Artist description Michael Leasure is a guitarist/composer with a massive catalog of multi-faceted compositions. The CDs feature his work on guitar synthesizer as well as jazz,classical and acoustic guitars.

Music Style Instrumental: Jazz: New Age: Classical: Avant Garde: Creative: Christmas Music

Musical Influences From Bach and Mozart to the Beatles and Keith Jarrett.

Similar Artists Michael Leasure is an original artist in all respects. Relentless in the pursuit of excellence.

Artist History Michael Leasure was born in Marietta, Ohio on May 2, 1955. Starting on piano at a very early age, Leasure soon added the guitar at the age of 8. Violin, flute and many more soon followed during adolescence. By the age of 16, he was working regularly with the best musicians in the area, receiving valuable experience at a young age, as an instrumentalist and as a composer. Over the course of time, the young Ohio native displayed his fluid playing style, which blended the traditional and the modern/creative. Leasure's way of playing, improvising and composing though modern in conception, is rooted deeply in the jazz/classical tradition. With the release of his first CD, 'Collection No.1' on MTL Records, his many music styles are characterized. From jazz guitar/chamber music to his free form explorations on the guitar synthesizer, 'The Sound' as it is called by a generation of players, is further evolved with the award winning 'Christmas 2000'. Throughout his career, Michael Leasure has continued to contribute to different genres of music by utilizing new technology and constantly working to evolve the improvisational and sonic potential of his instrument. Leasure's work is one of the best representations of jazz/chamber music known, and he has composed over 1000 pieces of music. "Leasure's versatility is evident", agree both critics and listeners alike. Leasure's body of work includes compositions for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras and ensembles, chamber ensembles and dance pieces. His styles range from modern jazz to new age, avant-garde to classical. As well as being an accomplished musician, Leasure has also participated in the academic arena as a music educator. At 19, he attended and was employed by, The Berklee College of Music, where he also received a degree in composition and performance graduating magna cum laude. At 21, he was the first and youngest jazz guitar teacher ever at the Ohio University. He has conducted many music workshops and clinics and has been a true musical pioneer in the realm of electronic music. He was one of the very first jazz musicians to treat the guitar synthesizer as a serious musical instrument. Years before the invention of MIDI technology, Leasure was using the guitar synthesizer to create a body of material specifically intended for the guitar synthesizer. To this day all of Michael's chamber style recordings have been orchestrated with the guitar synthesizer. Leasure has garnered praise from musicians worldwide. Over the years, Leasure has won top tens and accolades in composition and performance. His many talents have been spread over a variety of different categories and styles including, Jazz, Urban Progressive, Folk, Avant-Garde, New Age and Classical. The 'Michael Leasure Trio', featuring Anthony Cole (drums), Doug Mathews (bass) and then Michael Welch (drums), Michael Bocchicchio (bass), was an unprecedented excursion in free jazz. Leasure has spent most of his life on tour, averaging between 180 and 360 shows a year since 1980 and in the studio releasing 8 CD's on MTL Records as well as countless other recordings by other artists. Michael Leasure is undoubtedly one of the brightest stars of the international music community.

Group Members Michael Leasure

Instruments Guitar Synthesizer, Jazz Guitar, Classical and Acoustic Guitars.

Albums Collection No. 1, Christmas 2000, Two Views Of An Ocean, Ethereality Vol.1, Vol.2 and Vol.3, Ethereality Originals, Edge Of Success 'Live 1988 - 1990

