Saturday, February 26, 2011

Denver Singer-Songwriter David Michael Emerges With The Low Bid On A Dream

Known as a breeding ground for Americana music artists and singer-songwriters, Denver's best kept secret David Michael is about to burst onto the scene in a big way. Not a stranger to the music business, David has been involved in radio and television, for years. Yet, what's currently turning the heads of music enthusiasts and press alike is the release of David Michael's debut CD 'Low Bid On A Dream'.

The material on this fantastic new CD is an assortment of songs that co-producer, John Kappler, skimmed from David's bag which has accrued over many years. “The task of choosing stuff left my head spinning,” says David. “So John said, 'OK, this is in and this is out' and that felt right to me. Producer John McVey had veto privileges. His impeccable ear was the guiding light.”

David describes his new CD as “someone's polite, random cross-section of my stuff, but certain currents and themes inevitably surface: There's a first-person smug and streetwise fool, more fool than streetwise, who makes an appearance on a regular basis. There's a certain dream that seems to want to come and go, often triggered by Dexter Payne's incomparable reeds, and just enough pedal steel from Uncle Dick Meis to keep us from getting too far uptown. There's a certain minor coarseness here and there which has sometimes confused friends who think these characters are autobiographical, which they are not.”

David runs the gamut of influences from the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Allman Bros and James Taylor to the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Songwriters that have moved him, among the legends include Bob Dylan, James Taylor and Paul Simon, others include Ian Tyson, Townes Van Zant and Eric Anderson. “I was a precocious listener as a child,” he recalls, “and the music of my parent's generation and earlier found a place within and never left. I've listened a lot to old bluesmen: Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Rev. Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonsey, and the list goes on and on...” David has studied music with Sal Salvidor (Stan Kenton Orchestra), Jerry Ricks (Buddy Guy band) and Berklee College of Music. Some of his acquaintances over the years include Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Haley, Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, David Bowie, Elton John, Townes van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson and dozens more.

The recording sessions for 'Low Bid On A Dream' were charged, as David worked with some of the top musicians and studio personel of the Denver scene. “After a long search, we almost naturally gravitated to Coupe Studios in Boulder, where Scott Roche and his crew are turning out world class stuff in a near-perfect environment,” David explains. “The rhythm section, lifted from Nick Forster's E-town band, was like a rockin' chair: Chris Engleman was unflinching on upright and bass guitar, Christian Teal was our heartbeat.”

No comments:

Post a Comment

That Nashville Sound

Americana UK

Twangville

Folking.com

The Boot

MusicRow

Folklife Today

American Songwriter

Consequence of Sound

NPR Topics: Music Videos

Collectible Vinyl Records for Sale

This Week's Find

Americana Yesterday

The Hey Joe Blog

HeavyConnector.com