Michael Kaeshammer (born January 7, 1977, Offenburg, Germany) is a Canadian boogie-woogie pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger.
After studying classical piano for seven years in his German homeland, a 13-year-old Kaeshammer (pronounced "case-hammer") discovered boogie-woogie and stride piano as played by Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Pinetop Smith, and Fats Waller. In three years, the teen wunderkind was playing boogie-woogie piano in clubs, concerts, and festivals all over Germany. He attracted attention almost immediately after the family moved to the west coast of Canada, turning heads at performances at blues and jazz festivals across the country during the summer of 1996.
Besides playing the piano he also sings blues and jazz. His first album, Blue Keys (BSB Productions), was released in 1996, followed by Tell You How I Feel (Alma Records) in 1998, No Strings Attached (Alma Records) in 2000, Strut (Alma/Universal Music) in 2003, and Days Like These (Alert/Universal Music) in 2007. His style can be described as a brilliant and original jazz meets pop musical gumbo.
Kaeshammer is noted for his polished, but warm live shows. Spiking his onstage patter with a droll, but quick-witted humour, he is a consummate entertainer. On occasion his songs can turn into elaborate arrangements and improvisations. He is also known for changing musical styles within a piece and making use of irregular time signatures and mixed meters.
Kaeshammer is best known in Canada,...
