October 3, 2006
"The Spanish Guitar Collection" - New release by Robert Michaels!
Melaby Music- MM 28102

Robert Michaels is Canada’s foremost Spanish Flamenco style guitar player having exceeded gold and platinum sales on the five CD titles that this definitive instrumental collection is drawn from. With an even sampling from all five of his previously released CD’s, “The Spanish Guitar Collection” makes the perfect introduction to the exciting passionate energy of Robert Michaels for the new listener, while serving as a brilliant summary for the seasoned fan.

This disc is perfect for entertaining friends over dinner and cocktails or to simply escape the trappings of hectic every day life. Robert Michaels is one of those rare artists who can take the listener on a visual voyage through places and time with his inspired instrumental music.

Get your copy of Robert Michaels’ “The Spanish Guitar Collection” at fine retailers everywhere starting on Nov. 14, 2006! Makes a great holiday gift as well!! From Robert Michaels and Warner Music Canada!

Watch for Robert Michaels live soon!

Track listing:

August 20, 2006
Extraordinary folk. B.C.'s Ridley Bent spices up folk fest with special blend of country, hip-hop
Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen

From the French-Canadian party band Mauvais Sort to the sweet, sad singing of Ron Sexsmith, the Ottawa Folk Festival was top-heavy with top-notch performers on the main stage last night.

However, all of them had already been seen around the festival site in the earlier hours of the day, a scheduling quirk that might have somewhat diluted the impact of the Saturday-night bill, sending a few more folks into the community centre for "alternative programming" -- a show by the Sadies.

On the main stage, flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels and his jazz-tight band dazzled, as expected. Folk veteran Ferron, in her first appearance in Ottawa in seven years, reminded us of the simple power of folk music, while Ron Sexsmith brought a band that helped him punch up his bittersweet songs of romantic misery.

But it was a slightly twisted kid from B.C. who made it interesting.

Ridley Bent and his lead-footed, whiskey-drinking, dope-smoking outlaws brought a subversive sense of fun to the folk festival, an event that occasionally suffers from a tendency toward political correctness. It's not just a music festival, you know, it's also part of a quest to save the planet, feed the hungry and nurture the family unit.

People can be so earnest at folk festivals.

Thankfully, when the lovably demented Bent appeared on the main stage yesterday, they had no problem lightening up. There's no deep message to a song like Bringing It Home Mama, and trust me, no one in the crowd last night condones

driving under the influence of whiskey and/or pot, but still, the beat-inflected wordplay, colourful characters and unassuming delivery gave the Vancouver singer-songwriter an irresistible edge. In his cowboy hat and plaid shirt, Bent's stage presence fell somewhere between Arlo Guthrie and Buck 65.

Clearly, the chameleonic Bent, who was a microphone-wielding MC when he was in town for a club show last year, has been developing the country side of his music. Since the folk festival started on Thursday, he's rarely been seen without a cowboy hat, and there's been a distinct twang to his strumming, most evident during a rocking hootenanny with the Sadies, fiddler April Verch and Stars singer Amy Millan yesterday afternoon at the far-flung Tree stage.

Bent's song about the lead-footed outlaw (Bringing it Home Mama), featuring solos by April Verch on fiddle and Dallas Good on electric gee-tar, was a weekend highlight. The beat-poet cowboy is also playing a new, broken-hearted country song that makes you want to cry.

Bent, who also performed at the Capital Music Hall on Thursday, had a secondary role in another daytime session on yesterday's overflowing schedule.

For that slot, which took place inside the community centre, before noon, the star was Ndidi Onukwulu, a young, charismatic singer with impossibly long legs and a voice that knocks together the heads of gospel, country and blues in one killer punch.

She and guitarist Madagascar Slim are performing together and, at this festival, have so far delighted both late-night and early-bird festival-goers.

Onukwulu was the toast of the after-hours cafe on Friday night. At the community centre just a few hours later, she worked the rows of the audience like a farmer plucking corn from the roots. She wouldn't take no for an answer -- you had to get up and dance.

She'll be getting me up early again today, by the way. Onukwulu is one of the performers lined up for the festival's first gospel brunch, which takes place at the ungodly hour of 11 a.m., practically the crack of dawn in festival world.

August 19, 2006
Crowd treated to high-energy show
By DENIS ARMSTRONG, Ottawa Sun

OTTAWA - With Cajun, Latin flamenco, a feminist folk icon and the singer Elvis Costello once declared one of his favourite songwriters anywhere, you could say the Folk Festival Main Stage lineup was about as unpredictable as the weather last night.

What am I saying? Between Balfa Toujours, Robert Michaels, Ferron and Ron Sexsmith, last night's Folk Festival was a format-stretching free-for-all of mostly happy music, regardless of category. And while there were some obviously strange juxtapositions, the effect of the whole evening was memorable.

