Michael Formanek (born May 7, 1958) is an American jazz bassist born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States, and associated with the jazz scene in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Career

In the 1980s, Formanek worked as a sideman with

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

Dave Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received a N ...

Fred Hersch Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, educator and HIV/AIDS activist. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 70 of his ...

, and

Attila Zoller Attila Cornelius Zoller (June 13, 1927 – January 25, 1998) was a Hungarian jazz guitarist. After World War II, he escaped the Soviet takeover of Hungary by fleeing through the mountains on foot into Austria. In 1959, he moved to the U.S., wher ...

. His debut album as a leader was 1990's ''Wide Open Spaces'', featuring saxophonist

Greg Osby Greg Osby (born August 3, 1960) is an American saxophonist and composer. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, then at the Berklee College of Music. He moved to New York City in 1982, where he played with Jaki ...

, violinist Mark Feldman, guitarist

Wayne Krantz Wayne Krantz is an American guitarist and composer. He has performed and recorded with Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Donald Fagen, Billy Cobham, Chris Potter, David Binney, and Carla Bley. Since the early 1990s, Krantz has focused primarily ...

, and drummer

Jeff Hirshfield Jeffrey Lee Hirshfield (born August 22, 1955) is an American jazz drummer. Hirshfield was born in New York City. He studied under Ed Soph. He worked for the Joffrey Ballet in 1976–1977 and then played with Mose Allison (1977–1979). During the ...

. In 1992 he released ''Extended Animation'' with the same ensemble, except with

Tim Berne Tim Berne (born October 16, 1954) is an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and record label owner. His primary instruments are the alto and baritone saxophones. Biography Berne was born in Syracuse, New York, United States. He has said that ...

replacing Osby on saxophone. In 1993, Formanek, Berne and Hirshfield recorded as a trio on the album ''Loose Cannon''. Following this, Formanek led the septet of himself, Berne, trumpeter Dave Douglas, reed player

Marty Ehrlich Marty Ehrlich (born May 31, 1955) is a multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) and is considered one of the leading figures in avant-garde jazz. Biography Though born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the portion of Ehrlich's youth spent in ...

, trombonist Kuumba Frank Lacy, drummer

Marvin Smith Marvin "Smitty" Smith (born June 24, 1961) is an American jazz drummer and composer. Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. "Smitty" was exposed to music at a young age, receiving formal musical ...

and pianist

Salvatore Bonafede Salvatore Bonafede (born August 4, 1962) is an Italian composer and pianist. Early life Son of jewellers, Bonafede was born in Palermo on 4 August 1962. He started playing the piano at the age of four and became interested in jazz thanks to hi ...

. That same year, Formanek began playing with Berne's ensemble, Bloodcount, through the end of the decade, on the albums ''Lowlife'', ''Poisoned Minds'', ''Memory Select'', ''Discretion'', and ''Saturation Point''. His fourth album for

Enja Records Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Jap ...

followed in 1996, with Douglas, trombonist

Steve Swell Steve Swell (born in Newark, New Jersey, December 6, 1954) is an American free jazz trombonist, composer, and educator. Music career Swell studied at Jersey City State Teachers College before moving to New York City in 1975 where he began his m ...

, and drummer

Jim Black Jim Black is an American jazz drummer who has performed with Tim Berne and Dave Douglas. He attended Berklee College of Music. Career His band AlasNoAxis includes Hilmar Jensson on electric guitar, Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clarine ...

. In 1998, Berne and Formanek released ''Ornery People'' as a duo, and Formanek issued a solo album, ''Am I Bothering You?''. He toured with

Gerry Hemingway Gerry Hemingway (born March 23, 1955) is an American drummer and composer. Hemingway was a member of the Anthony Braxton quartet from 1983 to 1994. He has also performed with Ernst Reijseger, Anthony Davis, Earl Howard, Leo Smith, George E. ...

that same year. In 1999, Formanek worked in a trio with Ehrlich and

Peter Erskine Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead. Early life and education Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. He began playing the drum ...

on drums. In 2000, he played in the quartet, Northern Exposure, with Black,

Dave Ballou Dave Ballou is an American jazz trumpeter and associate professor at Towson University, in Maryland. Early life and education Ballou was born in Peace Dale, Rhode Island. He started playing the trumpet at age 11. Ballou received his bachelor's ...

on trumpet, and Henrik Frisk on sax. Formanek has done extensive work as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, appearing on albums by

Jane Ira Bloom Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer. Early years Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophon ...

