Michael Bland
Encyclopedia
Michael Bland is best known as a drummer for Prince
starting in 1989. He was with Prince during The New Power Generation era and played with him live and on albums for 7 years.
In 2010, Bland became a member of Nick Jonas and the Administration (a side project of Nick Jonas
of the Jonas Brothers
) along with other former members of The New Power Generation, bass player Sonny T. and keyboardist Tommy Barbarella
.
. He graduated from Minneapolis South High School
in 1987, where he thrilled his classmates with amazing rhythms at Pep Fests and other events, and still resides in Minneapolis, but is often heading to LA as a session drummer for such artists as Mandy Moore
, Clay Aiken
, the Backstreet Boys, the Anchorman
Soundtrack, and many more.
In 2000, he played in the Minneapolis project of french reed player Michel Portal (the rest of the band was Tony Hymas
, Sonny T., Vernon Reid and Jef Lee Johnson). With Jef Lee Johnson and Sonny T., Michael Bland created News from the Jungle which recorded one album for Universal also produced by Jean Rochard. Both bands, Michel Portal's and News from the jungle, toured in France (Paris Olympia). Michael will also play on several tracks of the Michel Portal album Birdwatcher in 2006.
In 2005, Bland was the drummer for Paul Westerberg
's tour, and he recently played on the Hurricane Katrina
Relief telethon with the Dixie Chicks
. Bland is also now working as a producer, currently working with the upcoming rock-pop band Catchpenny
, also from Minneapolis.
He is the drummer on Soul Asylum
's album The Silver Lining. He also tours with them.
Bland, with colleague and ex-NPG member Sonny T. (Thompson) teamed up with Prince once again to provide drumming for the title track of Prince's 3121
album.
Bland also played drums on Indigenous
's 2006 album, Chasing the Sun
.
In 2007 Bland & Thompson laid down the rhythmtracks for some tracks on Prince's 2007 CD 'Planet Earth'.
When not on tour, Bland can usually be found every Sunday and Monday night at the nightclub "Bunker's" in downtown Minneapolis performing with Dr. Mambo's Combo
. Bland also performs in the area with pop
/R&B
band
, The Rule
.
During the fall of 2007 Michael Bland has been busy working on a release by his own protege, Mayda, performing with her regularly in the Minneapolis area as well as recording a studio album. Her first release, the Stereotype EP, was released in 2007. Michael Bland continued working with Mayda and played on and produced a full length album with her in 2009, titled The Interrogation.
Currently, Michael Bland is the drummer of the band Nick Jonas and The Administration. He is also rehearsing with The Peterson Family (which includes St. Paul Peterson, a former member of The Family, a Prince protege band from 1985) as the Peterson's prepare to go on an Australian tour in the summer of 2010.
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
starting in 1989. He was with Prince during The New Power Generation era and played with him live and on albums for 7 years.
In 2010, Bland became a member of Nick Jonas and the Administration (a side project of Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas
Nicholas Jerry "Nick" Jonas is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor best known as one of the Jonas Brothers, a pop-rock band he formed with his brothers Joe and Kevin. The Jonas Brothers originally started as an attempted solo singing career for Nick, but the record producer liked the...
of the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
) along with other former members of The New Power Generation, bass player Sonny T. and keyboardist Tommy Barbarella
Tommy Barbarella
Tommy Barbarella is an American keyboardist. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991–1996.In 2010, Barbarella became a member of Nick Jonas and the Administration along with other former members of The New Power Generation, drummer Michael Bland...
.
Life and career
Bland was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. He graduated from Minneapolis South High School
Minneapolis South High School
South Senior High School is the largest public school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, located in Corcoran neighborhood. Its student population is 1963, with a staff of 115 as of the 2009–10 school year...
in 1987, where he thrilled his classmates with amazing rhythms at Pep Fests and other events, and still resides in Minneapolis, but is often heading to LA as a session drummer for such artists as Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
, the Backstreet Boys, the Anchorman
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
Soundtrack, and many more.
In 2000, he played in the Minneapolis project of french reed player Michel Portal (the rest of the band was Tony Hymas
Tony Hymas
Anthony 'Tony' Hymas is an English keyboard player, pianist, composer and is well known for being a founding member of Ph.D. He is a very versatile musician and contributes in different styles of music....
, Sonny T., Vernon Reid and Jef Lee Johnson). With Jef Lee Johnson and Sonny T., Michael Bland created News from the Jungle which recorded one album for Universal also produced by Jean Rochard. Both bands, Michel Portal's and News from the jungle, toured in France (Paris Olympia). Michael will also play on several tracks of the Michel Portal album Birdwatcher in 2006.
In 2005, Bland was the drummer for Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg
Paul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
's tour, and he recently played on the Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
Relief telethon with the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
. Bland is also now working as a producer, currently working with the upcoming rock-pop band Catchpenny
Catchpenny
Catchpenny is an American rock/pop band. The group released its first album, Chance For A Lifetime in December 2005. Tommy Stinson, Michael Bland, Phil Solem, Tommy Barbarella , John Fields, and Jim Anton have also worked with Catchpenny....
, also from Minneapolis.
He is the drummer on Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...
's album The Silver Lining. He also tours with them.
Bland, with colleague and ex-NPG member Sonny T. (Thompson) teamed up with Prince once again to provide drumming for the title track of Prince's 3121
3121 (album)
3121 is the thirty-first studio album by Prince. The album, released March 21, 2006 in the U.S., is distributed through Universal Records.-Album information:...
album.
Bland also played drums on Indigenous
Indigenous (band)
Indigenous is an American blues-rock group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji , Pte , along with their sister, Wanbdi , and their cousin, Horse .Their music is heavily influenced by guitarist...
's 2006 album, Chasing the Sun
Chasing the Sun (Indigenous album)
Chasing the Sun is Indigenous's seventh album. It was released in 2006 on the Vanguard label. It went to #2 on the Billboard Top Blues Albums chart.- Track list :#Runaway 4:30#I'll Be Waiting 4:18#Number Nine Train 4:20#Come On Home 4:28...
.
In 2007 Bland & Thompson laid down the rhythmtracks for some tracks on Prince's 2007 CD 'Planet Earth'.
When not on tour, Bland can usually be found every Sunday and Monday night at the nightclub "Bunker's" in downtown Minneapolis performing with Dr. Mambo's Combo
Dr. Mambo's Combo
Dr. Mambo's Combo is a soul and R&B musical group that has been playing at Bunker's in downtown Minneapolis since 1987.Michael Bland was discovered and hired by Prince while playing in this group.Sonny T...
. Bland also performs in the area with pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, The Rule
The Rule
The Rule is an American pop/R&B band, led by Ryan Liestman . The group released its first album, the self-titled The Rule in the summer of 2006, under the indie label R, R, & R Records...
.
During the fall of 2007 Michael Bland has been busy working on a release by his own protege, Mayda, performing with her regularly in the Minneapolis area as well as recording a studio album. Her first release, the Stereotype EP, was released in 2007. Michael Bland continued working with Mayda and played on and produced a full length album with her in 2009, titled The Interrogation.
Currently, Michael Bland is the drummer of the band Nick Jonas and The Administration. He is also rehearsing with The Peterson Family (which includes St. Paul Peterson, a former member of The Family, a Prince protege band from 1985) as the Peterson's prepare to go on an Australian tour in the summer of 2010.