Press Reviews Written by Jim Ash, Florida Today - There is far too much electricity surging through Michael Leasure for his wiry, diminutive frame to manage. The excess flows from him in bursts of animated gestures and waves of intense conversation. Unable to sit still very long, Leasure quickly ushers his guest into a makeshift studio in the rear of his spartan, Satellite Beach apartment. The converted bedroom is dominated by racks of blinking electronics which are in turn tethered by snaking cables to a foot - operated console resting in the middle of the floor. Leasure fingers a miniature floppy disk before allowing it to be swallowed by a mysterious digital computer. Turning around, he straps on a sawed - off electric guitar small enough to fit into a large briefcase, one that looks as if it was designed for the alien nightclub scene in the original Star Wars. Shortly after Leasure plucks the first string, it is clear where his overwhelming personal energy was always meant to flow - The Sound. Bigger than any room it occupies, Leasure's music is lush with synthesized orchestration, swirled with electronic clarinets and trumpets, and punctuated by laser sharp, operating - room clean guitar riffs. The entire package is bound tightly together with the rich pulsing of electronic drums and percussion. At the twist of a dial, the unmistakable sound of a full choir rises and falls in cadence with the dance of his fingers across the frets. He pushes another button and woodwind solos bolt from the strings. It's almost too much to believe all this music is coming from the single intense man with the Star Wars guitar. The scene is something from "Fantasia" with Leasure the wizardlike conductor of an awesome but invisible orchestra - each wave of his hand producing another musical synesthesia. A strong element of magic surrounds Leasure and his music. - Written by Gary Hritz, - Marietta Times: Simply referring to Michael Leasure as a guitar player doesn't begin to describe him. Bending and twisting with each shift in the mood of his composition while performing an intricate tap dance to activate the numerous foot pedals in front of him, Leasure resembles a dancer interpreting the very music he is creating. And the music he creates is truly something unique. A blending of technology and emotion programmed into the thousands of dollars worth of equipment he uses to perform his works. -Written by Jamie Anderson, Orlando Sentinel Title Of Article: Experience seasons Leasure's thoughtful 'Christmas 2000' - Orlando musician Michael Leasure who recently released 'Christmas 2000', takes time out from a hectic holiday schedule to appreciate the season. "I'm always compelled to thank God for my life and music during the Christmas season," Leasure said. "Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ and is a Christian experience for me. That's why I released 'Christmas 2000'. It's my hope that all who hear it will be moved in the spirit. I hope they will say it's beautiful and that it's respectful of Christmas". Leasure began working on the album nearly two years ago while performing on a Carnival Cruise Line ship and recorded it in his Orlando studio, releasing it earlier this year on MTL Records. Throughout 'Christmas 2000', Leasure has taken traditional holiday favorites and added a personal touch, giving songs like "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" a new flair. The CD, co-produced by Leasure and Cathryn Smith, is scored for harpsichord, string quintet, woodwind quartet, solo flute, two voices, guitar synthesizer and classical guitar. "This project was really serious for me," he said. "I've been playing Christmas music my whole life and I decided for the new millennium to take my time and really think about the music". Written by Richard Rickey, Florida Party Guide: Rare is the opportunity for a person to experience something great, something truly beautiful. The time has come, for us, and for them, the Michael Leasure Band. If you are of an inquisitive nature, with a sincere desire for education, and not to mention a love for musical growth, then you need to experience the Michael Leasure Band. A band that is not only musically sound but mentally sound as well. The MLB is an original music project. Their relationship between mind and music should only be interpreted by your own personal experience. Their goal is to move you spiritually, musically. Raw power that seizes your inner thoughts and transforms them into a beautiful melodic painting. In closing, don't be surprised to overhear the following, "Hey, I saw this show last night and this guy was playing a guitar (that looked like a space weapon) but, the sounds coming from it were...piano, flute, steel drums, and trumpet"! You have to see it to believe it! Written by Arleen Zorbis, Brevard Magazine: Michael Leasure clearly took over the evening with his computers, synthesized sounds and incredible creative talent. A slim, young looking man, one would never suspect that his powerful, soaring, emotional and well-practiced classical style could be bent into the shape of the high tech astonishment that he manages to produce. It is a fusion. He interacts with his electronic equipment in such a way that while you can see he is well planned, he doesn’t lose that spontaneous, giving quality that reminds you of genius. You become enraptured by sound. His total involvement with what he does comes through. Leasure has several hundred original compositions behind him. He infects the audience with his energy and enthusiasm when he talks about his music and especially when he plays. Written by Lisa Olen, Observer: The Michael Leasure Trio performs for the art of making glorious music. With their innovative style and harmonious sound, audiences who hear the band cannot stop raving about their performances. The trio includes Michael Leasure, a composer, guitar synthesis and creative stylist; Michael Bocchicchio, an innovative and acclaimed bassist and improviser and Michael Welch, a musical pioneer whose quadragrip drum technique has been hailed as diverse and unique. Attendees at the 1997 Winter Park Autumn Art Festival will have the unique opportunity to hear this highly acclaimed trio perform compositions of impressionalism, expressionalism, abstract, jazz, classical, world music, and more. Their performances have been praised as “fearless and defying all musical categorization”.

Location Miami, FL - USA

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