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 8.22 7pm - Duo with Taylor O’Donnell - Hermit Woods, Meredith NH
Sat 8.24 12pm - Soggy Po Boys at the Seacoast Jazz Festival - Prescott Park, Portsmouth NH
Mon 8.26 8pm - Dan Blakeslee at Leavittfest - Leavitt Theatre, Ogunquit ME
Sun 9.8 7pm - Dharma Down - house concert, Portland ME (ask for details)
Fri 9.20 730pm - Duo with Taylor O’Donnell - Music Hall Lounge, Portsmouth NH
Fri 10.4 730pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Egremont Barn, Egremont MA
Sat 10.5 8pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Parlor Room, Northampton MA
Sun 10.13 8pm - Dharma Down record release party - The Owl, Brooklyn NY
Thu 10.17 8pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Press Room, Portsmouth NH
Sat 10.19 8pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Sanctuary Arts, Maynard MA
Wed 10.23 630pm - Smack Dabs - Durham, NH
Fri 10.25 7pm - Rhegos - Philips Exeter Academy, Exeter NH
Thu 10.31 (after the Portsmouth Halloween Parade) - Dr Gasp and the Eeks - Press Room, Portsmouth NH
Fri 11.1 8pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport MA
Sat 11.2 8pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - BPM, Portland ME
Sun 11.3 5pm - Dharma Down record release party - Dance Hall, Kittery ME
Fri 11.8 730pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Mole Hill, Alstead NH
Sat 11.16 3pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Blackstone River Theatre, Cumberland RI
Thu 11.21 7pm - Dharma Down record release party - Hermit Woods, Meredith NH
Fri 11.22 730pm - Soggy Po Boys presents Honoring a Tradition: the music of Kid Ory - Dance Hall, Kittery ME
Sun 11.24 6pm - Dharma Down record release party - Apohadion, Portland ME
Sat 11.30 9pm - Soggy Po Boys record release party - Lizard Lounge, Cambridge MA
Sun 12.1 7pm - Rock My Soul - Orchard Chapel, Hampton NH
Sun 12.8 4pm - Rock My Soul - First Parish Federated Church, South Berwick ME
Thu 12.12 7pm - Duo with Taylor O’Donnell - Sap House Meadery, Ossipee NH
Sat 12.14 8pm - Dan Blakeslee - Stone Church, Newmarket NH
Sun 12.15 4pm - Rock my Soul - One Longfellow Square, Portland ME
Thu 12.19 7pm - Jazz Vespers with Andrew Fogliano, Maddoc Johnson, Brian Shankar Adler, and Nate Therrien - BUOY, Kittery ME
Tue 12.31 8pm - Soggy Po Boys with Celia Woodsmith - Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield ME
current bands
-
-
An atmospheric soundtrack to the somnambulist’s night in the deep woods
-
New Orleans jazz, served messy
-
https://sadbastardsloosestandards.bandcamp.com/releases
New jazz / old jazz / not jazz
-
Turkish and Middle Eastern jazz
-
A secular choir focusing on roots and gospel
-
Improvised breakbeats, ambient music, and downtempo
-
Minimalist/ambient/new music
-
Sounds like this
Fusion of 20th century music, impressionism, jazz, and minimalism
-
http://mikeeffenberger.bandcamp.com
Spirituals, new standards, and jazz
-
https://burstandbloom.bandcamp.com/album/sneak-into-the-ether
Lo-fi indie music
-
Forward-looking improvised jazz
-
Outside-in 90s hip hop, folk music, free improvisation, ans comedy
-
Original Americana and singer-songwriter
-
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.
