Aug. 2, 2024 – Today, Los Angeles-based vocalist, composer and songwriter Michael Mayo has announced his second studio album Fly, due out October 4 via Mack Avenue Records / Artistry Music. On Fly, Mayo creates from the heart without filter or pretense, allowing his voice to transmit raw emotion above an ever-evolving backdrop of jazz, neo-soul and R&B. Along with the announcement, he shares his new single “Four,” a lively jazz arrangement that nods to Miles Davis and showcases his fluttering vocals over a bebop-style harmony.
Mayo on the new single: “I like to ride the line in between new and surprising, yet still comfortable and familiar. The melody is the original by Miles Davis, but it’s a surprising rhythmic pattern. It’s a fun take on an old song, and I enjoyed making it happen with the band. Nancy King and Fred Hersch recorded a version of it on their vocal-piano duo album, Live at Jazz Standard. It blew me away in college, and I always wanted to do it.”
Self-produced by Mayo and recorded over two days at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, his upcoming album Fly finds him leaning into his intuition like never before, stretching his voice through layers of heavenly harmonizing, hard-hitting beatboxing and heartfelt crooning. This time around, he’s recruited pianist Shai Maestro, Linda May Han Oh on upright and electric bass and in-demand drummer extraordinaire Nate Smith. Together, the musicians collectively harnessed their incredible chemistry during these sessions, giving the music gravity, muscle and soul anchored by their performances.
Fly follows Mayo’s 2021 breakthrough full-length debut Bones, which garnered millions of streams and earned critical acclaim from press including Jazzwise who rated it “4-stars,” while JAZZIZ Magazine raved, “Michael Mayo has developed his own lush, neo-soul sound that adroitly showcases his clear tenor, which glides over luxuriant clouds of his multi-tracked vocals.” Since then, he’s captivated audiences worldwide, headlining his own gigs while also touring with major acts like Herbie Hancock. In 2022, he earned the German Jazz Prize Award for International Artist of the Year.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, music quite literally surrounded Mayo during his upbringing. As a sought-after background vocalist, his mom has worked with Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston. Meanwhile, his dad not only sang but also performed saxophone for Earth, Wind & Fire and horns for the likes of Sérgio Mendes. Unlocking the power of his own voice, Mayo eventually attended the New England Conservatory of Music and The Thelonious Monk Institute at UCLA (now the Hancock Institute of Jazz).
Now with Fly, Mayo has trusted his gut and delivered a definitive body of work. “I’m excited for the journey to continue,” he shares. “There’s a clear difference in the way I felt recording this album. I have a better handle on who I am, how I feel, and what I have to say. I’m just trying to make as much music as I can with as many cool people as I can, travel the world, and bring a little bit of light along the way.”
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