Sara Michaels

“Sara Michaels is both singer and storyteller, delivering music with her beautiful vocals while telling the stories and history of the songs. She leaves her listeners with an experience that is both music to their ears and healing to their hearts.” ~ E. Shawn Qaissaunee

For Sara Michaels, an accomplished jazz vocalist, singing comes from her soul, and her heartbeat resonates with audiences. Weaving storytelling into live performances, Sara takes listeners on a “joy journey” through her beloved musical genre – jazz. Initially singing in the church, she brings a history in spiritual music, classic blues, and musical theater to the stage. At the end of 2023, Sara released her first album of nine original songs entitled “Chapter One: Full Circle”. Going beyond the stage and the recording studio, Sara has produced various jazz series and concert events. Since 2013, she has produced the Jazz Cocktail Hour at the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester, PA, and the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences during the summer season. Sara also produced “Bill Withers: Reimagined”, a show featuring Philadelphia jazz artist V. Shayne Frederick and Lynn Riley and the World Mix. In addition, Sara is embarking on collaborations with dancers and other creatives and art forms in concert settings, videos, and film. This compassionate artist has a goal to spread awareness of “music as medicine” and the power of music therapy in hospitals, schools, and workplaces.

Medium Length Bio

“Sara Michaels is both singer and storyteller, delivering music with her beautiful vocals while telling the stories and history of the songs. She leaves her listeners with an experience that is both music to their ears and healing to their hearts.” ~ E. Shawn Qaissaunee

For Sara Michaels, an accomplished jazz vocalist, singing is soulful, and her heartbeat resonates with her audience. Bringing a background in spiritual music, classic blues, and musical theater, she weaves storytelling into her live performances, taking listeners on a “joy journey” through her beloved musical genre - jazz. Raised in Philadelphia, Reading, and Atlanta, Sara received a BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She first began singing in the church, but quickly found her calling in jazz, as a performer and a producer.

2023 marks the debut of Sara’s album of nine original songs entitled “Chapter One: Full Circle”, joined by premier jazz artists E. Shawn Qaissaunee (guitarist, producer, arranger), violinists Zach Brock (Snarky Puppy) and Diane Monroe, horn players John Swana, Victor North, and Greg Riley, bassists Matthew Parish and Jason Fraticelli, and drummers Matt Scarano, Harry “Butch” Reed, and Adam Shumski.

Sara’s involvement with jazz goes beyond the stage and the recording studio. Since 2013, she has produced the Jazz Cocktail Hour at the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester, PA, and the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences during the summer season. Sara also produced “Bill Withers: Reimagined”, a show featuring Philadelphia jazz artist V. Shayne Frederick and Lynn Riley and the World Mix. In addition, Sara is embarking on collaborations with dancers and other creatives and art forms in concert settings, videos, and film.

Much of what drives Sara are causes close to her heart: keeping jazz alive, helping jazz and blues artists in crisis, supporting musicians who mentor and teach children, mental health and wellness, and finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which runs in her family. Part of her life’s work is to spread awareness of “music as medicine” and the power of music therapy in hospitals, schools, and workplaces. Beyond jazz, Sara enjoys time in nature – gardening, walking, and swimming and spending time with family, friends, and fellow musicians. She is married to an entrepreneur in the IT world and together they have three children and three grandchildren.


“I put a lot of thought into my setlists for each performance. My mind is always a rolling film of imagery and words. I am a storyteller first.” ~ Sara Michaels

Long Bio

“Sara Michaels is both singer and storyteller, delivering music with her beautiful vocals while telling the stories and history of the songs. She leaves her listeners with an experience that is both music to their ears and healing to their hearts.” ~ E. Shawn Qaissaunee

For Sara Michaels, an accomplished jazz vocalist, singing is soulful, and her heartbeat resonates with her audience. Bringing a background in spiritual music, classic blues, and musical theater, she weaves storytelling into her live performances, taking listeners on a “joy journey” through her beloved musical genre - jazz. 

Raised in Philadelphia, Reading, and Atlanta, Sara received a BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She first began singing in the church, but quickly found her calling in jazz which she developed into a dual career – as a performer and a producer. Sara sees music as a uniting and healing force, channeling her spiritual side into her music in a way that helps others. 2023 marks the debut of Sara’s album of nine original songs entitled “Chapter One: Full Circle”, joined by premier jazz artists including E. Shawn Qaissaunee (guitarist, producer, arranger), violinists Zach Brock (Snarky Puppy) and Diane Monroe, horn players John Swana, Victor North, and Greg Riley, bassists Matthew Parish and Jason Fraticelli, and drummers Matt Scarano, Harry “Butch” Reed, and Adam Shumski. The album is the culmination of a decade and a half of singing and bringing jazz to the community at large, with original compositions blending her lush vocal stylings with an engaging listening experience.

