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10 Things You Might Not Know About Michael J Thomas
 April 12. 2010 - Ever notice that reading some artist bio's is as exciting as reading the phone book? That where our new feature comes in.
10 Things you might not know about is about quick, quirky facts about your favorite acts, 10 things that are probably not in any artist bio.
This week our second "10 Things" comes from new-comer Michael J Thomas who recently had a number one song on Smooth Jazz Now TOP 30 COUNTDOWN with the title songs to his hit album "City Beat." These facts come from Michael himself. Get to know Michael J Thomas with 10 things you might not know about! - by John Beaudin
1. It was in a high school Jazz band rehearsal playing “Purple Haze” that triggered Michael’s first improvisational solo. “I had been training my ear for quite some time, but something about that song made it click and I’ve been able to improvise ever since.”
2 Michael used to wear a suit at every performance no matter what the temperature was even during the first few years he lived in FL. Eventually, the Floridians rubbed off on him and he toned his dress down to a more comfortable casual look.
3. Michael has owned two cars that he dreamed about when he was a kid. One was a 1987 Nissan 300ZX Turbo and the other was a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air that he purchased from someone on Ebay. Only one car is left on his list… a Porsche Carrera.
4. He spent New Year’s Eve in a hotel room alone in 2000 going into 2001 because of the above-mentioned Nissan 300ZX. It broke down on him on his way back to FL from visiting family in KY and he missed his New Year’s Eve gig.
5. When Michael started his professional career he was under 21 and a lot of the clubs he performed in would make him wait outside of the establishment until it was time to start the next set. Ironically, Michael didn’t drink at all before he was 21. Now he loves to drink wine. His favourite wine is Caymus’ cabernet.
6. Michael once had a strange dream that his next-door neighbour destroyed his soprano saxophone. The next morning he took the saxophone out of the case and an entire rod fell off. CREEPY!
7. Michael quit watching television for a period of about four or five years because he didn’t see the point in paying for cable if he didn’t have time to watch it.
8. Michael played his first professional paying gig at the age of 17 and also wrote his first song “Tranquility”.
9. Throughout the years Michael has had unusual song requests as a saxophonist and he finds it fun to pull off those requests. Michael has performed rock songs from artists AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, and Lynrd Skynrd. By the way, requesting a saxophonist to perform “Piano Man” doesn’t make a lot of sense, but he’s had that requested before too.
10. Before Michael started taking the saxophone seriously he had aspirations of being a comedian. His favourite show was In Living Color with Jim Carey, the Wayans Brothers, Jamie Foxx, etc. He used to do voice imitations and his favourite to perform was Steve Urkel from Family Matters. |
May 1, 2012 - We live in a world where most instrumental music sounds like it was made for a 5x5 vertically moving room and that includes some Smooth Jazz. Interestingly, most Smooth Jazz musicians are technically some of the best players on the planet but many have fallen into this big vacuous hole, an amnesic state, where channelling Bert Kaempfert is common place. 
April 17, 2012 – Get ready for another beautiful journey from David Benoit on May 29th. His new album, `Conversation,’ will no doubt serve as another expansion for the Smooth Jazz format. 
April 26, 2012 - Norah Jones is set to appear with a Live-on-Letterman webcast, featuring Jones from the prestigious Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, Wednesday, May 2nd at 8:00 ET. This is a clever, strategic move for Jones to push her next album “Little Broken Hearts” set for a May 1st release. 
April 4, 2012 – Esperanza Spalding is a groovy chick. I mean, really, when she’s in the room, everyone else disappears and I’m talkin’ more than that big “love-sculpture” hair. She’s the type of musician you might walk up to at a party, ask about her music, and walk away three hours later regretting the question. This lady has a vision so you better have a seat. 
February 21, 2012 - As it was stated during the Grammy Awards, "We've had a death in the family." Now our own Jazz family is remembeing Whitney Houston. 
February 21, 2012 - Shock, disappointment and horror are some of the many words fans used to describe Whitney Houston’s untimely death last week (February 11, 2012). My family and I were outside a Starbucks when one of our radio listeners texted me with, at first, the rumor. 
– Not many groups have stood the test of time like Airborne. Coming in around the time that the NAC format was really starting to cook, 1988, this outfit grew with every project, gig and album. Having just released their most powerful album yet, New Horizon’s, it looks like the world is ready for this, a full dose of positive, social conscious fusion. We sat down with the band to chat about all the twisting, yet beneficial roads taken. 
– The smart ones in life know that it’s not how you fall down in life that counts but how you get up. Zach Bandolin has had his fair share of topsy-turvy moments but the guitarist keeps swinging. 
- French Smooth Jazz guitar sensation Emmanuel Abitebol, more known as U-NAM, came to fame with his widely acclaimed somophore album ‘Back from the 80’s’ released in 2007. 
October 20, 2011 – This is no ordinary album. In fact, there is nothing normal about this album and that’s what makes this one of the most perfect projects that’s ever come across my desk. 
– On her third album Colbie Caillat has decided to strategically give us an uptempo summer-vibe. It still sounds like her smash debut “Coco” but this time it’s Colbie with caffeine and it’s positive and fun
– There are not too many things in life as deliciously lazy as Michael Franks voice. The guy could chill out someone on deaths door. Seriously, angst has no place on a Michael Franks record – he’s good at one great thing..making you feel good! 
- Programming Smooth Jazz Radio has allowed me to discover talent over the decades and follow the twists and turns in their career. Such is the case of saxophonist Steve Cole an artist whom has played on numerous number #1 Smooth Jazz hits and been a regular spin on most smooth jazz radio stations play lists. 
– There’s always been an understated value to everything that Sade does and sameness to her entire repertoire. That quality of old wine has served the singer/band well… until now. Unlike Norah Jones who has, at least, tried to mix-up-the-pot, Sade really needs to stop wearing the same dress to every party. 
– Well, one things for sure, Mindi Abair is not shopping on Main Street anymore. As they say, “run away from the past and eventually it will run into you.” 
