Whether Michael Mayo is performing with his band, as a guest, or alone with a looper pedal and a piano, the LA native’s commanding and other worldly vocalese has been gathering critical and commercial acclaim around the globe. Mayo attended the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance (now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz), only the third vocalist to be accepted into the 20-year-old program, where he learned from the likes of Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Mayo, a veteran international performer, has led his own band to perform at some of the worlds most revered jazz clubs and festivals. As a featured guest, he has recently recorded and performed with Herbie Hancock, Terri Lynne Carrington, Jacob Collier, Scary Pockets, Lenny Kravitz, Josh Groban, Ben Wendel and The War and Treaty.
Signed to Mack Avenue/Artistry Records, Mayo’s debut record “Bones”, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Eli Wolf (Norah Jones, Al Green, The Roots) was released in 2021. In 2022, Mayo was named “International Artist of the Year” at the Deutscher Jazzpreis. Mayo’s highly anticipated sophomore release “Fly” featuring pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Linda Oh, and drummer Nate Smith was released in 2024 and nominated for 2 Grammy Awards.
