Late Summer - Detroit, Ontario, Beyond

Hi everyone —

Popping in to give you all a quick update, before the summer officially expires and our lives turn inward again. First, some upcoming performances:

My standing jazz quintet, Hear No Evil, begins a three-day residency at Detroit’s legendary Cliff Bell’s tomorrow night. We’ll be there all weekend. If you’re in Detroit, we’d love to see you there.

These shows are in preparation for a new recording — we go into the studio in early September. Be on the lookout for that record in the near future.

Other Upcoming Shows

Here’s a comprehensive list of upcoming shows, in Michigan and beyond.

Aug 21-23
Cliff Bell’s (Detroit) - Hear No Evil

Aug 30
Motor City Wine (Detroit) - Hear No Evil (Detroit Jazz Festival After Hours Jam Session)

Sept 12
Guelph Jazz Festival (Guelph ON) - Balance

Sept 19
Motor City Wine (Detroit) - Hear No Evil

Sept 27
Ann Arbor Jazz Festival - Kenji Lee

Sept 28
Venue TBA - Retreat Record Release Show

Oct 3
Noce (Des Moines IA) - Hanna Marks

Oct 10
Edgefest (Ann Arbor) - w. Salim Washington, Adam Shead, Carolyn Jesvala

Oct 17
Motor City Wine (Detroit) - Hear No Evil

Other News

Quick hitters!

  • Constantine Novotny and I recorded my song cycle, Another Shore, Another Country (based on the poetry of C.P. Cavafy) in August at The Alluvion in Traverse City. The sessions were engineered by Nick Nagurka, who did a brilliant job (and who I hadn’t seen since college.) I’m insanely proud of what we accomplished and I can’t wait for this music to come out!

  • I’m starting a new gig in the Fall — I’ll be Adjunct Professor of Jazz Piano at Bowling Green State University this semester. I’m looking forward to working with the students there.

  • I’m making a commitment to audiobooks in my upcoming weeks of lots of driving. What’s a great novel I should listen to?

That’s all for now. Thanks, as always, for your continued support. Hope to see you around the way.

Peace,

-Michael

Solo Shows This Week

Hey Friends,

I’ve got a few exciting solo shows coming up. If you’re in Ann Arbor, Detroit, or Chicago, I’d love to see you out there.

ANN ARBOR

TONIGHT!
Friday June 6
Third Place Music Festival
Canterbury House
9:00pm
With Northwood Improvisers

DETROIT

Sunday June 8
Feedback Loop
Moondog Cafe
3:00pm
With Sophiyah E. and Aya Sekine
Tickets at the door

CHICAGO

Thursday June 12
Improvised Music Series
Elastic Arts
8:30pm (8:00pm doors)
With Stomachs (Mabel Kwan, Carol Genetti, Nick Meryhew, Bill Harris)
Tickets at the door

Also:

This is the summer of recordings. I’ve got 5 (!) recording projects in different phases of the recording pipeline at this moment. One or two of them should be out by the end of the summer. So watch this space for updates.

Stay well, and drop me a line to let me know how you’re doing.

Blessings,

Michael

Exciting April and May Concerts

Hey friends,

Dropping in briefly to share three great gigs coming up in the next few weeks. I’ll be in Chicago, Traverse City, and Detroit. If you’re around any of these places, I’d love to see you. All this music is very near my heart and I’m thrilled to have some chances to share it.

Out of Time, Out of Place

a look at displacement and self-discovery through the eyes of artists in the Hellenic diaspora.

Friday April 25
7:00pm CST
PianoForte Gallery, Chicago IL
FREE, but RSVP Required

In Person and Live Stream

Michael Malis - piano, compositions
Constantine Novotny - voice
Ellie Falaris Ganelin - flute, arrangements

This concert is made possible by the generous support of the Charles C. Condes Trust, The Greek Women’s University Club, and Hellenic Museum of Michigan. It is presented under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in Chicago.

Saturday April 26
7:00pm EST
The Alluvion, Traverse City MI
$30 in advance, $35 at the door

Hellenic-American artists Michael Malis (piano), Constantine Novotny (baritone) and Ellie Falaris Ganelin (flute) explore these concepts through the convergence of music and poetry. The cornerstone of the program is Malis’s original song cycle Another Shore, Another Country set to the poetry of C.P. Cavafy, commissioned by ProMusica Detroit and premiered in February 2024. Cavafy, who lived most of his life in Alexandria, Egypt, is the quintessential voice of the Greek diaspora and a prominent figure among 20th-century poets. 

Through Ganelin’s and Malis’s own arrangements, the trio performs songs of love and longing by Greek idols Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis. These masterful colleagues born the same year (1925) each brought a new vision and prominence to Hellenic music through the radio in their homeland and in film worldwide. Also on the program is “6 Short Pieces” for solo flutes by Athens-based composer Constantine Lignos.

Hear No Evil in Boston-Edison

Saturday May 3
6:00pm Dinner
7:00pm Music
$65 (tickets include dinner and music)
Boston-Edison, Detroit in a historic private residence — location revealed after purchase.

Michael Malis - piano
Jaribu Shahid - bass
Jonathan Barahal Taylor - drums
Stephen Grady - saxophones
Zekkereya El-magharbel - trombone

Boston-Edison’s House Concerts series is entering its 16th year — long before house concerts were trendy. Spearheaded by Michelle May, these concerts are unlike any others. Those local to Detroit know the reputation of the Boston-Edison neighborhood — some of Detroit’s most stunning architecture is here, including the famed Barry Gordy, S.S. Kresge, and Henry Ford houses. The only way to find out where we’re playing is to get a ticket! Hope to see you there.

