Book Michael Franks

Michael Franks has written some of the most covered songs in smooth jazz and vocal pop, with recordings of his work by the Carpenters, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Ringo Starr, the Manhattan Transfer, Patti LaBelle, Shirley Bassey, Lyle Lovett, Carmen McRae and Kurt Elling. The California singer and songwriter broke through with The Art of Tea in 1976, the album that introduced "Popsicle Toes," and followed with Sleeping Gypsy, home to "Antonio's Song (The Rainbow)," his tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. Over 18 studio albums, including Burchfield Nines, Tiger in the Rain, Objects of Desire, Passionfruit, Skin Dive, The Camera Never Lies, Blue Pacific, Dragonfly Summer and Barefoot on the Beach, he has worked with Peggy Lee, Patti Austin, Art Garfunkel, Brenda Russell, Joe Sample, David Sanborn and arranger Claus Ogerman. A student of literature as much as music, he studied English at UCLA, discovered Brazilian bossa nova and cool jazz in college, and taught at UCLA and the Université de Montréal before music took over. His witty, conversational lyrics and relaxed, jazz-inflected phrasing are his trademarks, and his recent albums Time Together and The Music in My Head show the same craft.