Rob Michael: Guitarist

Ustream is My New Concert Venue

// October 14th, 2009 // Comments // Atmos Trio, Rob Michael, video

For decades, I have enjoyed a comfortable career as a working musician. Playing gigs as both a leader and a sideman, recording albums and teaching.

A few months ago, a fellow guitarist and friend, Ruth Parry and I decided to play a series of gigs on Thursday afternoons just for fun. It was at a small local cafe a few blocks from Ruth’s house and near where I teach. Fun and convenient, why not!

The venue has wi-fi so on impulse, I showed-up to the first gig with my laptop and streamed the show to Ustream. I thought it was a neat idea and sure enough, the Ustream audience seemed very into what we were doing. We would play to the room and not really notice much what was gong-on with the laptop. I would read comments in the chat module later in the day when I finished teaching. Ruth and kept doing this weekly gig for a month or so before she secured a new teaching position that conflicted with our Thursday schedule.

When the next Thursday came, I decided to live-out a longtime joke/ fantasy of mine: I would play a gig from home. No loading gear into my car, setting-up, tearing-down… just play. Now the “room” was the Ustream audience. I could interact quite directly with them, and I know many of them from Twitter, Facebook and Friendfeed.

This is turning into my favorite gig. I like to let the audience in on what it’s like being a working musician. Let the whole experience be inclusive and invite them into my world (which for me, is a fantastic dream). A pleasant and unexpected side-effect of this is a fairly dramatic spike in CD sales for my main Jazz group, The Atmos Trio.

So, as I’ve said during nearly every show, “Gigging from home–I’m DOIN’ it!” You’ll find me on Ustream every Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm (PST).

LIVE on Ustream.tv

Tip: Don’t Hear/ See anything? Press PLAY or REFRESH button

Live Concert Videos

Here are the latest two Atmos Trio Albums. FREE (low res)/ PAY WHAT YOU LIKE (High Res).

Orphaned Track: Bach’s “Little Fugue” in G minor

// June 4th, 2009 // Comments // Rob Michael

I recorded this piece as an experiment sometime around 2001. I played all of the parts on guitar. Good fun!
 
Originally composed for the organ, this piece goes well beyond the range of the guitar: I kept tuning lower and lower. I had to give in and use a bass for a few of the phrases.

Posted via email from atmosmusic’s posterous

Post Christmas gig

// December 28th, 2008 // Comments // House Concert, Jazz, Joe Shotwell, Rob Michael

On the 4th Friday of each month, Joe and I play this super-great gig
with bass virtuoso Cliff Hugo and his wife, singer Cynthia Tarr.

Not only are they both great musicians but really great folks on the
human-level too.

This all happens at The Olive & Vine in Glen Ellen, CA.

Hi, I’m Rob

// December 21st, 2008 // Comments // Atmos Trio, House Concert, Jazz, Rob Michael, twitter

For the past couple of decades I have been “Living the Dream” of an active professional musician and I enjoy a very successful private teaching practice in the San Francisco Bay area.

Gigs in odd places

// December 13th, 2008 // Comments // Jazz, Rob Michael

We’ve all been there. The gig in the most unlikely of places. Airport terminals, bus stops, driveways, wheel-chair ramps… Screwy places.

I was going through some photos and found one that I had forgotten about. Not because it was bad, it was actually quite posh. Located in the beautiful Napa Valley Wine country, the Pine Ridge Winery holds a secret that belies the greenery of it’s exterior. 

300 feet into the hillside is a subterranean dinning room you almost can’t believe: It’s a cave. 

When informed that I would play in a cave,  I immediately pictured bats, water running down walls, stalactites & stalagmites.

Yes–it’ a cave, but an upscale one. Stucco walls, tiles floors, electrical fixtures. The tunnels were filled with barrels of wine that opened-up to the chamber we see here. 

“Living the Dream”

// December 9th, 2008 // Comments // Atmos Trio, Jazz

Atmos played a lovely holiday-toned wine tasting in beautiful downtown Yountvile (Near Napa) in northern California’s wine country.

Since I can never seem to remember to take pictures of much of anything, here is a photo that I gathered from Google’s “Street View.” Much of the SF Bay area is available with photos of every street. It’s a neat yet creepy feature. My wife entered her father’s address into Google maps and found that she could actually see him sitting on his front porch…

Anyway… even though we played outdoors (in December), the temperature was not too cold, and the music was happening.

Nice folks out here in the Napa Valley.

Posted via email from atmosmusic’s posterous