Jaime Michaels

Jaime Michaels wanted to recreate the feel of the late night campfires of the Kerrville Folk Festival for mood of Unknown Blessings. The Ben Bochner written title track is a peer for the songs on the release. The song captures the spirit of hope that courses in inspirational side of folk music. Jaime Michaels voice shines the light of expectation, as all eyes search the heavens and earth for the “Unknown Blessings” that are already on their way. Proceeds for the album will be donated to the music camp for teens run by the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Texas Folk Music Foundation.
Friends that share both passion for the album’s cause and its frontman’s knack for turning life into song offer their own tracks for Jaime on Unknown Blessings. It is a switch for the singer/songwriter to stock his album shelves with outsourced tunes. Jeff Talmadge (“The Hard Part's Letting Go”), Greg Trooper (“Don't Let It Go To Waste”), Amy Speace (“Two”), Dan Navarro (“I Don't Believe in Yesterday”) and RJ Cowdery (“Is There Time?”) are represented in song on the album, with each track carefully curated by Jaime Michaels. His voice keeps up with the runaway horse rhythm of “Good Luck John”, delivers love with a deep breath and a heart pump whisper in “Alice Dances” and lets its tremor rise to catch a first glimpse of the “Mission of Angels”. Jamie Michaels has a chameleon vocal that sooths as he uses the words of others mixed with his intuitive emotions to help teens to form early relationships with music.
- the alternateroot.com

"Unknown Blessings is a heartelt love letter to the artists and songs that have come to define the Kerrville Folk Festival. These 14 finely wrought tunes, two of which Michaels co-wrote , are a reminder that even in this age of hipster groove-folk and layer cake production, in the end, it's all about the song"
April Reese - journalist and KBAC DJ
- April Reese

2014 New Mexico Music Awards - Album of the Year for "unknown blessings"
2014 New Mexico Music Awards - Song of the Year for "dirty wine"
2014 New Mexico Music Awards - Producer of the Year for "unknown blessings" - Jono Manson, producer
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 - songwriting contests and awards

"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 - Tom Mauter

"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 - Michael Downie

"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
- Marilyn Babcock

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 - Midwest Record

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
- Wanda Fischer WAMC/NY

"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)
- FAME (the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange)

". . . 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."
- taylorguitars.com

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)
- Dirty Linen Magazine

"Equal parts wit and wisdom . . . "little dreams" celebrates little things in a big way." - Performing Songwriter Magazine

". . . 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."
- taylorguitars.com

"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."
- SingOut! Magazine

"…(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." - FAME

". . . 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."
- Two Louies Magazine

"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."
- SingOut! Magazine

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 - Santa Fe Reporter

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)
- Dirty Linen Magazine