Uri Caine Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956, Philadelphia, United States) is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early years The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, and poet Shulamith Wechter Caine, Caine began p ...

, James Emery,

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...

Kevin Mahogany Kevin Bryant Mahogany (July 30, 1958 – December 17, 2017) was an American jazz vocalist who became prominent in the 1990s. Particularly known for his scat singing, his singing style has been compared with those of Billy Eckstine, Joe William ...

, the

Mingus Big Band The Mingus Big Band is a 14-piece ensemble, based in New York City, that specializes in the compositions of Charles Mingus. It was managed by his widow, Sue Mingus, along with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. In addition to its weekly Monda ...

Scott Fields Scott Fields (born September 30, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois) is a guitarist, composer, and bandleader. He is best known for blending music that is composed with music that is written and for his modular pieces (see ''48 Motives'', ''96 Gestures'' ...

, the

New York Jazz Collective New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz Albums and EPs * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartn ...

Daniel Schnyder Daniel Schnyder (born March 12, 1961 in Zurich) is a Swiss jazz reedist and composer of both jazz and classical music. Schnyder learned to play cello before saxophone. He attended Berklee College of Music and the Conservatory of Winterthur. H ...

, and

Jack Walrath Jack Arthur Walrath (born May 5, 1946) is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus, and Glenn Ferris, among others. Biography Walrath was born in Stuart, Florida. ...

. Formanek is also a member of

Lafayette Gilchrist Lafayette Gilchrist (born August 3, 1967) is an American jazz pianist and composer. As of January 2014, he lived in Baltimore. He has had a long association with saxophonist David Murray, with whom he has toured internationally.Himes, Geoffrey ...

's trio Inside Out.Tamarkin, Jeff (November 7, 2011
"Labyrinths Piano Innovators Concert Set for Baltimore"
. JazzTimes. Formanek was the director of the Peabody Jazz Orchestra and the jazz bass instructor at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, before his amicable departure in 2018.

Discography

* ''Wide Open Spaces'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...

, 1990) * ''Extended Animation'' (Enja, 1992) * ''Loose Cannon'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 1993) * ''Low Profile'' (Enja, 1994) * ''Nature of the Beast'' (Enja, 1996) * ''Ornery People'' with

(Little Brother, 1998) * ''Am I Bothering You?'' (

Screwgun Screwgun Records is a jazz record label founded by saxophonist Tim Berne in 1996. Most releases on the label have been by Berne, though some have been by Berne's associates and bandmates. Steve Byram has designed and illustrated the artwork for ma ...

, 1999) * ''Relativity'' (Enja, 1999) * ''The Rub and Spare Change'' ( ECM, 2010) with

Craig Taborn Craig Marvin Taborn (; born February 20, 1970) is an American pianist, organist, keyboardist and composer. He works solo and in bands, mostly playing various forms of jazz. He started playing piano and Moog synthesizer as an adolescent and was ...

and Gerald Cleaver * ''Small Places'' (ECM, 2012) with Craig Taborn, Tim Berne and Gerald Cleaver * ''The Distance'' (ECM, 2016) with Ensemble Kolossus * ''Time Like This'' (Intakt, 2018) with

Tony Malaby Tony Malaby (born January 12, 1964) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Malaby was born in Tucson, Arizona. He moved to New York City in 1995 and played with several notable jazz groups, including Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, ...

Ches Smith Gordon McChesney "Ches" Smith is an American musician, whose primary instruments are drums, percussion, and vibraphone. He recorded and performed an album of his own solo percussion pieces entitled ''Congs for Brums'' (2006). In 2010 he release ...

