Michael Manson

A native of Chicago, IL, Michael Manson first picked up the electric guitar at age 14. Drawn to Al Jarreau’s recordings and fascinated by the approach of the singer’s bassist Abe Laboriel, he soon redirected his focus to the bass guitar. At 15 he joined several friends to create the group Togetherness, which issued one album and two singles before he departed six years later to enlist in the Navy. After completing his service, he returned to Chicago and earned both a B.A. and a Master’s degree in Music, then became a member of City Lights and established a steady presence on the city’s jazz scene.

In 1999 he received an invitation to perform at the Montreux Casino Lights ’99 festival. Appearing alongside Boney James, George Duke, and Kirk Whalum, he forged relationships that secured him a place on the Montreux Jazz tour. Although sharing a stage with his longtime idol Al Jarreau marked a notable milestone, Manson kept expanding his reach by writing and producing during the tour. That September he co-produced Brian Culbertson’s “I’m Gonna Miss You” and supplied the string arrangements for Blaque’s debut release.

Turning his attention to his own projects in 2002, he issued The Bottom Line on A440. The album represented his first full opportunity to demonstrate his abilities as a songwriter and solo artist, and it included the track “Seven Whole Days,” penned by the esteemed R&B artist and producer Babyface.