Michael Bluestein
Encyclopedia
Michael Bluestein is an American pianist
, keyboardist
, singer/songwriter, composer
and record producer
originally from Massachusetts
. He has been a member of the rock group Foreigner
since 2008, and has been a high profile touring keyboardist and vocalist since moving to Los Angeles
in 2003.
Bluestein began classical piano studies at age nine, and started playing pop
, jazz
and soul
music when he reached his teens where he attended Brookline High School
, located in Brookline, Massachusetts
just outside of Boston
. Bluestein attended Berklee College of Music
in Boston from 1987 to 1991, where he studied jazz piano
and composition
. At Berklee he studied with pianists Bruce Barth
and Christian Jacob
, and immersed himself in the jazz piano styles of Bill Evans
, Oscar Peterson
, Herbie Hancock
, McCoy Tyner
, and Keith Jarrett
.
Shortly after receiving his B.A.
from the University of California at Berkeley, Bluestein moved to San Francisco where he spent 10 years highly involved in the Bay Area music scene. In San Francisco, Bluestein released three CDs under his name. The first one, the EP Reflections (2000) featured six original pop songs with Bluestein on vocals and keyboards. His second CD, Wild World, (2001) is a jazz trio recording with Jon Evans
on bass
and Jason Lewis
on drums
. His third CD, Ambient Soul (2003) is also an instrumental
jazz recording with Jon Evans and Jason Lewis, and also features guest spots with drummer Matt Chamberlain
and guitarist Will Bernard
. Bluestein was quite active as a sideman and session player in San Francisco. He played Hammond B3 and keyboards in guitarist Bernard's group from 1998-2002. He also accompanied and recorded with many jazz vocalists including Kitty Margolis
, Jacqui Naylor, Kenny Washington
and Mary Stallings
. He toured with Linda Perry
of 4 Non Blondes
in 1996-1997 and with Shelby Lynne
in 2000.
Since moving to Los Angeles in 2003, Bluestein has toured and recorded with Boz Scaggs
(2003), Anastacia
(2004–2006), Enrique Iglesias
(2007–2008), Roger Hodgson
(2009) and with Foreigner (2008–present). He has also done occasional performances with Burt Bacharach
and Stevie Nicks
.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, singer/songwriter, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
originally from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He has been a member of the rock group Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
since 2008, and has been a high profile touring keyboardist and vocalist since moving to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 2003.
Bluestein began classical piano studies at age nine, and started playing 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...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
music when he reached his teens where he attended Brookline High School
Brookline High School
Brookline High School is a four-year public high school in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts, in the United States.As of the 2007-08 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,826 students and 136 teachers , for a student-teacher ratio of 13.4 to 1 teacher.-Education:Almost every senior in...
, located in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
just outside of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Bluestein attended Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston from 1987 to 1991, where he studied jazz piano
Jazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
. At Berklee he studied with pianists Bruce Barth
Bruce Barth
Bruce Barth, born September 7, 1958 in Pasadena, California, is a jazz pianist. He has played the piano since the age of five. Barth's career had included major work with ensembles, as well as solo work...
and Christian Jacob
Christian Jacob
Christian Jacob is a lyrical jazz pianist who ranks among the top piano improvisers and accompanists working today. He has gained widespread exposure as musical director and performer with vocalist Tierney Sutton, although he has also maintained a substantial career as a solo artist and...
, and immersed himself in the jazz piano styles of Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
, Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
, and Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett
Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer who performs both jazz and classical music.Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey, moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s he has enjoyed a great deal of success in jazz, jazz fusion, and classical music; as...
.
Shortly after receiving his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of California at Berkeley, Bluestein moved to San Francisco where he spent 10 years highly involved in the Bay Area music scene. In San Francisco, Bluestein released three CDs under his name. The first one, the EP Reflections (2000) featured six original pop songs with Bluestein on vocals and keyboards. His second CD, Wild World, (2001) is a jazz trio recording with Jon Evans
Jon Evans
Jon Evans is a Canadian novelist and journalist.Born to an expatriate Rhodesian father and Canadian mother, he grew up in Waterloo, Ontario, and is a graduate of the University of Waterloo....
on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Jason Lewis
Jason Lewis
Jason Lewis is an American actor and former fashion model. He appeared on the May 2008 cover of Men's Fitness.-Early life:...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. His third CD, Ambient Soul (2003) is also an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
jazz recording with Jon Evans and Jason Lewis, and also features guest spots with drummer Matt Chamberlain
Matt Chamberlain
Matthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
and guitarist Will Bernard
Will Bernard
Will Bernard is a guitarist and band leader from the San Francisco Bay Area, now living in Brooklyn, New York. He has led the Will Bernard Band, Will Bernard Trio, Will Bernard 4-tet, and Motherbug....
. Bluestein was quite active as a sideman and session player in San Francisco. He played Hammond B3 and keyboards in guitarist Bernard's group from 1998-2002. He also accompanied and recorded with many jazz vocalists including Kitty Margolis
Kitty Margolis
Kitty Margolis is an American jazz singer. In 1989, made her well-received debut at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival. Margolis has released five CD's on her own Mad Kat label that she co-founded with vocalist Madeline Eastman.Her first studio album, 1993's Evolution, was the one that really...
, Jacqui Naylor, Kenny Washington
Kenny Washington (musician)
Kenny Washington is a jazz drummer born in Staten Island, New York.He studied at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts...
and Mary Stallings
Mary Stallings
Mary Stallings is an American jazz vocalist and mother of R&B/soul singer Adriana Evans.-Biography:Mary Stallings was born in San Francisco, one of the eldest of 11 children in the Stallings family; saxophonist Ron Stallings is her first cousin...
. He toured with Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
of 4 Non Blondes
4 Non Blondes
4 Non Blondes was an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1989. The group was formed by bassist Christa Hillhouse, guitarist Shaunna Hall, drummer Wanda Day, and vocalist and guitarist Linda Perry. Prior to the release of their first album, Roger Rocha replaced Hall on...
in 1996-1997 and with Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne is an American singer, songwriter and actress. The success of the 1999 album I Am Shelby Lynne led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, even though she had been active in the music industry for some time...
in 2000.
Since moving to Los Angeles in 2003, Bluestein has toured and recorded with Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
(2003), Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
(2004–2006), Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
(2007–2008), Roger Hodgson
Roger Hodgson
Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is a British musician and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman, and founding member, of progressive rock band Supertramp....
(2009) and with Foreigner (2008–present). He has also done occasional performances with Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
.