Jantz, Michael
Singer/songwriter Michael Jantz earned his skills the hard way, working the open mics in his hometown of Cleveland and wandering through Europe playing on street corners. He built his reputation up song by song until it paid off: Jantz became a top local draw, toured with Paul Simon and Brian Wilson, and was voted "Best Male Singer/Songwriter" in the Cleveland Free Times Reader Poll in 2004.
Jantz broke new ground with the release of his second album, Snapshots of the Universe. Engineered by Tom Schick (Ryan Adams, Rufus Wainwright, Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono) and mastered by Fred Kevorkian (the White Stripes, Ryan Adams, Dave Matthews Band, Iggy Pop), Snapshots features drummer Steve Bowman and contributions from Bittersweets singer Hannah Prater, producer Jerry Becker, and Scott Barkan of Barky and Hypnotic Clambake. It reveals an older, wiser, and more polished musician than on his self-titled 2002 debut. Snapshots ranges from rollicking acoustic-based rock to mellow storyteller blues. Jantz has taken the high-energy atmosphere of his new stomping ground, and the shock of being dropped into a bustling, unfamiliar city, and channeled them into his songwriting. He will be touring in 2007 to promote the new album. - From michaeljantz.com