Too bad then that there was only about 3,500 fans at Britannia Park to see festival and Elvis Costello favourite Ron Sexsmith and his band jam late -- well, late by Folk Festival standards -- and get virtually carried away with an upbeat set of bouncy rock.

Wearing one of his Sally Ann sportcoats, a rejuvenated Sexsmith opened with Secret Heart and over the course of his set, played Hands of Time and I Think We're Lost off his new album Time Being as well as Cheap Hotel, Strawberry Blond and That's What Passes For Love.

Now, I'm, not saying that Sexsmith's high energy was uncharacteristic. However, his outgoing show was a downright fun way to close out the night as well as pleasant change from his introspective solo appearances, proving why the self-effacing 42-year-old singer's been dubbed a songwriter's songwriter. Who else can so seamlessly go folk and then flex a little rock edge?

For many veteran Folk Festival goers, the night belonged to Ferron. The Canadian feminist icon, whose rollercoaster career peaked once in 1984 with the seminal Shadows on a Dime and again with her latest album Turning Into Beautiful, turned out to be just about everything you'd want in a folkie.

Accompanied by guitarist Shelley Jennings, Ferron filled an informal and ultimately all-too-brief hour with slice-of-life storytelling songs that were alternately sad and hopeful.

By comparison, Latin lover Robert Michaels proved to be a stark musical contrast to Ferron's easy-going show.

Flamenco's version of Led Zeppelin axe-god Jimmy Page, the two-time Juno Award-winning Latin jazz guitarist steered clear of politics and organics for a sensually dramatic set of soft-jazz instrumentals.

The Toronto-based Michaels proved to be a surprisingly soft-spoken entertainer who seemed comfortable in a concentrated way, just playing his six-string with dazzling flourishes of macho colour and, on occasion, with alarming speed on Terracotta and a funky cover of the 1960s benchmark Classical Gas.

"The more you give us, the more we give you," Michaels said with heartfelt sincerity before joining his Cuban band of Yoser Rodriguez, Claudio Vena and Mario Delmonte to survey of his most recent self-titled recording including The Matador and a sendup of the hillbilly theme song from Deliverance.

Every inch a dazzling guitarist, Michaels was not nearly as engaging or natural a folk performer as most folkies, who tend to treat their audience as family.

Speaking of family, with their squeezebox and fiddles flying, the traditional Cajun band from Louisiana Balfa Toujours kept dozens of festival goers dancing with a set of swinging bilingual tunes such as Oh Madeleine.

This two-time Juno winner began his musical career as many young guitarists do, learning to play rock and roll by emulating Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. His tastes took a turn toward classical guitar and later flamenco style playing, and that developed into a life-long passion for Latin music. When he began playing professionally, Michaels was asked so often at shows if he had any recordings for sale that he decided to make his own independent release to sell to fans. That first CD sold 100,000 copies, an interesting number for any commercially produced Canadian recording, and almost unheard of for an Indy release, and of flamenco-jazz music at that.

As an artist now signed to Warner Music Canada with multiple gold and platinum records to his credit, his latest self titled CD is a two disk collection of instrumentals on one and a vocal set on the other. Joining him on the album is Jennifer Warnes, probably best known for her album Famous Blue Raincoat, and the hit song "I Had the Time of My Life" from the movie Dirty Dancing. Acclaimed musical stage actress and star of Mamma Mia!, Louise Pitre also sings with Michaels, as do respected Canadian singers Luba and Coral Egan.

Michaels has to be seen live to fully appreciate his talent. While his recordings are captivating, his performance on stage adds a strong element of excitement and visual cues to where each piece is going emotionally. He delivered an enthusiastic, joyous performance, making full use of his 30-foot stage, swaying to the music, with animated stomping to accent the rhythm as he played. His technique is nothing short of amazing, with dazzling speed and dynamic range, showcasing flamenco's ability to play not only the music of the guitar but the percussive rhythms used to accompany the melody. His repertoire largely spanned the Latin music from Brazil and into the Caribbean to Cuba, with sambas, salsas and rhumbas making up a large portion of the program. His version of Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" was played with a twist of Carlos Santana thrown into the mix, making it sound surprisingly fresh. Showing a softer lyrical side to his talents, he also played two numbers written for members of his family in tribute to their constant love and support for him over the years.

Band members Dustin Shaskin on bass and drummer Mario Delmonte made up a tight rhythm section, with sophisticated and expressive accompaniment. Delmonte's playing was particularly authentic in style throughout the concert, and as it turns out, he hails from Cuba, the home of the rhumba. For their final number, the band pulled out all the stops with an exciting number that saw Michaels leave the stage to play and dance with the audience.

