For Your Consideration for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards
Thumpin' Live
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Hey for all the NARAS members. Check this video out. I'm honored to be on the ballot to be considered for a Grammy. Thumpin' Live is up for it, three times. THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN LOVE in Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. THUMPIN' THE LIVE ALBUM in Best Contemporary instrumental Album. OUTER DRIVE in Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Vote with your ears.


Michael Manson for NARAS consideration
Michael Manson for NARAS consideration


 "One of Smooth Jazz's most creative and explosive bassists, Chicago-based Michael Manson has put out some great studio discs - but nothing tops the wild abandon and all-out joy of his live performances. So it's exciting that he's giving us his unfiltered, hard groovin' best on THUMPIN' LIVE, a 16-track set CD/DVD of the multi-talented artist at his best. In addition to expansive romps through his popular tunes like "Outer Drive," key tracks include the soulful, swaying "Just One Touch" and the brassy, heavy bottom way out rockin' funk of "The Bottom Line," fashioned as a tribute to his late hero George Duke, whom Manson first played with on Kirk Whalum's "The Gospel According To Jazz" in 1997. Nobody does THUMPIN' LIVE better than Manson!" ~ JONATHAN WIDRAN Smooth Jazz.com

Talk about a double shot of baddass bass. Michael Manson, best known for his muscular grooves with the late George Duke, moves front and center on this livein- Chicago double-CD, and hires gospel great Maurice Fitzgerald to back him. With presence, phrasing, and flair to match any smooth jazz bassist out there, Manson handles all the melodies, while delivering dramatic solos that build from bluesy bursts to full-on shredding. Surrounded by full rhythm and horn sections as well as backing vocalists, Manson especially shines on "Groove With You," a cover of Luther Vandross's "There's Nothing Better Than Love," and the opener, "Coming Right at You." Fitzgerald is rooted and relentless all night, and his driving support work on "Just One Touch" is a watermark in an evening of bass highpoints.
Bassplayer Magazine

"When you attend a concert of Kirk Whalum, Brian Culbertson, or Oletta Adams, you have a good chance to see bass player Michael Manson in action. He was also a side man of late keyboard legend George Duke. The elemental force of this bass player comes to explosion, when he takes the lead. Supported by a great crew of professional musicians, which are listed in the liner notes of this album, this was a festivity of Manson's live work. More funk is impossible. A great selection of an intimate connoisseur. Michael Manson recorded Thumpin' � The Live Album � with his the late George Duke in mind. The album is legacy and tribute at the same time. Manson wants to reach Duke's high standards of quality and simultaneously entertain the audience on unforgettable manner. These demands he has lived." 
Smooth Jazz Daily-First Look