Strictly vocal
In the beginning there was courage. Michael Schiefel wanted to sing; yet
he did not feel moved to travel down the jazz tradition's well-trodden paths.
Sure, he would need to acquire a solid training in vocal technique, which
he did as a student at Germany's top-notch University of the Arts (UdK) in
Berlin. He would need to pay his dues, which he did during Berlin's cultural
awakening, playing with small bands in the city's clubs in the early nineties.
The rest of it though, was open, was his to shape. Schiefel began to experiment,
listening to Bobby McFerrin, who showed him that an artist doesn't necessarily
need a band to convince an audience. And he discovered a technical toy, a
loop-machine that enabled him to reproduce his voice live in real time. The
soloist developed into an orchestra, linear melodies grew into playful three-dimensional
vocal architecture. A sonic window of opportunity here, some musical stairs
and a hidden emergency exit there; something that would be a way out, back
to the root of it all, his singing.
This was the state of affairs in the mid nineties. Schiefel dared to dive
in at the deep end, and started a solo career with "Invisible Loop" (1998)
and "I Don't Belong" (2000). Reviewers and audiences were similarly
thrilled. They admired his ability to transform himself musically, to change
into different characters. They praised his timbre, the precision in his
intonation, stylistic flexibility, and were fascinated by his very personal
celebration of creativity, and a wealth of ideas that seemed without par
in his country. "A star is born" one broadsheet proclaimed, and
this summarized the mood in the scene. Schiefel himself was a lot more matter
of fact; he felt he still had a lot to learn, despite his success. Furthermore,
the Berlin scene was beginning to sparkle, and was producing more and more
interesting projects. Thus the soloist was soon joined by the team player
who explored his funky roots with jazzIndeed, celebrated intellectual inspiration
with Thärichens Tentett, cultivated the ballad in his own trio formation,
and played classical modern jazz with David Friedman.
What had been a well-kept secret became common knowledge, even part of the
establishment. In 2001 Schiefel became a professor at the "Franz Liszt
Conservatory Of Music" in Weimar. The just turned thirty-one year old
was suddenly in a position to pass on the results of his creative process
to his students. With "Gay" (2003) he featured his trio on an album
of love songs. Two years later, he and the quintet jazzIndeed dedicated themselves
to the repertoire of New German Wave with "Blaue Augen" (ACT 9651-2).
As his calendar started filling up more and more, the Goethe-Institute sent
him around the world as a cultural ambassador. Not least due to his vocal
and interpretative talent, Thärichens Tentett developed into an in-demand
festival act. In the meantime, he continued writing, working on and trying
out his solo repertoire.
Technology finally provided further momentum. An update of his beloved loop-machine
was released, providing new possibilities of acoustic collage. New repertoire
had accumulated, and thus Michael Schiefel went into the studio once more
to continue his vocal research with "Don't Touch My Animals". Some
of the songs are German, some English; they recount stories of love and the
tangle of relationships, fabricate surreal sketches of city life or reflect
ironically on Germany's inherent contradictions. All the beats, sounds and
melodies are vocal, and come together to construct a brilliant patchwork
of pop/jazz moods and rhythms.
RALF DOMBROWSKI.
Boys don't cry
Michael Schiefel | MySpace Music Videos
Soundscape
Michael Schiefel | MySpace Music Videos
Walking
Michael Schiefel | MySpace Music Videos
Animals
Michael Schiefel | MySpace Music Videos
Out now: New Solo CD
Michael Schiefel
My Home Is My Tent
Traumton 4539-2
Out now: New Solo Single
Michael Schiefel
Boys Don't Cry
Traumton 4546-2
New CD with Thärichens Tentett
Thärichens Tentett
Farewell Songs
Traumton 4528-2
CDsSchiefel
JazzIndeed - Jazz Indeed
Thärichens Tentett