Michaels said after the show that he didn't really know what to expect when he first heard that he'd be playing in a barn. When he arrived at Westben, everything was still closed, but he thought the outdoor environment "looked fabulous. As soon as the doors opened, I went Wow! This is a beautiful venue. When Brian (Finley) told me the audience is really enthusiastic, I said, 'We're going to have fun tonight, we're just going to have a blast', and we did."

To find out more about this fascinating artist, check out his web site at /www.robertmichaels.com

July 2006

Chapter one of Robert Michael's brilliant career as an innovative guitarist and song writer has been well documented over the course of three best selling CDs. To this point in time, the story includes one Platinum and two Gold records as well as two Juno nominations. Chapter three begins with the release of his fourth CD entitled "Allegro". It was recorded in 2001 in Robert's own studio and introduces a number of musical elements that will appeal to his growing legion of fans. The CD includes a string quartet, a new and innovative percussive guitar style and also for the first time, Robert's vocals.

Robert started playing guitar at the age of fourteen despite parental objections - he had to draw frets on a piece of wood, attach plain string and practice for hours before they'd relent! He quickly showed the kind of talent that is reflected by the public's response to his first CD "Paradiso", which sold over 100,000 units. This is an incredible feat for any Canadian artist - much less an instrumental one! Robert is playing the CGC171CCA and GCX31C guitars and loves his AG-STOMP (world's first mic modeling acoustic guitar preamp)

NEWS FLASH: Robert has been nominated for 3 2006 Smooth Jazz awards and is out touring his Juno award-winning material from his CD "Allegro" now. Be sure to catch him playing his fiery brand of Flamenco on his Yamaha FC-Standard at a show soon!

- Yamaha website

June 2006
CANADIAN SMOOTH JAZZ ARTISTS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ST. CATHARINES HOSPITAL

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – June 21, 2006. Wave 94.7FM Presents the Château des Charmes Canadian Smooth Jazz Concert Series. Château des Charmes’ Vineyard Courtyard will be the setting for three outstanding Sunday afternoon concerts this summer. Surrounded by the Bosc family’s pristine St. David’s Bench Vineyard, world class artists, Robert Michaels, Rik Emmett and Carol Welsman will each in turn create a little home-grown magic when they grace the stage for your Sunday afternoon delight.

"The St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation is thrilled to be the recipient of the funds that will be raised during this exciting Smooth Jazz concert series. We would
like to thank Wave 94.7FM and Château des Charmes for giving our Foundation
the opportunity. It is always a pleasure working with the Bosc Family!"

- Sandra Wilkes, Executive Director, SCGH Foundation

Sunday, July 16 Robert Michaels
Sunday, August 13 Rik Emmett
Sunday, August 20 Carol Welsman

Doors open at 1:30 pm
Show at 2:00 pm
Open seating.

$90 for the series of 3 shows or $35 per show
Reservations: 1-866-234-2360

Selected Château des Charmes wines will be available for purchase by the glass. Bottled water and a selection of Canadian artisanal cheeses will also be available for purchase. No other food or beverages will be permitted on site.

“We at Wave 94.7FM are delighted to work with the Bosc family at Château des Charmes and with the St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation to present an exceptional Smooth Jazz Summer 2006 Concert Series. Each of these three events will offer soul-satisfying music in a beautiful surrounding  – all in support of a priceless community benefit- improved health care.”
-- Mary Kirk, Music Director, Wave 94.7FM

Featured raffle prizes include Yamaha guitars autographed by Rik Emmett and Robert Michaels, a Niagara Wine Country getaway at White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa, and gift packages from Château des Charmes and Smooth Jazz Wave 94.7FM. Net proceeds from concert admission and raffle prizes will be directed to the purchase of a new $850,000 Digital Fluoroscopy unit, a vital tool designed to produce X-ray images of internal organs.

Many thanks to the following supporting sponsors:
Commercial Air Services
NuComm International
White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa
Yamaha

-30-

Château des Charmes is a family owned and operated winery located in the heart of Niagara wine country. For six generations the Bosc family has made wine on three continents. Since 1978, they have been dedicated to nurturing Niagara’s unique terroir by utilizing sustainable agricultural practices on their four vineyard sites. The result – wines that have become recognized as benchmarks in the Canadian wine industry.

Château des Charmes Media Contact: Michèle Bosc, michele@chateaudescharmes.com, 905-262-4219 x27
Further information and print-ready images available by request.

Château des Charmes Wines
1025 York Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Mailing address: P.O. Box 280-St. David’s, Ontario L0S 1P0
905.262.4219
www.chateaudescharmes.com

Wave 94.7FM Media Contact: Mary Kirk, Music Director, Wave 94.7 FM, mary@wave947.fm
1 416 565 7211
Wave 94.7FM 1-866-388-8911

St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation Media Contact: Sandra Wilkes, Executive Director, swilkes@scghfoundation.com, 1-905-704-4188.

