile, dad not only sang, but also performed saxophone for Earth, Wind & Fire and horns for the likes of Sérgio Mendes. Among his most formative memories, Michael recalls “being backstage, watching Mom and Dad perform, and seeing them in their element.”

Unlocking the power of his voice, he eventually attended the New England Conservatory of Music and at The Thelonious Monk Institute at UCLA (now the Hancock Institute of Jazz). 2018 saw him make waves with the single “No More” [with Amber Navran]. Following his graduation, he unveiled his full-length debut, Bones, in 2021 and cumulatively generated millions of streams accelerated by “The Way” and “You and You.” Earning critical acclaim, Jazzwise rated it “4-stars,” and JAZZIZ raved, “Michael Mayo has developed his own lush, neo-soul sound that adroitly showcases his clear tenor, which glides over luxuriant clouds of his multi-tracked vocals.” He captivated audiences worldwide, headlining his own gigs and touring with the likes of Herbie Hancock. Not to mention, he even garnered the German Jazz Pride award. 

In October 2023, he relocated from Brooklyn back to L.A. Getting into a groove, he wrote the majority of what would become FLY at home. During January 2024, he retreated to Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, recording the album in just two days with pianist Shai Maestro as well as Linda May Han Oh on upright and electric bass, and in-demand drummer extraordinaire Nate Smith. Together, the musicians collectively harnessed their incredible chemistry during the sessions, giving the music gravity, muscle, and soul anchored by their performances.

Now, he introduces FLY with the single “Four.” On the track, he delivers a lively arrangement of the original Miles Davis melody of the same name. Opening up this world, jazzy piano gives way to steady claps. Michael alternates between fluttering vocals and a buoyant bebop-style harmony bouncing and surging with flare and finesse. A loose bassline propels the bridge, and his words strike a deep chord, “Of the wonderful things that you get out of life, there are four.”

He also breathes new life into the genre standard “Just Friends.” His warm delivery practically hovers over finger-snaps and soft keys. Piano twinkles, bass thumps, and an anthemic chorus takes flight. Originally, Michael intended for this take of “Just Friends” to be a rehearsal to warm everybody up, but the heat couldn’t be contained…

Composed by Michael, the title track “Fly” evokes a breezy energy. Horns and piano attempt to catch up to Michael’s sunny humming, speeding towards a bright crescendo teeming with light. “I care a lot about songwriting and arrangements,” he says. “I also wanted it to feel more free, open, and maybe cheerful. Those elements of lightness, flight, and freedom were important throughout the whole album, but you can especially hear them on ‘Fly.’”

For the first time, he picked up a guitar in the studio for “Frenzy,” adding another shade to his sonic palette. “It started as a riff during the pandemic,” he recalls. “When I listen to it, I see beautiful images of nature. You feel the shift of the landscape as the song progresses. For me, it's about the imagery passing by and how it can shift.” 

Snaps and harmonies set the tempo for the a cappella “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.” He flexes his range, balancing laidback verses with a stunning high register. The song captures the moment love strikes lightning, “I didn’t know what time it was, then I met you.” 

The ride concludes with a frenetic drum-fueled reimagining of Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil.” Michael’s voice weaves in and out of the beat as Shai Maestro’s fleet-fingered piano playing mirrors the dynamics of Nate Smith’s drum groove. It offers a worthy homage to a legend gone-too-soon.

Ultimately, Michael trusted his gut and delivered a definitive body of work.

Our Directors host a jazz night once a month at the 

Bad Seed in Hillyard!

 2nd Mondays of the Month 

Jazz occurs weekly on Thursdays at Emma Rues

November 4, 2024

Ryan Keberle's Catharsis at SFCC Auditorium

with Mike Rodriguez,Camila Meza, Ike Sturm and Jimmy Macbride

with Opening Act: Rachel Bade-McMurphy's Glass Bead Orchestra

Ticket Link 

About Catharsis:

Led by Ryan Keberle, winner of Jazz Times' Best Trombonist of 2020, Catharsis has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times for its “potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies.” The highly acclaimed group brings together elements of chamber music, South American folk and indie rock within a traditional jazz framework, resulting in a sound that has thrilled audiences across the globe for close to a decade.

In Catharsis, the potent frontline rapport of Keberle, trumpet virtuoso, Mike Rodriguez, and guitarist/vocalist, Camila Meza, alongside the unshakable rhythm of bassist Ike Sturm and drummer Jimmy Macbride combine to form an unmistakable sound full of drama and intrigue.

The band debuted in 2012 with Music Is Emotion, followed by Into the Zone in 2014 and Azul Infinito in 2016 (the latter two released on Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf label). Billboard picked Azul Infinito as one of “five jazz albums you need to hear.” In 2017 Catharis turned its attention to political turmoil in the U.S. with the protest album Find the Common, Shine a Light, praised by The Nation as “unpretentiously intelligent and profoundly moving.” Find the Common also saw Keberle emerging as a solid performing keyboardist (his first instrument). In 2019 Keberle and Catharsis released their latest album, The Hope I Hold, with lyrics and inspiration drawn from the Langston Hughes’ poem, “Let America be America Again”. The album received critical praise from the NY Times saying “all those tones give the lovely, splayed-out energy, turning his sighing compositions, into big, open canvases” and the Wall Street Journal said the “wordless vocals, lyrics and solos emerge from gorgeous weaves of musical textures.”

Catharsis has toured internationally for years, engaging audiences at the Toronto, Ottawa, Rochester and Bergamo International Jazz Festivals, and at premier jazz clubs including Pizza Express (London), Le Duc des Lombards (Paris), Stadtgarten (Cologne), Jazz Standard and Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York) and bluewhale (Los Angeles). The band was also featured in NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concert series and on the French TV channel Mezzo.

Catharsis band members bring an impressive wealth of experience of their own, playing an integral role in many of today’s foremost jazz, Latin jazz, and indie rock ensembles, including bands led by Maria Schneider, SF Jazz, Kenny Barron, Julian Lage, Chris Thile, Sufjan Stevens, and Paquito D’Rivera.

Bring a chair or blanket to sit on

Bring Sunscreen or a sun hat!

Bring water, or hydrate well using local vendors or area downtown businesses

Parking: Park close to the park and walk in!

For more info about parking go here:https://my.spokanecity.org/riverfrontspokane/visitor-info/parking/