Music Style Jazz (Classic and Symphonic Jazz)

Musical Influences Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Kathleen Battle, Anita O'Day

Artist History Scottish-born and Toronto-based, MICHAEL DANSO comes from a show business family. His mother, PINKIE MACKENZIE, sang with all the top Big Bands when they toured Scotland, and Michael first sang onstage with her at the age of 5, with The BERTIE KING BAND. By age 9, Michael was touring with his own group of girls, under the name WEE MAXIE AND HIS LASSIES. At 10, he was spotted by ELLA FITZGERALD, who was performing across the street and wanted to know which local group was drawing such large line-ups. Fitzgerald was impressed and offered to take Michael to the U.S., but his grandmother vetoed the idea. By the time Michael finally reached North America, he was 19 and performing in the Venus Company production of HAIR. He fell in love with Los Angeles and became a studio session vocalist, spending 3 years making a living singing jingles. When an opportunity came to sing in Japan, Michael spent 3 years touring the Far East. There was so much work available, he even set up an agency booking US artists into Japan, Korea, Thailand & Guam. Then he took a holiday in Toronto, where he had first come when he moved from Britain, and it was, "Sayonara, Orient." Upon settling in Canada, Michael immediately became a favorite of audiences and media alike, a status he continues to enjoy. He's performed regularly in all the top jazz rooms, festivals and nightclubs, acted in such musicals as THE THREEPENNY OPERA and THE BOYFRIEND and made his dramatic debut starring in THE AFRICAN ROSCIUS, a play based on the life of 19th Century black Shakespearean actor IRA ALDREDGE. No matter how busy his schedule, Michael always has time for charitable work, particularly VARIETY CLUB. He's hosted or performed on their telethons in Toronto, Buffalo, Winnipeg and Kansas City. The Winnipeg telethon he hosted became the city's first telethon to bring in over one million dollars! A MICHAEL DANSO concert is a fast-paced evening of music featuring lithe, smooth-moving footwork and a voice that is highly dynamic and fully- controlled over an astonishing 4½ octave range. Michael has appeared with an innumerable number of celebrated personalities during his career.A random listing includes: Marty Allen, Denice Williams, Diahnne Caroll, Jack Jones, Maureen Forrester,Martin Short,Anne Murray,Rich Little,Al Waxman, Meatloaf, Emma Samms, Sammy Davis, Maureen Arthur, Carmen MacRae,Mark Murphy,Eartha Kitt,Don Harren, Don Shirley, Wayne Fleming,Blake Emmons, Dan Blocker, Leonard Nimoy, Allan Thicke,Nichelle Nichols( Lt.Uhura ),Mesach Taylor, Jackie Vernon, Cynthia Dale, Mimi Kuzyk, Ben Vereen, Marilyn May and many others In his multi - varied career, Michael Danso has played with some of the best Jazz musicians in the world, including, at random, Joe Sealey, Mark Eisenman, Don Shirley, Bernie Senensky, Bernie Piltch, Russ Little, Peter Appleyard, Norman Amadio, Mo Koffman, Reggie Moore, Harold Ousley, Phil Dwyer, Michael Stuart, Demo Cates, Vern Dorge, Don Abney, Charles Cozens, Carol Britto, Archie Alleyne, Daniel Barnes, Sasha Starr, Vladimir Chewzewsky, Gord Neave, Will Jarvis, Steve Wallace, Dave Young, Alex Dean, David Johanessen, Johnnie Johnson, Coleen Allen, Chase Sanborn, Brian Legere, Guido Basso, Bob Price, Hank Haney, Alex Lazarof, Ed Bickert, and many others. Michael Danso's Symphonic Jazz Concerts have been presented in fine Concert Halls across Canada and The United States of America, and Conducted by some of the world's finest: John Barnum, Dwight Bennett, Boris Brott, Howard Cable, Charles Cozens, Robert Hansen, Brian Jackson, Norman Leyden, Peter McCoppin, and Walter Noona, to name a few. Michael has consistently evolved his musical presentations around what he terms " The Music of his heart" - Jazz .His first Symphonic Jazz presentation, with musical arrangements written by Victor Davies and Arthur Phillips, is called " White Tie and Tails." It consists of two segments made up of the music of George & Ira Gershwin and Duke Ellington. The latest evolvement of Michael's Symphonic Jazz presentations, written and scored with Charles Cozens, is called "From Harlem to Hollywood." The two segments here are made up of the music of Harold Arlen and Cole Porter, respectively. Look for the CD in the near future!

Press Reviews TORONTO STAR: "Danso was clearly the centrepiece of the show, a rich- voiced singer complimented by a dancer's bodily ease and grace"-peter mose - "Danso is a great performer"- frank jones- "Singer not to be missed sid adilman -TORONTO SUN: "The most supple singer in town...a melodic sense of adventure" wilder penfield - "A man of elegant style and talent"- jerry gladman - CHICAGO DAILY NEWS: "He clearly knows his business"- andrew cottonaro - HAMILTON SPECTATOR: "He can sing with a voice that goes from a rich baritone to a breathy falsetto through a sharp trumpet-like tenor. He can invest that voice with a wealth of shadings that help him tell a story with a song's lyrics like few people in show business today. There is no finer male jazz singer alive today than Michael Danso" - hugh fraser - PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE: "Danso's gifts defy description, his vocal range is immense, his stage presence is commanding, his footwork and body movements smooth and powerful,,the music was awesome" - john ware - REGINA LEADER POST: "His remarkable voice combines the warmth and silky soulfulness of Nat King Cole with the panache of Sammy Davis. That's just for starters, because he has a range of four octaves and three notes plus the startling ability to hold a note to a point where he really shouldn't be breathing any more" - andy cooper - CALGARY HERALD: "He sings My Funny Valentine in full romantic tones with a strong, clear, commanding voice making even that clumsy old love song sweetly engaging" -roman cooney-THE LEDGER STAR - VIRGINIA BEACH: "Michael Danso was all over the stage, all over the scale, and all over the music..The highlight of the set, though, was "Sophisticated Lady". In the song's last phrase, he bumped the climactic last note up an octave and held it, spellbindingly, long after the orchestra stopped playing, then tapered down to a whispered close. Scottish born Danso has a rich baritone voice, sometimes brassy, but sometimes silky like Mel Torme" - charles huckabee - CONTRAST MAGAZINE: Danso is the first Black male Jazz Singer in Canada ever to do a Pops Jazz Concert with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. The versatile Michael Danso has come a long way and is going in the right direction in becoming a superstar!"- curtis bailey

Location Toronto, Ontario - Canada

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