Jaime Michaels

Artist Information

Biography

Jaime's latest album "the man with the time machine" won twice at the 2011 New Mexico Music Awards: Producer of the Year (Jono Manson) & Album of the Year

The song. Ask Jaime Michaels what’s the most important aspect of what he’s been doing for the past few decades and that will be his answer. The song. It shows in the craftsmanship of his tunes, in the care that he applies to each choice of a word, each musical phrase. Northeast Public Radio’s Wanda Adams Fisher put it this way in a review of Jaime’s album "crooked"… “When you hear him sing, you can tell whether he's smiling, yearning, pining, or questioning. He writes and co-writes songs with special meanings, selects songs written by others that also have statements to make. And make them he does--not with an attitude, but with a sense of purpose, a sense of belief that music is as critical to life as breathing itself.”

It’s been this way from the beginning. There has been music in Jaime’s life for as long as he can remember, whether it was church hymns in Latin, his parents playing the old upright piano in his childhood parlor or his favorite Uncle Joe teaching him his first chords. When Joe entered the army, he left an old guitar with Jaime. And when Joe wound up stationed in San Francisco during what’s become known as the “great 60’s folk music scare”, he started to send Jaime albums of folks like the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan. Jaime absorbed it all. Then, listening to the radio one night as a young teen, he discovered the musician who, to this day, remains his all-time musical hero, Boston folkie Tom Rush. Tom was never a particularly prolific writer but he was and remains a genius at finding songs that speak universally. Jaime listened and learned. And listened some more.

It’s been a winding musical path from his first solo gigs in the coffeehouses of Boston and Cambridge to several years as a bass player in the acoustic trio, Beckett, opening shows for Livingston Taylor, Doc Watson, Dave Van Ronk and Jonathan Edwards among others. The 80’s found Jaime living in the South Carolina low country, spreading his rock and roll wings as lead singer for cult rockers “the Truly Dangerous Swamp Band”. He spent 8 years with the Swamp Band, crisscrossing the country playing colleges and bars, learning a whole new musical language, opening shows for rockers like Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Delbert McClinton and Paul Barrere’s Bluesbusters.

In the early 90’s, Jaime tired of the rock and roll road life and returned to his first love, acoustic music, but this time with an edge. In 1997 he moved to the southwest desert town of Santa Fe, NM where, for the first time in his career, he began to seriously write. And write. And write some more. Eight solo albums so far, each filled with finely crafted songs that showcase his passionate voice and the varied musical influences he’s absorbed over the years.

Jaime still tours the country playing house concerts and festivals from Texas to Alaska, California to Florida. Italy. England. Just Jaime and his wonderfully worn Taylor guitar. And the songs.

As Mark S.Tucker remarks in his FAME review of Jaime’s newest album, "the man with the time machine", “Michaels watches the side currents of life, not the hurtlingly frantic noise and images…far more the missed opportunities, the mistakes, the wrinkles in the heart. We may be living through the 21st century, but work like his takes us back to a Mayberry that's a lot scruffier around the edges, an indeterminate era when our fantasies about such things danced a little differently .”

"When booking Four Friends Acoustic Music Series, I look for the songwriter's songwriter. Jaime Michaels fits that description and fulfilled my expectations with zest, soulful, heart-bending lyrics, and clean expertise in the guitar department. His humor suited the audience, and kept everyone engaged and delighted..." Marilyn Babcock

Instrumentation

Jaime Michaels - acoustic guitar - vocals

Discography

the man with the time machine (c) 2011
black river ~ the single - (c) 2010
crooked - (c) 2009
fool - (c) 2008
once or twice upon a time - (c) 2006
club de musique records (italy)
wicked dreams second chances - (c) 2003
angelus - (c) 2001
little dreams - (c) 1999
a quiet heart - (c)1994

"...romance, longing, catchy tunes, lovely melodies, rock, blues . . . and twists in perspectives, all wrapped in finely crafted stanzas. The lyrics stand alone as pure poetry..."
Dirty Linen Magazine

Audio

• alice dances
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• waiting on the other shoe
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• angelus
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• black river
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• maybe superman
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• the man with the time machine
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• Crooked
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• somewhere like italy
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• lullaby (for natanya)
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• Anything At All
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Lyrics

• alice dances
• waiting on the other shoe
• angelus
• black river
• maybe superman
• the man with the time machine
• crooked
• somewhere like italy
• lullaby (for natanya)
• anything at all