Demonstrating her talent for weaving tales, Sara explains her song selection process, “I put a lot of thought into my setlists for each performance. My mind is always a rolling film of imagery and words. After all, I see myself as a storyteller first.”

Sara’s involvement with jazz goes beyond the stage and the recording studio. With a penchant for recognizing talent, Sara founded a jazz series that has grown in popularity over the years. Since 2013, she has produced the Jazz Cocktail Hour with local and international jazz artists at the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester, PA, and the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences during the summer season. Sara also produced “Bill Withers: Reimagined”, a show featuring Philadelphia jazz artist V. Shayne Frederick and Lynn Riley and the World Mix. In addition, Sara is embarking on collaborations with dancers and other creatives and art forms in concert settings, videos, and film.
 
Sara’s love of jazz comes from a long line of artists and composers who have influenced her. They include Sara Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Bessie Smith, Peggy Lee, Wynton Marsalis, Miles Davis, Bette Midler, Liz Wright, and Tony Bennett among others. She has experienced some stand-out moments like singing with Grammy award winning trumpeter Terell Stafford and Diana Krall’s guitarist Randy Napoleon. Lifting up other women talented in jazz, Sara loves supporting local artists including vocalist Sharon Sable, Sherry Wilson Butler (who toured with Teddy Pendergrass) and the highly regarded vocalist/actor Laurin Talese.
 
Much of what drives Sara are causes close to her heart including keeping jazz alive, helping jazz and blues artists in crisis, and supporting musicians who mentor and teach children. Mental health and wellness is also an area of great importance to Sara as is finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which runs in her family. Part of her life’s work is to spread awareness of “music as medicine” and the power of music therapy in hospitals, schools, and workplaces. Sara has made it her mission to help others by sharing how music can positively impact mental and physical health. In fact, she wrote her first song at age 50, encouraged by a music therapist who helped her find her courage and her voice.
 
Beyond jazz, Sara enjoys time in nature – gardening, walking, and swimming in every ocean, lake or river she visits, as well as spending time with loved ones – cooking, gathering, and celebrating with her family, friends, and fellow musicians. She is married to an entrepreneur in the IT world and together they have three children and three grandchildren. 


“I put a lot of thought into my setlists for each performance. My mind is always a rolling film of imagery and words. I am a storyteller first.” ~ Sara Michaels

Press / Reviews

“This is a time to celebrate life, the joy in music and the sorrows of life with gratitude in song.” - Kennedy Bernard

— Patch.com

“Sara Michaels is both singer and storyteller, delivering music with her beautiful vocals while telling the stories and history of the songs. She leaves her listeners with an experience that is both music to their ears and healing to their hearts. ” - E. Shawn Qaissaunee
“I was beaming inside and out hearing Sara’s messages brought to fruition by those around her, right along with all who attended the CD Release Party in recognition of her kindness, talent, and love. ” - Paul Jost

The Music

CHAPTER 1: Full Circle

Sara Michaels

Sounds like Liz Wright, Diana Kroll, Sara Vaughan

The nine original songs on Chapter 1: Full Circle represent two sides of Sara’s music – Jazz/Blues and Spiritual/Faith. They come together, as the title implies, in one “Full Circle”, expressing hope, healing, and joy. Sara weaves storytelling into her music, taking listeners on a “joy journey”

Sounds like Liz Wright, Diana Kroll, Sara Vaughan

The nine original songs on Chapter 1: Full Circle represent two sides of Sara’s music – Jazz/Blues and Spiritual/Faith. They come together, as the title implies, in one “Full Circle”, expressing hope, healing, and joy. Sara weaves storytelling into her music, taking listeners on a “joy journey” through the genre of jazz.

The first half of the songs on the album cover topics about personal relationships. The second half are reflections of the pandemic demonstrating the emotional roller coaster of those years, leaving the listener with a sense of hope. The titles of the songs are: The Girl in the Front, Positively Lovely, What a Day if I Spend it with You, You’ll be Fine, Lipstick Blues, Hard Winter, Not Alone, Pandemic Haze, and When the World Gets Better.

The album was produced by E. Shawn Qaissaunee who also performs on the recording as guitarist. The other musicians are: Aaron Graves – piano, organ; Zach Brock - violin; Diane Monroe - violin, Matt Parish - upright bass; Jason Fraticelli - upright bass; Matt Scarano - drums; Harry “Butch” Reed - drums; Adam Shumski – drums; John Swana - trumpet; Victor North - tenor saxophone; Greg Riley - clarinet, tenor saxophone; Jarred Antonacci – trombone; John Swana – trumpet; