New Videos, New Album, New Store

I made a new jazz guitar Christmas EP “Rob Michael’s Christmas by the Fire.”  Because I believe an album should more than some audio files and a pretty picture, I’m inviting you to listen and watch via this Youtube playlist.

This features the actual performances heard for the entire album, yours to experience for free.

Let me know what you think!!

We have two new stores on the Android Market

One for Atmos Trio and anothr for Rob Michael projects.
Put “Rob Michael’s Christmas by the Fire” in your Google Music library.

It feels like giving, but is that  really it? Or is it  just a transfer of stuff– stuff we don’t need or want. Clutter.

Knowledge is the best gift I know of. Everyone is hungry for knowledge, what if you could gift that? You can.

I am offering my popular Online Guitar Lessons at a very Special Holiday gift rate.

You can now, until then end of December, purchase my popular LIVE hour-long, one-on-one lessons for $59 each (Normally $75)or a month’s worth (4) for $199 (Normally $300).

These are not pre-recorded videos, these are live, realtime one-on-one lessons via Google+ Hangout or Skype. I’ve been doing these more and more with students all over the world and they’ve proven to be great!

This holiday pricing will only be available during December so please make use of this offer and gift some professional guidance to the guitarist(s) in your life.

How many lessons would you like?

Single 1 hr Session $59.00 USD 4 1hr Sessions $199.00 USD

It may have been a year since the last online show, but I’m bringing it back: My Live Stream Studio Concert. This is the studio where I compose music, record albums and this is also where I practice. It’s a comfortable spot and I like to take chances and test-fly pieces of audio-tech that I might not try in other settings.

it all started…

Over the past couple of years, I streamed a bunch of Solo Guitar Shows, which are still the core of what you may hear. I was also joined by several very special guests. My friend guitarist/ vocalist Ruth Parry and I first started out streaming our duo guitar gig from a cafe that happened

to have free wifi. I streamed my Atmos Trio gigs. Touring musicians caught wind of the show and when they were traveling through my area, they’d come play. That’s how I ran in to the good fortune of playing with electric bassists Damian Erskine and Todd Johnson. I even recorded an entire album on the show w/ Steve Uccello.

This time it will be different.

This time, I’m inviting you to join in a more real way. Rather than play to the unblinking eye of the camera, I’ll be able to see you too!

Nine front-row seats will be available via my Google Plus Hangout. There you’ll be able to see, hear, be seen and be heard just as if we were all in the same physical space. (Except here, if you need to sneeze really loud, you can mute your mic.) Want to know what song that was or what effect I have on my guitar? You just ask and I’ll answer. Your free to come and go but if you leave, someone else may take your seat.

When the hangout gets full…

I will also be streaming the Hangout to my Video Page and my Ustream Channel so that more than just the original 10 (me and 9 others) can be there. On Ustream, you can watch and listen and communicate w/ those of us in the hangout via Usteam’s chat module, twitter (#GPlusConcert), or a designated G+ thread.

This will al happen on Friday July 22nd 4PM (PST)/ 7pm (EST). Let’s hangout.

*** If, for some reason an audio player doesn’t appear above, reload the page and it will probably show up. I’m not sure why… ***

Here is the guitar set-up review:

Two guitar cabs each w/ an 12″ EV are stacked atop one another and powered by my Mesa/ BoogieSimul-295

Stereo all-tube power amp.

Cab 1 is powered by 90 watts & blowing off-axis to mic (below)
Cab 2 is powered by 15 watts (Class A) close-mic’d w/ a Shure SM-57

To get the bluesy overdrive tone a Boss GT-8′s dual preamp system sends two signals:

1. a fairly clean Fender Twin model to Cab 1
2. A dirtier “Pro Crunch” overdriven tone to Cab 2.

Let me know what you think either in the comment here or on this Google+ thread.

Among all of the great features, the one that gets talked about the most is the ‘Hangout’ where up to ten people can participate in a video chat; either public or private. It’s bone-head easy and works great!