Video

maybe superman & the man with the time machine

somewhere like italy & crooked

Photo Gallery

Press

• from "The Four Friends Concert Series" Thousand Oaks, California [+ Show ]
  

  "When booking Four Friends Acoustic Music Series, I look for the songwriter's songwriter. Jaime Mic... "When booking Four Friends Acoustic Music Series, I look for the songwriter's songwriter. Jaime Michaels fits that description and fulfilled my expectations with zest, soulful, heart-bending lyrics, and clean expertise in the guitar department. His humor suited the audience, and kept everyone engaged and delighted with his fine storytelling ability. He brought a good group of fans out to our beautiful warm venue in Thousand Oaks, California.
  I look forward to seeing him perform again.....anywhere, anytime."
  Marilyn Babcock / Four Friends Acoustic Music Series
  

• from the Santa Fe Performance Exchange [+ Show ]
  

  "Whether you hear Jaime Michaels outside in front of hundreds, on stage in a mid-size concert hall, ..."Whether you hear Jaime Michaels outside in front of hundreds, on stage in a mid-size concert hall, or in a house concert, he connects! His innovative and captivating song writing and lyrical styling are totally engaging. His humorous asides and insights into his creative process really compliment the stick-in-your mind rhythm and prose of his songs and guitar artistry."
  Tom Mauter / Santa Fe Perfomance Exchange

• from the Room With a View Concerts [+ Show ]
  

  "An evening listening to Jaime Michaels is like spending an evening in Neverland. You get experienc... "An evening listening to Jaime Michaels is like spending an evening in Neverland. You get experience forgotten wonder, joy, and
  romance for romance's sake, without the cares of the world weighing you down. Jaime is a masterful singer/songwriter!"
  Michael Downie / Room With A View Concerts

• FAME review of "the man with the time machine" [+ Show ]
  

  "Jaime Michaels occupies a zone somewhere between Paul Simon (Wish on the Moon is pure joyous Gracel..."Jaime Michaels occupies a zone somewhere between Paul Simon (Wish on the Moon is pure joyous Graceland—Blues Traveler's John Popper helping in no small degree in that regard), Al Stewart, and Harry Chapin, all silhouetted by a purpling sunset on the horizon drawing down classic prairie, swamp, and Appalachian refrains. He tackles Murray McLauchlan's Sweeping the Spotlight Away to excellent effect just after a wistfully balladic chronicle of a loser caught by circumstance time and again (Federal Pen).
  
  The Man with the Time Machine is a CD for the days when you're tired of clangorous rock and roll—yeah, even the mellifluous giddy-up of the Doobies—and just feel like sitting back, reflecting on times past while wondering what the other guy goes through in his own daily grind. There's a shoe shuffler or two—the aforementioned Wish on the Moon, China Dog, etc.—but, like all folkies, Michaels watches the side currents of life, not the hurtlingly frantic noise and images, far more the missed opportunities, the mistakes, the wrinkles in the heart. We may be living through the 21st century, but work like his takes us back to a Mayberry that's a lot scruffier around the edges, an indeterminate era when our fantasies about such things danced a little differently than a magazine cover might indicate.
  
  This CD won't jump up and roar at you nor will it lay at your feet for a snooze, but it will provide a harbor in the storm of the routine, a place where you can take your shoes off, get a little misty-eyed, and re-assess things you once thought settled and understood. There are elements you missed, and Jaime Michaels has peeked around the corner to take note of them. That's really what folk music is for and The Man with the Time Machinedoes just as the title implies: turns back the pages to re-color the moods and memories all of us hurried past, now wondering how on Earth we could have missed it all."
  Mark S.Tucker ~ FAME (the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange)
  

• Midwest Record Review of "the man with the time machine" [+ Show ]
  

  FRUMDAHART JAIME MICHAELS/The Man With the Time Machine: "This guy sounds like he used his time ...FRUMDAHART
  JAIME MICHAELS/The Man With the Time Machine:
  "This guy sounds like he used his time machine to find the vibe Dylan plugged into as he segued in "Nashville Skyline" With a collection of alt.hitmen backing him up, Michaels is on point with a sweet folk flavored set that does a great job of hitting all the right notes along the way. A sneakily wonderful album, this is going to grab hold of acoustic music fans and not let go. Check it out."
  Chris Spector ~ Midwest Record

• review of "crooked" [+ Show ]
  

  When listening to recorded music, I always imagine what it would be like to hear the artist whose...
  When listening to recorded music, I always imagine what it would be like to hear the
  artist whose work I'm hearing in a live venue. When I have the chance to hear--and
  see--that artist actually perform, I try to put two and two together and see if they
  add up to the same person who's represented in the recording.
  