February 6, 2006

We are pleased to announce the winner of the Yamaha
"Win A Flamenco Guitar" contest is: Eric Holm! 
Thanks to all who entered the contest!

> Click photo for larger view >

The smooth Latin musical stylings of Toronto musician Robert Michaels are on tap Friday when the Juno Award winning guitarist comes to the Living Arts Centre.
Michaels will perform selections from his four earlier CDs, including Allegro, which garnered him a 2003 Juno Award for Instrumental Album Of The Year. Michaels will be joined in Hammerson Hall by drummer Paul Paolini, percussionist Steve Mancuso, bassist Dustin Shaskin and multi-instrumentalist and rhythm guitarist Claudio Vena.

Currently, Michaels is touring in support of his enjoyable 18-track, self-titled double-CD that was released earlier this summer. Split into two parts, one featuring vocal tracks and another that's strictly instrumental, the first-half of the album includes vocal performances by Louise Pitre, best known for her work in the Broadway smash Mamma Mia!, Jennifer Warnes (who sang on the track Up Where We Belong, a duet with Joe Cocker) Ukrainian performer Luba and Coral Egan.

"When I sat down to write the album, I made up a wish list of artists I would love to work with and all of the people on this album are at the top of my list," said Michaels. "Miraculously, it all came together."

Warnes and Michaels hooked up for the track So Sad, written by and dedicated to country singer Mickey Newbury.

"Recording this song fulfilled a promise I made (to Mickey) before he died," said Warnes, adding Michaels was the right man to partner with because of his "very emotional open gut-string guitar."

Meanwhile, Michaels holds equally high praise for the Grammy Award winner.

"Jennifer's performance is pure magic," said Michaels. "The chemistry between us was a match made in heaven."

Michaels fell in love with the guitar at age 14, borrowing a friend's instrument when his parents wouldn't purchase him one. After Michaels built his own guitar out of wood scraps his parents relented and bought a real one for the aspiring musician.

"My parents caved," said Michaels, with a laugh. "But, right away, I knew the guitar was my calling."

Michaels, who is of Italian descent, grew up listening to Brazilian and Spanish music in his family's Toronto home and, through osmosis, slowly picked up the Mediterranean sound. He admits he wanted to be a rock star.

"Just like (Led) Zeppelin," said the affable performer.

Meanwhile, at the live show, don't expect to hear an exact replica of the CD's tracks recreated on stage.

"I don't really like that, it feels to me like the audience is getting cheated," he said. "At a live show, you want to see the material presented differently otherwise you might as well stay at home and listen to it there."

For more information, visit www.robertmichaels.com.

"I do get e-mails telling me how they got pregnant while listening to my music," laughs flamenco guitarist Robert Michaels. "Perhaps the album should come with a warning label."

One listen to his new album Allegro, his fourth, and you know why knees can go a little weak and fans a little excited when Michaels and his five-piece band play live.

You'd think that this was just one of the perks of the job.

But for the mild-mannered Michaels, the affectionate attention is as embarassing as it is flattering.

"I like to keep things clean," he explains apologetically.

Rather than christening his new album Allegro, Michaels, who plays Centrepointe Theatre on Friday at 8 p.m., could have easily named his sensually steamy collection of flamenco-styled instrumentals, Cuban dance rhythms and pop vocals "Music to Get in the Mood."

VOCAL DEBUT

Along with prodigious picking on Classical Gas, the album features Michaels' vocal debut on a cover of The Doors' Riders on the Storm and Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight.

"It's instrumental music that doesn't fade into the background," said Michaels, 41, from his studio love shack in Toronto.

"It's not traditional flamenco. It's a hybrid of pop styles Canadians know, but it's more passionate and emotional. Some people call this mix 'feel-good' music."

Sounds good to me.

"It's soothing to the soul," Michaels says, and then he laughs.

"Yes, women make up a big portion of my audience. But that's not why I do it. I realized when I was a teenager that everytime I got a gig at a party, all the other guys were getting the girls to my music."

When he first picked up the guitar at 14, the young wag was thinking more of his heroes Carlos Santana, Lenny Breau and Led Zeppelin's guitarist Jimmy Page than 15-year-old girls.

Without any radio play to plug the product, Michaels is currently on a cross-Canada tour and relies on word of mouth for sales.

TWO JUNOS

Despite the marketing obstacles, Michaels' previous three albums have all sold gold and platinum while garnering two Juno nods, and his video single for In the Air Tonight, featuring an outstanding vocal by Shelley Hamilton, is currently rated No. 4 on Bravo's chart.