MSM Schmidt

Born in 1960, I was the benjamin in the family and enjoyed a carefree and well protected childhood. I was first exposed to jazz music by my sister and brother: Since I did not have a room of my own, I bounced back and forth between theirs, listening to John Coltrane, Miles Davis and a lot of the Blue Note stuff as well as to The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Owing to my brother, I also got to like drums. The first album I owned was "Drums Unlimited" by Max Roach. I was seven then, and also the next records I got were probably not the typical childhood taste.

Owing to my brother, I also got to like drums. The first album I owned was "Drums Unlimited" by Max Roach. I was seven then, and also the next records I got were probably not the typical childhood taste.

Don Cherry?s "Symphony for improvisers" brought my attention to Gato Barbieri, whom I admire since. In the following years, I was drawn slowly but steadily towards electronical instruments. Miles had started it, and I liked jazzrock more and more, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and all those musicians around Miles. At the same time, I also got to like the typical ECM Sound by Manfred Eicher. I loved Eberhard Weber's records. Most of my records at that time were worn out much too quickly due to the heavy rotation on the turn table.

Music was the most important thing in my life. I also became a self-taught drummer and played in bands. School was a nuisance, but luckily, I managed to finish high school, and after one and a half years of alternative civil service, I started an apprenticeship at an insurance company, where I still work today. MSM by the way, is the abbreviation for my signature at work. My real name - Michael Schmidt - was already occupied by another artist.(Who would like that name?!) This project mostly materialized during a part-time sabbatical, a year in which I only worked three days a week, with the support of my boss.

I am an amateur musician who in a fit of megalomania scraped the money together to make it happen. Nonetheless: there may be a follow-up. Time will tell.