  Jaime Michaels has hit a grand slam in this regard with "Crooked."
  
  Not only is this CD a masterful blend of Jaime's original material, co-written
  material and his creative interpretations of the works of others, but the production
  is so wonderful that it does not interfere with Jaime as an artist. He does not
  have to fight with the instrumentation to be able to present these poignant songs.
  And the best part is, if you close your eyes, you can imagine having a private
  concert by Jaime right in your living room. Or your car. Or wherever you might be.
  
  Jaime and producer Jono Munson have crafted this CD with just the right mixture of
  back-up instruments and back-up vocals so that they compliment Jaime's artistry and
  don't smother it. In fact, it's kind of ironic in a way that the CD's cover is a
  crooked path (hence the name), since this CD could serve as a road map to others who
  might want to create a CD that allows listeners the full effect of powerful lyrics
  and tasteful arrangements rather than having such things buried under an avalanche
  of misplaced musicians and overwraught percussion.
  
  One of my favorites on this CD is a co-write by Jaime and Jeff Talmadge, "A Most
  Spectacular Moon." With lyrics crafted to exactly fit the tune, this song provides
  an opportunity for listeners to hear Jaime at his best. He believes this song, and
  it shows. When he says the word "spectacular," no matter what condition the moon
  is that night, you will believe it is, indeed, spectacular.
  
  That's how it is with Jaime. When you hear him sing, you can tell whether he's
  smiling, yearning, pining, or questioning. He writes and co-writes songs with
  special meanings, selects songs written by others that also have statements to make.
  And make them he does--not with an attitude, but with a sense of purpose, a sense
  of belief that music is as critical to life as breathing itself.
  
  
  Wanda Fischer
  WAMC-FM/Northeast Public Radio
  Albany, NY
  

• AWARDS, KUDOS, PATS ON THE OL' MUSICAL BACK [+ Show ]
  

  2011 New Mexico Music Awards - Album of the Year for "the man with the time machine" 2009 Snowbird ...2011 New Mexico Music Awards - Album of the Year for "the man with the time machine"
  2009 Snowbird Music Festival song contest WINNER
  2007 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist
  2006 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist
  2006 Honorable Mention Billboard World Song Contest
  
  2005 South Florida Folk Festival Song Contest Finalist
  
  2004 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist
  2004 Minnesota Folk Festival New Folk Finalist
  2004 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Honorable Mention
  2004 New Mexico Music Awards Winner
  SONG OF THE YEAR (lavender moon)
  2004 Just Plain Folks Awards Finalist
  
  
  2003 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Finalist
  2003 Great American Song Contest Honorable Mention
  2003 Finalist KRCL Performing Songwriter Showcase
  
  2002 Finalist KRCL Performing Songwriter Showcase
  
  2001 Winner Tucson Folk Festival Songwriting Contest
  2001 New Mexico Music Awards Winner
  SONG OF THE YEAR (five pennies)
  
  2000 John Lennon Songwriting Contest Honorable Mention
  

• Review of "fool" [+ Show ]
  

  Foolhardy Jaime Michaels may seem like the typical singer-songwriter, but with years of tours and...Foolhardy
  
  Jaime Michaels may seem like the typical singer-songwriter, but with years of tours and performances across the country (and overseas) and five albums to his name, there is nothing usual about him. His new album, Fool, collects 14 sculpted stories that capture snapshots of places and remarkable moments from his life and cleverly disguise them as folk songs. Songs like “Always Never” mingle vaudevillian clinks and clanks with mandolin trills and organs that gently swoon. “Lavender Moon,” on the other hand, resembles a subtle bluegrass waltz with beautifully sung harmonies courtesy of singer-songwriter Suzanna Choffel. In fact, the album is peppered with guest appearances by local musicians like Jono Manson, who also produced the album, Chris Ishee on piano and Susan Hyde Holmes on upright bass. Michaels has much to celebrate with the release of Fool. The album is yet another notch on an ever-evolving career. (GG)
  
  
  © Copyright 2000–2007 by the Santa Fe Reporter

• SingOut! review of "wicked dreams second chances" [+ Show ]
  

  "Jaime Michaels' songs are as elusive as smoke and mirrors. Michaels paid his dues opening for Vince..."Jaime Michaels' songs are as elusive as smoke and mirrors. Michaels paid his dues opening for Vince Gill, Roseanne Cash, Bonnie Raitt and Delbert McClinton, all the while making his own individualistic mark as an acoustic troubadour touring from California to Key West. His voice raspy with sadness and longing, Michaels pens contemporary tunes where love shines from within like a falling star ("Something to Lean On") or the pain of nothingness is escaped in the tears and gristle in "I Am Only (What I Am)."
  
