Words By: Garrett Kearns

California born jazz vocalist Michael Mayo has released his debut album Bones — a showcase of the singer’s mastery of vocal expression through jazz infused R&B. Mayo’s range extends from deep bass notes to soaring highs. He utilizes his voice as the lead instrument, dexterously controlling each note with the right amount of vibrato and inflection. Bones is a journey through Mayo’s imagination, memory, and emotions. The songs blend seamlessly into one another, making Bones a complete experience. The individual tracks stand on their own, but together they create something greater. Mayo weaves influences from jazz, pop, and electronic genres, but Bones is unique to his own personal style.

Mayo shared the artists he took inspiration from when writing and recording Bones. “I listened to Pet Sounds a lot in college. But I also grew up on A Tribe Called Quest, the Fugees, Busta Rhymes, Biggie Smalls and J Dilla. I love his beats so much. It feels like home. They all seem inherently connected. I like connecting all these different genres. Why not mix them all together and see what happens?” Mayo studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and was mentored by Herbie Hancock, who took Mayo out on the road with him on a tour of South America in 2018.

The first half of the album sees Mayo singing to someone outside of himself. “The Way,” “You and You,” and “Stolen Moments” are meditations on relationships. “You and You” is the most direct. “You want to get closer to me/But you need a remedy for all the drama between/you and you.” Mayo’s vocal performance is excellent across the board, but his debut would not be dynamic or impactful without his backing band comprising keyboardist Andrew Freedman, bassist Nick Campbell, and drummer Robin Baytas. They provide the launchpad for Mayo’s vocal acrobatics and ground the music in tangible space.

The second half is more introspective. “Robot Man” combines floating vocals with an electronic style backing. “20/20” and “Bones” finds Mayo looking back on his life and reflecting on what it means to be an outsider. The sheer variety of sound Mayo can achieve with a simple trio and his voice is astounding. When listening with headphones he permeates both sides of the stereo image, enveloping the listener with harmony. Part of this can be attributed to top-notch producer Eli Wolf, who has worked with such artists as Al Green and Nora Jones. Wolf brings the same sophistication and ear for vocal recording to the table with Mayo, allowing him to extend his voice into the outer reaches.

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