Building with bass: Jonathan Michel shares a message of hope in a new online series
Jonathan Michel is a multi-faceted musician, whose emergence as a successful bassist is marking the worlds of many genres including jazz, hip-hop and gospel. Born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut, he is now based in Brooklyn, New York.
Like so many of us, Michel is grappling for a semblance of peace in the midst of a global pandemic and the uprising against anti-Black racism. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, he’s taking time to spread his love for music by going virtual with a special online series. His story begins in the Caribbean.
Exploring his roots while cultivating his musical career
Michel is the proud son of Haitian immigrants. As a young boy, he poured his intrinsic love of culture and music into singing. He could be found playing instruments every day and, by the age of nine, he received his first electric bass. Soon after, his father put in a good word about his talents, and Michel began playing for church audiences, who gave him a lot of encouragement. He found an effortless love for many instruments, however he wasn’t particularly attracted to the upright bass at first.
It wasn’t until his early 20s that he began to take bass more seriously—a decision that, in part, he credits to a conversation he had with his college professor. “We were on our way to jazz history class,” Michel recounts. “He kind of matter-of-factly said, ‘you’re obviously going to be a pro.”
As his admiration for strings grew, Michel started looking more deeply into the historical nuances of Black American music and made it his mission “to showcase the greatness of Black culture, the vivacity and viability of this sound, and the accessibility of improvised music.” Over time, he has worked with some of the best in the industry, including Billy Paul, Laurin Talese and Orrin Evans. Their sounds and many more have strengthened his understanding of the relationship between bass and Black American culture.
Michel’s explorations also allowed him to be fully immersed in his Haitian roots. His recent project, L’ouverture, involves a collective of musicians with various connections to Haiti, who come together in the spirit of celebrating its rich music and culture. Michel says that, although there is a clear distinction and difference between this project and others he’s done in the past, he plans to continue infusing his heritage into his performances. “My Haitian culture is a part of me, so it’s always welcome as a talking point,” Michel shares.
His relationship with Smalls Jazz Club in New York City, the venue hosting Michel’s latest online project, was strengthened through an earlier collaboration. Hitting it off with drummer Jeremy Dutton and vibraphonist Joel Ross, the trio worked out melodies they would play while brainstorming strategies and soon a project known as MDR was born.
The trio’s sound evolved with the additions of trumpet voices, electronically produced and individual-based sounds. “There’s a dance track, there’s a love song… that’s an offering to the ancestors,” says Michel. “It’s one of those moments that I like to take in my performances… to just be grateful and to honour the people who have come before us doing this same thing.” MDR finds strength in being present in the moment, and the message of hope music offers.
Spreading love through online concerts and conversations
During this time of uncertainty and uprising, environments that offer peace and reflection are needed now more than ever. Michel intimately understands the pandemic’s global impact on musicians and, moreover, the widespread problems it has caused for so many communities.
Wanting to provide the world with fruitful and thoughtful moments through music, Michel, in partnership with the legendary Smalls Jazz Club and online activity-planner Gush, is hosting Smalls Talk. It’s a biweekly offering described as “intimate listening parties and conversations about jazz with the artists who create it.” This month he’s performing two sets with the Jonathan Michel Trio (with Orrin Evans on piano and Anwar Marshall on drums).
Michel hopes his online events will bring a little light to those who need it—particularly as music is such a big part of him.
“I can say that every major event in my life from that point for me moving to Philadelphia to now, is because of music,” he shares. “I’ve travelled the world, met my wife, been able to provide a life and lifestyle for myself. It’s made me the person I am.”