* ''Even Better'' (Intakt, 2019) with Very Practical Trio * ''Pre-Apocalyptic'' (Out Of Your Head, 2020) * ''Imperfect Measures'' (Intakt, 2021) * ''Were We Where We Were'' (Circular File Records, 2022) with Drome Trio With

Franco Ambrosetti Franco Ambrosetti (born 10 December 1941) is a jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer. He was born in Lugano, Switzerland; his father, Flavio, was a saxophonist who once played opposite Charlie Parker.Movies A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'' (Enja, 1987) *'' Movies Too'' (Enja, 1988) With

* '' Lowlife: The Paris Concert'' ( JMT, 1995) * '' Poisoned Minds: The Paris Concert'' (JMT, 1995) * '' Memory Select: The Paris Concert'' (JMT, 1995) * ''

Unwound Unwound is an American post-hardcore band. The band was formed in 1988 in Tumwater, Washington, Tumwater and Olympia, Washington by vocalist/guitartist Justin Trosper, bassist Vern Rumsey and drummer Brandt Sandeno, and was largely based in Olym ...

'' (Screwgun, 1996) * '' Saturation Point'' (Screwgun, 1997) * ''

Discretion Discretion has the meaning of acting on one's own authority and judgment. In law, discretion as to legal rulings, such as whether evidence is excluded at a trial, may be exercised by a judge. Some view discretion negatively, while some view it ...

'' (Screwgun, 1997) * ''

Seconds The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

'' (Screwgun, 2007) * ''Insomnia'' (Clean Feed, 2011) * ''Adobe Probe'' (Screwgun, 2020) * ''Attention Spam'' (Screwgun, 2021) * ''5'' (Screwgun, 2021) * ''Decay'' (Screwgun, 2022) With

* ''

Art and Aviation ''Art and Aviation'' is an album by American saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom that was recorded in 1992 and released on the Arabesque label.

'' (Arabesque, 1992) With

* '' Urlicht / Primal Light'' (

Winter & Winter Winter & Winter is a record label in Munich, Germany that specializes in jazz, classical and improvised music. It was founded by Stefan Winter following the demise of his JMT Records label. Since 1997 Winter & Winter has released records by Da ...

, 1997) * '' Gustav Mahler in Toblach'' (Winter & Winter, 1999) * '' Gustav Mahler: Dark Flame'' (Winter & Winter, 2003) With and

Mary Halvorson Mary Halvorson (born October 16, 1980) is an American avant-garde jazz composer and guitarist from Brookline, Massachusetts. Among her many collaborations, she has: led a trio with and Ches Smith, and a quintet with the addition of Jon Irabago ...

as Thumbscrew 2014 * ''Thumbscrew'' (

Cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge-sha ...

, 2014) * ''Convallaria'' (Cuneiform, 2016) * ''Theirs'' (Cuneiform, 2018) * ''Ours'' (Cuneiform, 2018) * ''The Anthony Braxton Project'' (Cuneiform, 2020) With

* ''Sabino'' (

Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

, 2000) With

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

* ''

San Francisco Samba ''San Francisco Samba'' (subtitled ''Live at Keystone Korner'') is a live album by saxophonist Art Pepper, recorded at the Keystone Korner in 1977 and released on the Contemporary label in 1997.Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

, 1977) With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

* ''Burnin' at Backstreet'' (Fresh Sound) With Gary Thomas * ''

Pariah's Pariah ''Pariah's Pariah'' is the tenth album by saxophonist Gary Thomas recorded in 1997 and released on the Winter & Winter label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars stating it "maintains a consistently high level of musical quality from s ...

'' (Winter & Winter, 1998) With

*'' Serious Hang'' (Muse, 1992

994 Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...

References

External links

* * *
Michael Formanek
at

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Formanek, Michael 1958 births Male double-bassists American jazz double-bassists Living people The Tony Williams Lifetime members Jazz musicians from San Francisco 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Intakt Records artists