Michael Wolff Has Some of the Most Expansive Vision of Anyone Working in Jazz Today

“Michael Wolff: Impure Thoughts On Hold"
As seen in ALL ABOUT JAZZ, 9/3/07, By Todd S. Jenkins

“Pianist Michael Wolff has some of the most expansive vision of anyone working in jazz today. Born in the California High Desert, raised in New Orleans and now making his home in Manhattan, the well-traveled, big-eared Wolff is never short on surprises for his listeners. With his dazzling Impure Thoughts ensemble on hiatus, Wolff's two current albums up the ante beyond that band's extraordinary work."

Michael Wolff
jazz, JAZZ, jazz
Wrong Records, 2007

“Recorded in some spare studio time after Impure Thoughts' session for Intoxicate (Indianola Music, 2001), Jazz, Jazz, Jazz is a revelatory acoustic trio date with bassist John B. Williams and drummer Victor Jones. The men decided to have some fun interpreting standards in their own way, and they display a wise understanding of the album's audience: Wolff has a habit of cutting away bits and pieces of the melodies, recognizing that most anyone who buys this album is already deeply familiar with the themes. Set free from pat melodic exposition, the trio concentrates instead on harmonic, rhythmic and emotional explorations of the tunes. “Autumn Leaves" and “My Funny Valentine" receive creative new twists that invigorate two of the most overdone songs in the canon. Yet the trio's interpretations are always enjoyable, even fascinating. The last cut, Ron Carter's “Einbeinstrasse," doesn't really qualify as a standard; it's simply one of Wolff's favorite numbers, and it receives a barn-burning treatment that closes out this excellent album on a high note." ALL ABOUT JAZZ, 9/3/07, By Todd S. Jenkins

Michael Wolff
Love And Destruction
Wrong Records, 2006

“Of another tack entirely, although just as brilliant, is Love And Destruction. This is the first Wolff album to feature his vocals at such a high profile, and he is an impressive interpreter in that regard as well. His matter-of-fact, easy delivery--the inclusion of Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah" is telling--is an ideal complement to the material, which includes a number of originals. “Tell Me", the lead-off song, is passionate and compelling, featuring the African Children's Choir in support of Wolff and the band. “Underwater" is a wrenching meditation on the hurricane disaster in New Orleans. While the album will inevitably appeal more to pop audiences than the jazz crowd, it offers a wealth of gems for all comers.

Typical of Wolff's expansive vision, Love not only includes a number of surprising inclusions--Radiohead's “Everything In Its Right Place," old friend Warren Zevon's “Hostage O"--it also demonstrates Wolff's mind-boggling hand at re-interpreting old material. “Stop! In The Name Of Love" is given a melancholic flavor that, to my ears, is much better suited to the lyric content than the original Motown rave-up. The Rolling Stones' “Miss You," the New Orleans standard “Ya Ya," even Donovan's goofy “Mellow Yellow," are each mutated into nearly brand-new entities that honor the songwriters' creativity while moving the material into the 21st century. The varying ensemble is highlighted by guitarist John Guth, drummer Mike Clark, and Wolff's B3, Rhodes and Steinway piano. An essential album of 2007." ALL ABOUT JAZZ, 9/3/07, By Todd S. Jenkins

Wolff was recently featured in a two-page 'At Home' spread in JazzTimes Magazine. Look for additional Wolff coverage in the upcoming issue of JAZZIZ and within the October launch of JAZZ.com. He has confirmed a series of U.S. Tour dates to support 'jazz, JAZZ, jazz', including a Trio concert at New York's Iridium jazz club on November 7th. A more extensive Trio tour is being assembled for late '07/early '08, with preliminary dates and cities to include:

Nov 7 Iridium New York City
Nov 14 & 15 Nighttown Cleveland Heights, OH
Nov 16 Jazz Kitchen Indianapolis, IN
Nov 17 Murphy's Place Toledo, OH
Nov 23 & 24 (tent) Snug Harbor New Orleans, LA
Jan 11 APAP Showcase NY Hilton, NY
Feb 22 Blue Room, American Jazz Museum Kansas City, KS
Feb 23 Sheldon Concert Hall St. Louis, MO
Feb 24 Bach, Dancing, Dynamite Society El Granada, CA
Feb 25 Yoshi's San Francisco, CA

Look for more Michael Wolff tour dates to be confirmed soon, in both '07 and '08.