Michael Blieden Wolff (born July 31, 1952) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and actor. He was the bandleader on ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...

'' (1989–94). Wolff was honored as a Steinway Artist and obtained a

Broadcast Music, Inc. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

award. He provided the score for and co-produced ''

The Tic Code ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1998). He also co-starred with his sons,

Nat Nat or NAT may refer to: Computing * Network address translation (NAT), in computer networking Organizations * National Actors Theatre, New York City, U.S. * National AIDS trust, a British charity * National Archives of Thailand * National As ...

and

Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple pe ...

, in the Nickelodeon musical comedy series '' The Naked Brothers Band'' (2007–09), earning him a BMI Cable Award for producing and supervising the series' music. Wolff was the leader of the jazz band Impure Thoughts. Reconstructed as Wolff & Clark Expedition, it is a

jazz-funk Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat (groove), electrified sounds, and an early prevalence of analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creatio ...

group.

Childhood and family life

Wolff was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Victorville, California Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. History In 1858, Aaron G. Lane came to what is now known as Victorville and founded a waystation called "Lane's Cro ...

, and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the son of Lise (Silverman) and Marvin Wolff, a medical doctor, who treated

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

when the Wolffs settled in Memphis, Tennessee. Michael began studying classical piano at age eight. When he was nine years old, his family moved to Berkeley, California, where he played drums at age 12. While attending Berkeley High School, Wolff started playing piano with the

University of California Jazz Ensembles The University of California Jazz Ensembles, also known as the UC Jazz Ensembles, UC Jazz, or UCJE, is the student jazz organization founded in 1967 on the University of California, Berkeley, campus. Founded in 1967, it comprises one or more big b ...

under the direction of Dr. David W. Tucker. After graduating from high school, Wolff attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

before enrolling at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. Wolff's mother remarried psychiatrist Neal Blumenfeld (Wolff's stepfather), who died on December 1, 2013. He has two step-siblings, Mimi and Judy. Wolff married actress

Polly Draper Polly Carey Draper (born June 15, 1955) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. Draper has received several awards, including a Writers Guild of America Award (WGA), and is noted for speaking in a "trademark throaty voice." She ...

in 1992; they have two sons together,

Nat Wolff Nathaniel Marvin Wolff (born December 17, 1994) is an American actor and musician. He gained recognition for composing the music for ''The Naked Brothers Band (TV series), The Naked Brothers Band'' (2007–2009), a Nickelodeon television serie ...

and

Alex Wolff Alexander Draper Wolff (born November 1, 1997) is an American actor and musician. He first gained recognition for starring alongside his older brother Nat in the Nickelodeon musical comedy series '' The Naked Brothers Band'' (2007–09), which ...

, who starred in and wrote the music for ''The Naked Brothers Band''

film 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 ...

and

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

that was created and produced by Draper. Draper also wrote and starred in ''

'', a musical drama film influenced by Wolff's life with

Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome or Tourette's syndrome (abbreviated as TS or Tourette's) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) ...

to which he contributed the score.

Career

Wolff left college in 1972 to begin his music career, joining

Cal Tjader Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, known as the most successful non-Latino Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, even as he continued to perform music of Afro-Jazz, ...

's band. He then joined

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", whi ...

's band in 1975. In 1977, he formed the band Answering Service with saxophonist Alex Foster. Wolff worked with other famous artists, including

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Tho ...

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

The Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra was a jazz big band formed by trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis in New York in 1965.Lisik/Allen. 50 Years at the Village Vanguard:Thad Jone, Mel Lewis and the Village Vanguard Orchestra. Sky Deck M ...

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davi ...

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitt ...

, Children On The Corner,

Terri Lyne Carrington Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and ma ...

, Tony Williams, and

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of j ...

. In 1978, singer Nancy Wilson chose Wolff as her musical director.

Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted the late-night talk show, ''The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', ''Comi ...

was Wilson's opening act, and in 1989, when Hall was given his own talk show, Wolff was chosen to serve as its bandleader and musical director. He met his wife, actress Polly Draper, when she appeared as a guest on the show. In 1995, he released ''Jumpstart!'' featuring

and Tony Williams and in 1997 the trio released ''2AM''. Wolff was the leader of the jazz band 'Impure Thoughts' which features Indian tabla player Badal Roy, drummer Mike Clark, percussionist

Frank Colón Frank Colón (born October 13, 1951) is an American musician and martial artist of Puerto Rican descent. Early life and education Born in Washington, D.C., Colón moved from there to Puerto Rico at the age of five. His musical instruction beg ...

and electric bassist John B. Williams. He wrote music for the films ''

Who's the Man? ''Who's the Man?'' is a 1993 thriller buddy comedy film directed by Ted Demme in his feature film directing debut. The film stars ''Yo! MTV Raps'' hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists and features cameo appearances from s ...

