Michael Lington
Encyclopedia
Michael Lington is a contemporary jazz saxophonist and recording artist.
Lington plays a distinctive contemporary saxophone
leaning strongly towards the pop side of jazz. He reaches a younger demographic than traditional jazz listeners and is emerging as a contemporary face of jazz.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lington relocated to Los Angeles at age 21. He is the grandson of jazz pioneer and Danish composer Otto Lington
.
Lington has achieved significant U.S. and international success, releasing six albums and 11 U.S. radio hits. He has endorsement deals with Vandoren
and Yamaha
.
It was announced in March 2010 that Lington would perform with pop star Michael Bolton
as a special guest on his upcoming world tour. Lington performed his #1 radio hit "You and I" during the show and also was featured on several of Bolton's hits, including "Soul Provider" and "Georgia On My Mind
"
Lington's most recent album Heat was released in September 2008 by NuGroove distributed by Red/Sony to strong reviews. It reached #4 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Sales Chart. It entered the Billboard Heat Seeker chart at #39 and was named Jazztrax Album of the Year in 2008. Lington's duet with Aaron Neville
, "That's When You Save Me", tied as Jazztrax Best Vocal Song of the Year.
You & I, the first single from Heat, went to #2 on the national R&R chart and #1 in Los Angeles and other large markets. It was among ITunes
most popular smooth jazz songs for 2008. He was nominated for International Instrumentalist of the Year 2009.
He headlined the Playboy
Jazz Festival community event in Los Angeles June 1, 2008 and won over the crowd with his high energy show and serenade of audience members.
Lington performed the national anthem and "God Bless America" at the Los Angeles Dodgers
game at Dodger Stadium
on August 22, 2009 to a standing ovation. He was invited back on October 7, 2009 to perform the national anthem and God Bless America for the Dodgers opening game of the playoffs.
Lington performed at the Royal Wedding of Denmark's future King Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary Donaldson at Fredensborg Castle and numerous other times for the Danish royal family.
International Musician Magazine featured Lington on the cover of the November 2008 issue. IMM is the official publication of the American Federation of Musicians and circulated to registered musicians within the U.S. and internationally. The accompanying article spoke of his pride in becoming an American citizen and extensive charitable work.
Lington performed Baker Street from his Heat album on Jerry Lewis
' Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon on Labor Day 2008, assisting to raise a record $65 million for the MDA. After the performance, Lewis praised Lington's rendition of Baker Street, featuring Grammy nominated vocalist and American Idol
alumni Ace Young, saying: "Hey Michael! Beautiful, Michael! Beautiful music, great talent ... we're lucky we got them tonight."
Lington is founder of Michael Lington Cigars, popular with California
Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
, and is a columnist for Wine and Jazz magazine. He is a ten-year voting member of the Recording Academy, and is working toward a helicopter license. Lington and his Australian-born wife Shivaune Christina
married in 2007 and live in Los Angeles.
2008 Heat
2006 A Song For You
2004 Stay With Me
2002 Everything Must Change
2000 Vivid
1997 Michael Lington
Lington plays a distinctive contemporary saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
leaning strongly towards the pop side of jazz. He reaches a younger demographic than traditional jazz listeners and is emerging as a contemporary face of jazz.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Lington relocated to Los Angeles at age 21. He is the grandson of jazz pioneer and Danish composer Otto Lington
Otto Lington
Otto Lington was a Danish composer, orchestra leader and violinist. Lington was a pioneer of jazz and bandleader for Shirley Bassey, Josephine Baker, and Fats Waller among many others....
.
Lington has achieved significant U.S. and international success, releasing six albums and 11 U.S. radio hits. He has endorsement deals with Vandoren
Vandoren
Vandoren is a well known manufacturer of mouthpieces and reeds for clarinet and saxophone. Vandoren's products are used by professionals and amateurs around the world.-History:...
and Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
.
It was announced in March 2010 that Lington would perform with pop star Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
as a special guest on his upcoming world tour. Lington performed his #1 radio hit "You and I" during the show and also was featured on several of Bolton's hits, including "Soul Provider" and "Georgia On My Mind
Georgia on My Mind
"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell . It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael. However, the lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer either to the state or...
"
Lington's most recent album Heat was released in September 2008 by NuGroove distributed by Red/Sony to strong reviews. It reached #4 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Sales Chart. It entered the Billboard Heat Seeker chart at #39 and was named Jazztrax Album of the Year in 2008. Lington's duet with Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
, "That's When You Save Me", tied as Jazztrax Best Vocal Song of the Year.
You & I, the first single from Heat, went to #2 on the national R&R chart and #1 in Los Angeles and other large markets. It was among ITunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
most popular smooth jazz songs for 2008. He was nominated for International Instrumentalist of the Year 2009.
He headlined the Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Jazz Festival community event in Los Angeles June 1, 2008 and won over the crowd with his high energy show and serenade of audience members.
Lington performed the national anthem and "God Bless America" at the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
game at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
on August 22, 2009 to a standing ovation. He was invited back on October 7, 2009 to perform the national anthem and God Bless America for the Dodgers opening game of the playoffs.
Lington performed at the Royal Wedding of Denmark's future King Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary Donaldson at Fredensborg Castle and numerous other times for the Danish royal family.
International Musician Magazine featured Lington on the cover of the November 2008 issue. IMM is the official publication of the American Federation of Musicians and circulated to registered musicians within the U.S. and internationally. The accompanying article spoke of his pride in becoming an American citizen and extensive charitable work.
Lington performed Baker Street from his Heat album on Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
' Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon on Labor Day 2008, assisting to raise a record $65 million for the MDA. After the performance, Lewis praised Lington's rendition of Baker Street, featuring Grammy nominated vocalist and American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
alumni Ace Young, saying: "Hey Michael! Beautiful, Michael! Beautiful music, great talent ... we're lucky we got them tonight."
Lington is founder of Michael Lington Cigars, popular with California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, and is a columnist for Wine and Jazz magazine. He is a ten-year voting member of the Recording Academy, and is working toward a helicopter license. Lington and his Australian-born wife Shivaune Christina
Shivaune Christina
Shivaune Field , is a television news reporter and producer. She was previously a model and was Miss Australia in 2003.Born in Melbourne, Australia, Field moved to the United States in 2004....
married in 2007 and live in Los Angeles.
Discography
Year Title2008 Heat
2006 A Song For You
2004 Stay With Me
2002 Everything Must Change
2000 Vivid
1997 Michael Lington