MICHAEL MAYO / Cape May Convention Hall / Saturday, Oct 24, 7:00 pm / + Sunday, Oct 25, tbd

The Story

Vocal phenom Michael Mayo has emerged as a new force on the scene since the release of his 2021 debut, Bones, and his acclaimed 2024 followup, Fly (both on Mack Avenue Records). Veteran singer Janis Siegel, a charter member of the recently retired and iconic vocalese group, The Manhattan Transfer, has said of the Los Angeles-based Mayo, “He’s otherworldly…like Bobby McFerrin otherworldy.” Named the No. 1 Rising Star Male Vocalist in Downbeat’s International Critics Poll, Mayo has been lauded for his natural, uplifting charm and refined vocal arrangements.

The offspring of professional session musicians — his father Scott Mayo was a saxophonist and his mother Valerie Pinkston a singer — Mayo attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where he received a bachelors degree in jazz vocal performance, before studying with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Dianne Reeves at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He will be making his first appearance at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival. 

The Sound

A remarkably nimble singer with pitch-perfect and a voice that blends classic scatting with modern pop and R&B elements, Mayo has been praised for his dynamic range and ability to blend elements ranging from Cole Porter and John Coltrane to Stevie Wonder, The Beach Boys and J Dilla. He brings a soulful and joyful quality to each performance that leaves listeners both astounded and moved.