'', ''

'', and ''Made up'', as well as writing for and performing in other films. Wolff co-starred with his sons in '' The Naked Brothers Band'' television series on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

, serving as the co-executive producer and music supervisor, which Draper created, executive produced, wrote, and directed. In addition, Wolff co-starred in and produced the music for '' The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie'', which later served as the

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

for the TV series. Wolff is on the faculty at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. In the 2010s, he formed the

band called the 'Wolff & Clark Expedition', consisting of Wolff and Clark as band leaders, with Steve Wilson and

Lenny Pickett Lenny Pickett (born April 10, 1954) is an American saxophonist and musical director of the ''Saturday Night Live'' band. From 1973 to 1981 he was a member of Tower of Power. He is known for his skill in the altissimo register (executed by using ...

as saxophonists, and

James Genus James Genus (January 20, 1966) is an American jazz bassist. He plays both electric bass guitar and upright bass and currently plays in the Saturday Night Live Band. Genus has performed as a session musician and sideman throughout his career, havin ...

as the bassist.

Discography

As leader

* 1993 ''Michael Wolff'' ( Columbia) * 1995 ''Jumpstart!'' (Jimco/Cabana) * 1996 ''2 AM'' (Cabana) * 1998 ''Portraiture: The Blues Period'' (

Fuel 2000 Fuel 2000 is an independent record label, formed in 1994 as part of the Fuel Label Group. One of the biggest independent record labels, it has amassed a catalog with over 20,000 master recordings. Since its inception, the company has released ove ...

Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, owned by Concord Music Group and distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums, as well as newer r ...

) * 2000 ''The Tic Code Soundtrack'' (

Razor & Tie Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles an ...

) * 2001 ''Impure Thoughts'' (Indianola) * 2003 ''Intoxicate'' (Indianola) * 2003 ''Christmas Moods'' (Artemis) * 2003 ''Getting into Heaven'' * 2004 ''Dangerous Vision'' (Artemis) * 2005 ''Sexual Healing'' (3D) * 2006 ''Love & Destruction'' (Wrong) * 2007 ''Jazz, Jazz, Jazz'' (Wrong) * 2009 ''Joe's Strut'' (Wrong) * 2011 ''Detroit Dozen'' (Wrong) * 2013 ''Wolff & Clark Expedition'' (Random Act) * 2015 ''Wolff & Clark Expedition 2'' (Random Act) * 2019 ''Swirl'' (Sunnyside)

As sideman

With

* 1975 '' Phenix'' (Fantasy) * 1975 ''Volume One: Montreal 1975'' (Essential Media Group) With David Axelrod * 1993 ''Requiem The Holocaust'' (Liberty) * 2003 ''The Big Country'' (Stateside) With Alex Foster * 1997 ''Pool of Dreams'' (Truspace) With

Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...

* 1975 ''Aurora'' (Adamo/Pinnacle) * 1976 ''Bird Gets The Worm'' (Adamo/Pinnacle) With

Dave Samuels David Alan Samuels (October 9, 1948 – April 22, 2019) was an American vibraphone and marimba player who spent many years with the contemporary jazz group Spyro Gyra. His recordings and live performances during that period also reflect his pr ...

* 1998 ''Tjaderized'' (Verve) With

* 1972 ''Live at Concerts by the Sea'' (Fantasy) * 1999 ''Last Bolero in Berkeley'' (Fantasy) With

and

Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...

* 1973 ''Tambu'' (Fantasy) With Nancy Wilson * 1979 ''Live in Munich'' * 1991 ''With My Lover Beside Me'' (Columbia) With

* 1995 '' Mutineer'' (Giant) * 2002 '' My Ride's Here'' (Artemis)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and honors

Wolff was honored as a Steinway Artist in June 2006. ''The Tic Code'' won awards at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

Giffoni Film Festival The Giffoni International Film Festival is an Italian children's film festival which takes place annually in Giffoni Valle Piana, Campania. It began in 1971. The Giffoni International Film Festival typically has around 100,000 guests and has had ...

and

Hamptons International Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October a ...

. With his sons, Wolff won a Broadcast Music Cable Award in 2007 for the music on ''The Naked Brothers Band'' TV series.

References

External links

Michael Wolff's websiteMichael Wolff at All About Jazz
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wolff, Michael Jewish American jazz composers American jazz pianists American male pianists American male television actors Jazz musicians from California Jewish American musicians 1952 births Living people Jazz musicians from New Orleans People with Tourette syndrome People from Victorville, California Jewish jazz musicians 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American pianists American male jazz composers American jazz composers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Cannonball Adderley Quintet members University of California Jazz Ensembles members Draper family 21st-century American Jews