Michael Landau

Michael Landau
Background information
Born (1958-06-01) June 1, 1958
Los Angeles, United States
Genres Rock, hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Vocals, guitar, slide guitar, bass guitar, sitar, mandolin, piano, synthesizer, chitarrone, guitarra conchera
Years active 1976–present
Website mikelandau.com

Michael Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, engineer, and record producer. He is a prolific session musician and guitarist who has played on a large number of albums since the early 1980s with artists as varied as Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitchell, Seal, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd,[1] Roger Daltrey, Glenn Frey, and Miles Davis. Landau, along with fellow session guitarists Dean Parks, Steve Lukather and Dann Huff, played on many of the major label releases recorded in Los Angeles from the 1980s–1990s. He has released music with several record labels including Ulftone Music and Tone Center Records, a member of the California-based Shrapnel Label Group.

In addition to his session work, Landau has also fronted several bands including Raging Honkies and Burning Water. In the early 1980s, he was also in the band Maxus that featured future Los Angeles session musicians Robbie Buchanan, Jay Gruska, and Doane Perry.

His brother Teddy Landau is married to the pop singer, Michelle Branch.

Early life

Michael Landau was born and raised in Los Angeles, his grandfather arranged and played woodwinds during the swing era with the Dorsey Brothers and Benny Goodman. In his early teens Landau became very interested in jazz and electric jazz. At age 11, Landau started playing the guitar, and by the age of 16 he began playing the L.A club scene with an R&B band and shortly after this he began touring the west coast with Robben Ford, which included the band members Jimmy Haslip and Russell Ferrante.

At age 19, he joined Boz Scaggs for a world tour and by the age of 20, he started to do session work on the recommendation of long time friend, Steve Lukather.[2]

Influences

Landau cites influences including The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Band, Weather Report, Pat Martino, and Jaco Pastorius.[2]

Equipment

Landau has a signature Single coil guitar pickup with Suhr Guitars called the 'ML.'[3] In 2013, Fender announced that they would be collaborating with Landau on a signature stratocaster.[4] In 2015, Fender released the 'Michael Landau Signature' amplifier, a modified version of Hot Rod DeVille III [5]

Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Landau used a rack switching system made by Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio Electronics. Other notable users of such systems were Steve Lukather and Eddie Van Halen among other. [6]

Discography

Solo

With Renegade Creation

With Hazey Jane

With Stolen Fish

With The Raging Honkies

With Burning Water

References

  1. ↑ "Inside the Mind of Pink Floyd: David Gilmour". Guitar. September 1995. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  2. 1 2 "The Michael Landau Group". Mikelandau.com. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
  3. ↑ "ML Single Coil Pickups". www.suhr.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  4. ↑ "Fender Custom Shop Announces Michael Landau Signature". www.iguitarmag.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  5. ↑ "Fender Announces Michael Landau Signature Amplifier". www.premierguitar.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  6. ↑ "An Interview With Bob Bradshaw". www.customaudioelectronics.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.

External links

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