“Michael Sanchez is the real deal: a sincere and serious young musician, deeply committed to developing his craft. I admire Mike’s intellectually restless, searching, soulful approach to improvised music, and his refusal to rely on cliche licks and patterns. I’m optimistic about his future and looking forward to finding out where his creative journey takes him next.”
-Dmitri Matheny
Mike Sanchez was born and raised in San Jose, California. Mike did not come from a musical family. He was, however, fortunate to learn in elementary school that his father had kept a trumpet (unplayed for decades) in his closet. Immediately drawn to the sound and physicality of the trumpet, Mike went on to play in school bands through elementary, middle, high school, and college. His pro career began Junior year of high school when he started taking jobs playing musicals for local theater companies. By the time he reached college he was playing many shows a year and taking any job that came his way.
By the time college was coming to an end Mike had become a savvy and inventive improviser. However there was an intense internal struggle between the classic music of Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Dizzy Gillespie, and more modern improvisers such as Ingrid Jensen, Ralph Alessi, and Ambrose Akinmusire. Through this struggle a new sound began to emerge in his head. A sound that finally came to fruition in his first album: “What They Don’t See.”
Mike is currently a working and touring pro. He does still call the SF Bay Area home where he continues to work as a sideman, leader, and teacher to an incredibly successful private studio. As a leader he has played local venues such as Cafe Pink House, Art Boutiki, GVA Cafe, and The Big Easy. As a sideman he has worked in Art Boutiki, Kuumbwa Jazz center, the Madrone Cigar Bar, the Milk Bar and countless others. His sophomore album is hotly anticipated by 2021!
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