I’ve got a busy summer ahead — some solo shows, a release with my friend Zara Teicher, and some more Hear No Evil shows are all on the docket. I’ve also got a reading list a mile long, a solo record that I’m excruciatingly close to finishing, and the burning desire to write new music. I’ll check back in to keep you updated on the happenings. But for now — please stay safe out here, and take care of each other.

Thanks for everything,

Michael

Solo Tour - Inspiration

Hey Friends,

Popping in to share some exciting news with you:

All posters by Chien-An Yuan

Next month: Just me, the piano, and YOU. I hope to see you if you’re in one of these cities. Preorders for tickets are now live. If you’re in one of these cities I hope to see you.

DETROIT
Wednesday March 5
Doors 7:00pm/Music 7:30pm
Fort Street Presbyterian Church
Detroit, MI

WEST MICHIGAN
Sunday March 2
Doors 1:00pm/Music 2:00pm
Saugatuck Center for the Arts

CHICAGO
Saturday March 1
Music 7:00pm
Horatio N. May Chapel at Rosehill Cemetery
With Twilight Choir (Erez Dessel)

For me, solo piano has always represented both the minimum requirement and the highest bar. Meaning: when someone asks you what you do and your answer is “I’m a pianist,” you need to be able to sit down and play the piano. Plain and simple. But also, it is the hardest, rawest, riskiest thing I will ever do as a musician. So it’s somehow the price of admission and the whole show. It’s a fascinating and maddening format, and I’ve been gearing up to enter it’s swarming tempest. I hope you join me for it.

For those of you who aren’t in any of these areas or can’t make these shows,

here’s a list of quick-hitters of what I’ve been up to:

  • MAKING: I just finished tracking on a new album (!), produced by Chris Koltay at High Bias in Detroit. This record embeds the piano into rich textures of electronics, samples, and drum machines. We’ll begin mixing soon, and I’m hoping to have it out by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

  • READING: I’ve been enthralled with this book. Has anyone read this? If you have, let’s talk about it.

  • LISTENING: This has been sort of my path-setter for the solo concerts I have coming up.

That’s all for now. Peace and blessings to you all in these chaotic times. I’m visioning a better way forward than whatever we’re doing now, and I’m sure you are too. I hope you’ll share that vision with me someday.

Best wishes, and thanks as always for your support,

-Michael

Cavafy at Kerrytown, Solo Piano Tour, Beyond

Hi friends,

I hope this email reaches you in a place of winter restfulness. I’ve had a day or two to recuperate after a busy holiday season, and after an even busier first semester of my D.M.A. at Michigan. I’m recharging, and excited to get back to work in 2025.

I have some exciting events coming up, both locally in Detroit and beyond.

The Kombos Collective Presents "Out of Time, Out of Place”

Michael Malis, Constantine Novotny, and Ellie Falaris Ganelin

Sunday, January 26, 2025
4:00 pm
Kerrytown Concert House
Ann Arbor, MI

The Kombos Collective presents Out of Time, Out of Place, a look at displacement and self-discovery through the eyes of artists in the diaspora. Hellenic-American artists Michael Malis (piano), Constantine Novotny (baritone) and Ellie Falaris Ganelin (flute) explore these concepts through the convergence of music and poetry. The cornerstone of the program is Malis’s original song cycle: Another Shore, Another Country, set to the poetry of C.P. Cavafy, commissioned by ProMusica Detroit and premiered in February 2024. Cavafy, who lived most of his life in Alexandria, Egypt, is the quintessential voice of the Greek diaspora and a prominent figure among 20th-century poets.

Through Ganelin’s and Malis’s own arrangements, the trio performs songs of love and longing by Greek idols Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjiadikis. These masterful colleagues born the same year (1925) each brought a new vision and prominence to Hellenic music through the radio in their homeland and in film worldwide.

This concert is presented in part with the generous support of Artist Sponsors, The Modern Greek Program at the University of Michigan

Solo Piano Tour

I’m hitting the road for a short solo piano recital tour this winter. If you’re in any of these cities, I’d love to see you. More details to come.

Friday February 28, Grand Rapids MI
4:00pm
Calvin University
Masterclass and performance for Calvin University Jazz Piano studio

Saturday March 1, Chicago IL
7:00pm
Rosehill Cemetery
with Josh Harlow

Sunday March 2, Saugatuck MI
2:00pm
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
Hemphy Solo Piano Concert Series
Preorder Tickets Here

Wednesday March 5, Detroit MI
7:30pm
Historic Fort Street Presbyterian Church
Preorder Tickets Here

Photo credit: Costa Kazaleh Sirdenis

Motor City Wine Residency Continues

My band Hear No Evil’s residency at Motor City Wine will continue into 2025. This music has been developing into an incredibly vital space and I’m very excited with the direction this group is heading. Come join us on any of these upcoming dates:

Friday January 17
Friday March 21
Friday May 16
Friday June 20

all shows at 8:00pm, all shows cost a measly $5. Motor City Wine is at 1949 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216.

Note that I won’t be there in February or April.

That’s all for now. Stay safe, stay healthy, and thanks again for all of your support. I hope to see you out there somewhere in 2025.

Best wishes,

Michael