Jazz Articles about Michael Mayo

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Stanford Jazz Festival 2026

by Ronald Davis
August 6, 2026

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Shai Maestro: The Guesthouse

by Neil Duggan
February 27, 2026

This is pianist Shai Maestro's second release since signing for Naive in 2025. The first, Solo: Miniatures & Tales (Naïve, 2025), was a personal exploration; in deliberate contrast, The Guesthouse is expansive, open and collaborative. Maestro describes the album as “my attempt to turn the creative chaos that lives in mind into one coherent artistic statement, always having a simple melody as a thread that tells the story of this collective." Inspired by Rumi's poem The Guesthouse, Maestro ...

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Michael Mayo: A Voice Taking Flight

by Steven Roby
December 21, 2025

In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby sits down with vocalist and composer Michael Mayo to discuss his whirlwind year. Fresh off two Grammy nominations--Best Jazz Vocal Album for Fly and Best Jazz Performance for “Four"--Michael opens up about the surreal moment he got the news in Paris. We dive into his viral NPR Tiny Desk Concert, his philosophy on using looper pedals versus acoustic arrangements, and his deep musical lineage.Playlist Michael Mayo “Four" from ...

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New Music from Mayo, Palladino & Mills, Webber & Morris, And More

by Bob Osborne
October 16, 2025

This show is a trip around jazz's outer edges--where tradition collides with invention. From Michael Mayo's vocal acrobatics on Coltrane's “Giant Steps" to the explosive real-time conduction of Hill Collective, this selection of new releases spans chamber, ensemble, and solo work.Playlist Michael Mayo “Giant Steps" from Fly--Deluxe Edition (Mack Avenue/Artistry Music) 00:00 Pino Palladino and Blake Mills “Heat Sink" from That Wasn't A Dream (New Deal/Impulse Records!) 03:21 Anna Webber Angela Morris Big Band “Mist/Missed" from Unseparate (Out ...

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Caili O'Doherty: Bluer Than Blue

by Pierre Giroux
May 12, 2025

Pianist and arranger Caili O'Doherty has carved out a niche as both an incisive interpreter of the jazz tradition and an innovator unafraid to reshape it. With Bluer Than Blue, she turns her keen musical intellect toward the underappreciated Lil Hardin Armstrong, a trailblazing composer, pianist, and bandleader whose influence has long lingered in the shadows of her more famous husband Louis Armstrong. O'Doherty doesn't merely recreate Hardin's music; she reimagines it for the 21st Century with bold harmonies, time ...

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Mayo, Ramamurthy, Fedchock, Novoa And More

by Bob Osborne
October 24, 2024

A selection of brand new jazz releases kicks off with a wonderful vocal performance from Los Angeles based Michael Mayo. The debut on Greenleaf from Arun Ramamurthy Trio presents musical practitioners at the height of their craft, seamlessly blending Carnatic traditions with jazz, pushing both genres forward in exciting ways. There is also music from the legendary Headhunters and lots more music from USA, Canada, Australia, and Greece.Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Michael Mayo “Spring Can Really Hang You ...

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Michael Mayo, Mary Stallings, Kurt Elling and More

by Jua Howard
September 30, 2024

Welcome Music Family! It's time for another episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show"! As usual, I've got a great show in store for you including a lot of new music from Kurt Elling, Michael Mayo, Jocelyn Gould, Sachal Vasandani, and Samara Joy; and plenty more timeless music from artists such as Mary Stallings, Laurie Antonioli, Ben Williams, and Maysa. Come get lost in the music with me!Playlist Intro 00:00 Michael Mayo “Four" from Fly (Mack Avenue) 3:14 ...