I pretty much always have my guitar in my hands–even when surfing the web. It’s nothing new to me. Whenever I would see a hangout float down the stream, I would pop-in, say ‘Hi’ and play a bit and split. Folks in the hangout have generally reacted very positively. I would always offer to not play (or mute my channel) because I didn’t want to be that obnoxious guy who imposes his guitar playing on everyone. That offer has, so far, always been declined.

Edit By request, I’ve decided to make this tune available for streaming and download. As always, “Pay What You think it’s Worth.”

One potential use for this amazing tool is a real-time jam session with musicians in remote locations. There is still plenty of lag for this not to be totally useful for this yet, but I can see it coming. That gave me the idea to make this video: a Proof of Concept of sorts.

So–wanna hangout?

Here I’m playing some chords to a melody that meandered by. You likely know someone for whom this tune is perfect.

..and if it’s your birthday, this should set the mood for some reflection/ self-evaluation.

Enjoy.

Rob Michael, Solo Baritone Guitar. #HBDTY by Rob Michael

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–my favorite use of the internet is collaborating with people you otherwise would probably not have even met.

Case-in-point is a new 4-song Electronic/Funk/ Jazz EP called “Guard the Point” organized by Allen Wentz. Allen masterminded this project and invited me and two other top-shelf musicians, Neil Alexander on keys and Trip Wamsley on bass to play. He even invited my favorite graphic artist Linda Palmer into the fray who always over-delivers: she produced different artwork for each song.

Trip and I have recorded together before and Neil has been on my short list of guys I wanted to do some playing with for some time.

It was great fun to get a new audio file from Allen every couple of weeks and see where I might fit into the musical landscape. It was pretty easy as all these players are super sharp, tasteful and generous.

So, here is the debut release from the LegoLand Empire “Guard the Point.” Please let us know what you think, share it on your favorite social network and buy it you’re so inclined–the whole EP is just $1.00.

We enjoyed an enthusiastic audience both in the room and on Ustream. The club was very dark so our Ustream crew was treated to primarily audio feed. Fortunately, we had a couple of other cameras that were able to catch a enough visual data for me to provide you this glimpse of the show.

The main thing that struck me from this show was the musical strength and depth with which these musicians play. Who knew a pick-up band from Twitter would be so burning!

Thanks again to my compadres Jason Parker, Steve Uccello, Darin Wilson, Dave Hoffman and Joe Shotwell.

I’ve had the good fortune to get to know a good many wonderful artists all over the planet and this Tues, Sept. 7th, I’ll be celebrating with five people I’m lucky enough to count as friends.

The”Secret Society of Internet Jazzers” (#SSIJ) is a collaborative gig with musos from up and down the Pacific Northwest at the Beta Lounge in Dowtown Berkeley, CA.

This show features myself and my first-call drummer Joe Shotwell from the Atmos Trio, dual trumpet duties from Seattle’s Jason Parker and Seaside CA’s Dave Hoffman, Santa Cruz bassist Steve Uccello and Oakland’s Darin Wilson on piano.

This particular group has never played together before so this provides a unique opportunity to witness/ participate in a Realtime Jazz experience. Dig it!

Not in the area? You can still join us! This concert will be LIVE VIDEO STREAMED.

What I’ve tried to do here is provide some documentary content: To really show what it is you’re hearing.

The audio and video for this song were tracked at the same time. What you hear and what you see are one-in-the-same. When you see a computer recording something in the background, you can bet that that is the audio you’re hearing in the recording. There is even some out-take footage.

This is one more way I’m inviting you into the making music process. I shot this on an inexpensive (~$100) consumer HD video camera and edited it in Final Cut Express HD. It was surprisingly easy.

As always, this song is available to you for streaming or downloading from my store at a Pay What You Want (even nothing) price. Please SHARE this music with friends via Facebook, Twitter, embed it in your blog, whatever… It’s a subtle way of showing your friends how hip you are and helping me out at the same time.

This was a fun project to assemble. What do think? Is it cool? Is it dumb?

Talk to me…