“Michael has done a beautiful emotional instrumental version of that gorgeous song. My buddy Carl Griffin, the great record executive, sent it to me a couple weeks ago and I just fell in love with it so I hope you will as well”
— Dave Koz, The Dave Koz Lounge on SiriusXM Watercolors
SHORT BIO
In a year as crazy and uncertain as 2020, it may not always be easy to accentuate the positive, but #1 Billboard recording artist Michael J Thomas has made it a bit easier, encouraging us to groove gently along to his latest smash single, the infectious and soulful “Sippin’ the Yak.” The follow-up single to the multi-talented saxophonist’s second #1 hit, an explosive re-imagining of Lady Gaga’s “I’ll Never Love Again,” the track reached #2 on three major charts - - the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay/Smooth Jazz Songs chart (where it stayed in the Top 5 for nine weeks), the Smooth Jazz Network Top 20 and the Mediabase Smooth Jazz chart.
The second lead single from Thomas’ recently released EP Stream’n Love, the soprano-driven “Sippin’ the Yak” was written by Thomas and keyboardist Trammell Starks, a multi-hyphenate (composer, producer, arranger, engineer) who has worked with everyone from Peabo Bryson and Jennifer Holliday to Patti Labelle and the London Symphony Orchestra (at Abbey Road Studios). It was produced by Thomas, Starks, and Carl Griffin, a three-time Grammy winning producer and onetime Motown exec who was Senior VP of A&R for legendary jazz label GRP Records for 15 years, N-coded Music, and N2K.
Two years before dominating the airwaves 2019 with “I’ll Never Love Again,” Thomas paved the way for his current success with his first #1 single “Baby Coffee,” from his Sony Music distributed album Driven. The track reached the pole position on three national radio charts, including Billboard (where it stayed at the top for 4 consecutive weeks), USA Today, and Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler.
While receiving terrestrial radio airplay across the globe, Thomas’ music has been featured on Sirius XM’s Watercolors, The Weather Channel, and in the Warner Bros. film “Contagion” starring Matt Damon and Laurence Fishburne.
With widespread critical acclaim and high impact airplay and sales stats, his debut album City Beat put Thomas on the map and became one of the genre’s hottest independent releases of 2010. The title track hit #1 on Canadian based Smooth Jazz Now’s singles chart and hit the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart.
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REVIEWS
🎷"Michael has done a beautiful emotional instrumental version of that gorgeous song. My buddy Carl Griffin, the great record executive, sent it to me a couple weeks ago and I just fell in love with it so I hope you will as well." - Dave Koz, The Dave Koz Lounge on SiriusXM Watercolors
🎷“You clearly know what you’re doing, and it’s great…congrats on an impressive career.” - Dave Grusin, Legendary GRAMMY® winning Music Producer / Arranger / Musician, ACADEMY AWARD® winner, and the G in GRP Records)
🎷 Michael J. Thomas is an excellent and dedicated musician. He is a very fine and intuitive player and has one of the best soprano sax sounds I've ever recorded. I think he's a rising star with a great career in front of him. - Paul Brown, Legendary GRAMMY® winning Music Producer
🎷"Michael J Thomas’ six-track EP “Stream’n Love” showcases the saxophonist/songwriter’s prodigious talents, starting with his technical excellence and warm, rounded sax tone, which is interwoven with lush, synth-laden tracks. Thomas’ engaging original melodies ("Sippin The Yak”) and tuneful covers elevate this engaging project. Highly recommended." - Carol Archer, Radio & Records (R&R) Smooth Jazz Editor, 1994-2009
🎷"Refreshing with a great sound...the sax style and horn licks hook you the second you hear it."-Mark Carter, Owner of WSBZ 106.3 The Seabreeze
🎷"It didn’t take long for saxophonist Michael J Thomas’ new release Driven to surge to the top of the smooth jazz charts, and it’s easy to hear why. The album is rife with catchy melodies and invigorating grooves, but it’s Thomas’ warm, inviting tone that is the “driving” force behind the proceedings, lending every track its verve and buoyancy. “Baby Coffee,” which charted No. 1 on the Billboard, USA Today and Smooth Jazz Top 20 lists, is among the album’s many highlights. At the forefront is Thomas’ silky sax melody, but the addition of synth horn blasts and a snappy backbeat help establish a relaxed vibe that still packs a punch. Thomas, who is also a skilled vocalist, plays with a singer’s sense of rhythm and time, and the interplay between sax and guitar at the song’s conclusion makes for a fascinating musical dialogue." - Brian Zimmerman, Jazziz
notable performances
🎷 Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival
Avalon, CA
🎷 Seabreeze Jazz Festival
Panama City Beach, FL
🎷 The Velvet Note
Atlanta, GA
🎷 Saenger Theatre
Pensacola, FL
🎷 The Golden Nugget Casino
Reno, NV
🎷 The Louisville Palace
Louisville, KY