  Ever the romantic dreamer, Michaels turns heavenward with "Lavender Moon," "Writing Songs on the Moon," and "The Only Song". As fragile as moonbeams, these songs are sparse hymns to love lost and yearned after. Ironically, Michaels' grittiest number is also the sole tune in which he doesn't have a writing hand, "Honky Red" by Murray McLauchlan. Blessed by John Egenes' strong mandolin and lap steel accompaniment, Michaels gets down in the gutter in this mini-ode to a wino. Michaels can kick up the tempo with Jono Manson"s electric guitar for oomph in the boisterous "Anything at All," but this Kerrville New Folk finalist is at his best when his music goes celestial and he leaves woes on terra firma."
  

• January 2006 review of angelus and wicked dreams second chances [+ Show ]
  

  Jaime Michaels Wicked Dreams Second Chances [frumdahart fdh 1006 (2003)], Jaime Michaels Angelus [fr...Jaime Michaels Wicked Dreams Second Chances [frumdahart fdh 1006 (2003)], Jaime Michaels Angelus [frumdahart fdh 1004 (2002)]
  Singer/songwriter Michaels will make you say, well . . . Hmm . . . From the utterly romantic “Lavender Moon” and the in-love-and-in-awe of “Writing Songs Upon the Moon” to the jive of “Honky Red” and heartbreak of “Nobody’s Kid,” this collection offers romance, longing, catchy tunes, lovely melodies, rock, blues . . . and twists in perspectives, all wrapped in finely crafted stanzas. The lyrics stand alone as pure poetry, but do play the music. Michaels’ warm, earnest performance and carefully chosen backup make this CD deeply satisfying, lingering in the heart and on the mind. Angelus offers a roller coaster ride through hope, sadness, humor, despair, and . . . onward till morning. The acclaimed title track is a gentle reminder that we are not in charge: How you fill your heart is all that matters. “Waiting on the Other Shoe” has an irony in the vocal cadence, part Dylan and part Paul Simon. Production, by Jono Manson, is intimate and direct, allowing Michaels’ warm, heartfelt vocals to penetrate. Backup varies with each song: a little Dixieland horns on “Get it Right,” a toy piano on the waltz-dissonance of “Always Never,” mournful pedal steel for “Five Pennies,” delightful counterplay with Stefan George’s Dobro on “Gris Gris.” If you’re waiting for some wisdom-dispensing guru, it’ll be awhile. But this thoughtful artist will make you think, ponder, and wonder – right along with him. (LJM)
  

• from Moshe Bennaroch's review of "angelus" [+ Show ]
  

  "…(Michaels) melts into his music rich instrumentations, influences from all of the last century and..."…(Michaels) melts into his music rich instrumentations, influences from all of the last century and creates with 'angelus' music that could very well suit teenagers as well as adults. Although the term has been over used, this is truly 'new folk'...Michaels is expanding the limits of the genre and is surely an artist to follow."

• from Fran Grey's review of "little dreams" [+ Show ]
  

  ". . . Jaime Michaels' use of language is uncommonly exquisite. His songs and writing have the hand ...". . . Jaime Michaels' use of language is uncommonly exquisite. His songs and writing have the hand rubbed luster of universally personal feelings. When they touch you, you feel as if you've held them before, then you wonder if you really have."
  

• from TAYLOR GUITARS website review of "little dreams" [+ Show ]
  

  ". . . each of the albums cuts sparkle like precious gems in the nighttime desert sky. . . a masterf...". . . each of the albums cuts sparkle like precious gems in the nighttime desert sky. . . a masterful understatement from a singer-songwriter who knows the value of space and subtle shadings."
  

• from Performing Songwriter review of "little dreams"
  

  "Equal parts wit and wisdom . . . "little dreams" celebrates little things in a big way."

Setlist

sets are usually 2 45 minute to one hour sets
of original material

Basic Requirements

Calendar