I've been playing jazz saxophone in the Bay Area for years as a member of many musical groups, serving as both leader and sideman. The son of arranger, big band leader, and RCA recording artist Marty Gold, I grew up listening to the standards of such songwriters as the Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Rodgers and Hart. Though my regular quartet plays modern jazz (Miles, Monk, Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd…) as well as its own original music, we also feel a strong a connection back to those earlier tuneful melodies from Tin Pan Alley and Broadway.
The Michael Gold Quartet features Paul Mindrup on piano, Tom Hassett on drums, and Scott Chapek on bass—all solid jazz players much in demand in the Bay Area music scene. Paul and I are also founding members of the San Francisco Jazz Arrangers Group, an 11-piece big band that plays original arrangements of standards and new jazz. (The arrangers group is currently on hiatus.)
Recently our band has been appearing regularly at Café Bastille, Café Claude, and the Crossroads Café and Bookstore, among other San Francisco venues.
Before the current group took shape, Paul and I played in a great quartet with Sean Nelson on drums and Matt Montgomery on bass. We recorded "
Personal Standards" on the
Evander Music label.
I also have the pleasure of playing regularly with my long-time musical co-conspirator
Bruno Pelletier-Bacquaert, a top-notch San Francisco guitarist.
Please listen to some music samples on our page of
audio clips (or on my page at
My Space).