about
Mike Effenberger is a recording and performing artist who has been living in the NH Seacoast since 2007. He received the Young Beacon in Jazz award from New School University in New York City, from which he graduated in 2005. While there, he studied with diverse artists including Jane Ira Bloom, Kenny Werner, John Hollenbeck, Reggie Workman, Fred Hersch, and Joanne Brackeen. Mike has curated an unmistakably individual voice that draws on gospel, minimalism, jazz, and 20th century music.
Mike plays throughout New England with a variety of bands including fiveighthirteen, Jazzputin and the Jug Skunks, the secular roots and gospel choir Rock My Soul, OURBIGBAND, Sad Bastards / Loose Standards, Showmen's Rest, Dan Blakeslee. He leads Weird Turn Pro, which plays his original music. When not in the northeast, Mike performs internationally with Bing and Ruth, and plays throughout the east coast with Soggy Po’ Boys. Mike appears on countless recordings from independent releases to larger labels, including 4AD and RVNG Intl, and is also active as a producer.
His work has been written about in international publications including the Paris Review, The Guardian, and Pitchfork, as well as appearing on nationally syndicated media including NPR's All Things Considered and PRX's Echoes.
When not at a piano bench, he can typically be found in the woods.
shows
Thu 10.9 7pm - Dharma Down at Mad Monkfish - Cambridge MA
Fri 10.10 730pm - Dharma Down with Gideon Forbes at Bates College - Lewiston ME
Sat 10.11 645pm - Soggy Po Boys at Rocktoberfest - Naples ME
Sun 10.12 6pm - Doctor Gasp and the Eeks at Auspicious Brew - Dover NH
Fri 10.17 7pm - Dharma Down at the Denmark Arts Center - Denmark ME
Sat 10.18 730pm - Soggy Po Boys at UU Brunswick - Brunswick ME
Sat 10.25 730pm - Sad Bastards / Loose Standards record release of “We Pass for What we Are” at Paul Lichter’s Dimensions in Jazz Series, Portland Conservatory - Portland ME
Sun 10.26 1130am - Taylor O’Donnell Trio at Easy Like Sunday Morning - Kittery ME
Sun 10.26 4pm - Doctor Gasp and the Eeks at Vinegar Hill - Arundel ME
Sun 10.26 730pm - Titus Abbott Quartet at SPACE Gallery - Portland ME
Fri 10.31 (after the Portsmouth Halloween Parade) - Doctor Gasp and the Eeks at the Press Room - Portsmouth NH
Sun 11.2 5pm - Sad Bastards / Loose Standards record release of “We Pass for What we Are” at the Dance Hall - Kittery ME
Fri 11.7 730pm - Soggy Po Boys at the Dance Hall - Kittery ME
Fri 11.14 7pm - Chris Klaxton Group at Longy - Boston MA
Sat 11.15 730pm - Soggy Po Boys at Mole Hill - Alstead NH
Sun 11.16 4pm - Dharma Down with Carol Coronis at the Press Room - Portsmouth NH
Fri 11.21 730pm - DJ Dumptruck at the Dance Hall - Kittery ME
Sat 11.22 630pm - Brian Quinn trio at the Hancock Depot - Hancock NH
current bands
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An atmospheric soundtrack to the somnambulist’s night in the deep woods
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New Orleans jazz, served messy
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https://sadbastardsloosestandards.bandcamp.com/releases
New jazz / old jazz / not jazz
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Turkish and Middle Eastern jazz
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A secular choir focusing on roots and gospel
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Improvised breakbeats, ambient music, and downtempo
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Minimalist/ambient/new music
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Sounds like this
Fusion of 20th century music, impressionism, jazz, and minimalism
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http://mikeeffenberger.bandcamp.com
Spirituals, new standards, and jazz
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https://burstandbloom.bandcamp.com/album/sneak-into-the-ether
Lo-fi indie music
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Forward-looking improvised jazz
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Outside-in 90s hip hop, folk music, free improvisation, ans comedy
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Original Americana and singer-songwriter
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https://www.facebook.com/ourbigband/
Not your average big band
Frequent areas of study include:
Classical piano
Jazz improvisation
Ear training
Music theory
Composition and arranging
Gospel and Spirituals
Audio production
teaching
Mike is sought after as an educator, maintaining a busy private studio as well as teaching at the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center. He approaches every student individually, meeting them where they are and sending them where they want to go. His students range from children to senior citizens and run the gamut in genre and musical background.