Michael Landau

Michael Landau
Landau in 2015
Landau in 2015
Background information
Birth nameMichael Christopher Landau
Born (1958-06-01) June 1, 1958 (age 66)
Los Angeles, California, US
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • audio engineer
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active1976–present
Labels
Websitemikelandau.com

Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record-producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Seal, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Luis Miguel, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd,[1] Phil Collins on "Two Hearts" and "Loco in Acapulco", Roger Daltrey, Stevie Nicks, Glenn Frey, Eros Ramazzotti, Whitney Houston, and Miles Davis. Landau, along with fellow session guitarists Dean Parks, Steve Lukather, Michael Thompson 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 Shrapnel Label Group.

In addition to his session work, Landau has led several bands, including Raging Honkies and Burning Water. In the early 1980s, he was in the band Maxus with Robbie Buchanan, Mark Leonard, Jay Gruska, and Doane Perry.

Biography

[edit]

Landau was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.[2]

At age 19, he was touring the globe with Boz Scaggs, and the following year, he began performing in studios on the recommendation of his friend Steve Lukather.[2]

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

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 1980s and 1990s, 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.[6]

Discography

[edit]

Solo releases

  • Tales from the Bulge (1990)
  • The Star Spangled Banner (2001)
  • Michael Landau Live 2000 (2001)
  • The Michael Landau Group-Live (2006)
  • Organic Instrumentals (2015)
  • Rock Bottom (2018)
  • Liquid Quartet Live (2020)

With Blue Horn

  • Noise for Neighbors (2000)

With Renegade Creation

  • Renegade Creation (2010)
  • Bullet (2012)

With Hazey Jane

  • Holy Ghost (2009)

With Stolen Fish

  • Give Me A Ride (1999)
  • Like I Said (2001)

With the Raging Honkies

  • We Are The Best Band (1994)
  • Boner (1996)

With Burning Water

  • Burning Water (1991)
  • Mood Elevator (1992)
  • Live And Lit (1993)
  • Abbandonato (1994)

With Rita Lee

  • Bom Bom (1983)

With James Taylor

With Michael Bolton

With Richard Marx

With Barry Manilow

With Kenny Rogers

With Tim McGraw

With Laura Branigan

With Joni Mitchell

With Sheena Easton

With Faith Hill

With Luis Miguel

With Mari Hamada

With Miho Nakayama

With others

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Inside the Mind of Pink Floyd: David Gilmour". Guitar. September 1995. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Biography". mikelandau.com. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  3. ^ "ML Single Coil Pickups". suhr.com. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  4. ^ "Fender Custom Shop Announces Michael Landau Signature". iguitarmag.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  5. ^ "Fender Announces Michael Landau Signature Amplifier". premierguitar.com (Press release). Scottsdale, Arizona. January 22, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  6. ^ "An Interview With Bob Bradshaw". customaudioelectronics.com. Interviewed by Richard Hallebeek. September 2000. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
[edit]
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