ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Hailed as a "musical prodigy turned evil genius" (Spinner) bassist Michael Feinberg has quickly "become one of the premier young artists on the New York scene" (Jazz Inside Magazine).

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Michael began his music career on the bandstand as a member of Grammy-nominated trumpeter Russell Gunn’s quartet. Performing every week at Churchill Grounds, 18-year-old Michael held the bass chair for six months until he left for the University of Miami. As a sophomore at UM, Michael recorded his debut record “Harajuku" which helped him to earn a residency at Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Back in Miami, Feinberg decided to take composition more seriously, and began work on his sophomore album Evil Genius. Following its release, Michael was invited to headline at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. In 2009, Feinberg began his graduate studies at NYU and quickly found himself working and performing with some members of the faculty including John Scofield, Jean Michel Pilc, George Garzone, Kenny Werner and Billy Drummond. Inspired by the wealth of talent from his peers around NYC, he began working on his next record. After workshopping the music for over a year at the 55 bar, Smalls and Fat Cat, Feinberg was ready to hit the studio and, in 2010, he released With Many Hands to critical acclaim including Bass Player Magazine, who featured Michael in its July 2011 issue.

In 2012, Michael signed with Sunnyside Records to record The Elvin Jones Project with an all-star lineup of Billy Hart, George Garzone, Tim Hagans, Leo Genovese and Alex Wintz. Much like his previous album, the The Elvin Jones Project matured in the jazz clubs of the west village and features many of the great young stars of jazz including Billy Buss, Tivon Pennicott, Leo Genovese, Noah Preminger, Godwin Louis, Joe Santa Maria, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Victor Gould and Glenn Zaleski. In 2014, Atlanta-based BeHip records released Michael Feinberg's HUMBLEBRAG Live at 800 East, Michael’s fifth album as a leader. The album features Terreon Gully, Billy Buss, Godwin Louis and Julian Shore and was heralded by critics and audiences alike. As the Midwest Record puts it: ”This is high tone, sitting down jazz that blows your ears and your mind wide open. Killer stuff for those ready to saddle up for a wild ride."

Michael is the recipient of the Louis Armstrong Foundation Grant 2020, Chamber Music America Grant 2020, resident of the Betheney Arts Collective 2021, winner of the Six String Theory Rhythm Section Contest 2012, recipient of 2010 Downbeat Student Music Award, headliner of the 2010 SXSW festival, resident at 2008 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead, finalist in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition for performance and jazz composition and finalist in the unsigned only competition 2021.

Michael has performed or recorded with Billy Hart, Dave Liebman, George Garzone, Lee Ritenour, Ari Hoenig, Elliot Mason, Jeff Coffin, Terreon Gully, Donnie, Russell Gunn, Dave Samuels, Larry Koonse, Daniel Platzman, JD Allen, Ted Nash, Kosha Dillz, Tim Hagans, Melanie Charles, Braxton Cook, Dayme Arocena, Orrin Evans, Myron Walden, Jonathan Kreisberg, Jim Black, Jonathan Batiste, John Scofield, Peter Bernstein, Mark Whitfield, Peter Evans, Jason Lindner, Ambrose Akinmusire, Sam Barsh, Noah Preminger, Bobby Broom, Logan Richardson, Dana Hawkins, Pascal and Remy LeBoeuf, Jason Palmer, Dayna Stephens, Leo Genovese, Aaron Parks, Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi (KNOWER), Phil Dizack, Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Kebbi Williams, Aaron Goldberg and Run DMC among others. Michael is also an active clinician and educator and has conducted master classes and clinics at Emory University, State University, Belmont University, University of Miami, Indaba Music, The Paideia School, NJPAC, Coastal Carolina University, Universidad De Centro America, Universidad de Habana and New York University. He is an artist faculty at Berklee College of Music, Union County College, NJPAC and New York Jazz Academy and has contributed to several publications including McGraw Hill.

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