Arranger,
composer, orchestrator, and violinist who penned the first major work for
harmonica and orchestra in 1951, simply titled Concerto for Harmonica and
Orchestra, for Tommy Reilly.A
recording is available on the 1993 CD, Tommy
Reilly Plays Harmonica Concertos.In case any budding harmonica players out there aren't privy
to an orchestra, a piano reduction is available in sheet music form
online.Other works by Michael
include Memoir, Tango of Violins, Valse
Burlesque, and a series of variations on the timeless classic, "Happy
Birthday to You".Around
the same time he wrote his groundbreaking harmonica concerto, Michael was
also busy with The Stradivari Orchestra, which he conducted and for which
he wrote arrangements of famous classical works such as Antonin
Dvorak's Humoresque.He
also directed the Moskow Virtuosi for a series of
recordings of modern composers, including Bela
Bartok, Arnold Schoenberg, and Anton Webern.In 1965, he orchestrated the music
for the Broadway musical, The Zulu
and the Zayda, which enjoyed a six-month
run.His track record as a
violinist is equally impressive:He has recorded with Harry Belafonte, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown,
Perry Como, Barbara Cook, Deodato, Lotte Lenya, HumbertLucarelli, the Marilyn Crispell
Trio, Carmen McRae, Meco, Oliver Nelson, and
Frank Sinatra.He even appears
on the soundtrack of The Wiz, and
has made his contribution to Muppetdom on Sesame Disco!.Other CDs on which he appears
include The Complete Jerome Kern
Songbooks and Original Music from
the Man from U.N.C.L.E.
