Young lion jazz drummer (of Joey DeFrancesco Trio), composer, and graduate of the 2016 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program returns for hard-swinging Valentine's Weekend trio performance!
Drummer Michael Ode was born in Philadelphia, PA, but spent most of his life in Durham, NC. He was first introduced to music at an early age in church watching the praise team and choir every Sunday and Wednesday. After seeing his interest in music at an early age, his father decided to get him a toy drum set at age 4. He developed his skills throughout high school by participating in the school marching band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, and wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, and drum line.
After honing his skills on the instrument in his senior year of high school, he received a music scholarship to study at Oberlin Conservatory. He is now entering his 4th year at Oberlin Conservatory, studying with the legendary Billy Hart.
Michael is a graduate of the 2016 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program, and has been chosen as an Honorary Jazz Mentor at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for the years 2016 & 2017. Having played alongside Billy Hart, Wallace Roney Sr, Javon Jackson, Les McCan, Gary Bartz, John Clayton, Peter Bernstein, Eddie Daniels, Christian Dashiell, Cyrus Chestnut, Sullivan Fortner, JD Allen, Gerald Clayton, Mike Lee, Dave Finucane, Al Strong, Jim Ketch, Ernest Turner, Lynn Grissett, Theron Brown and Dan Wilson, he has been very blessed to learn from some great masters and icons of american classical music (“jazz”).
Michael strives to stay as honest with his original music as possible, often writing songs for specific political and social issues that exist here in the United States and across the world at large. Michael is in the process of releasing his first album as a bandleader this winter and has just released an E.P. with the band “Eno” in July.
Catch this energetic and fast-rising young jazz talent as he leads his group in a very special return to BLU – get your tickets now!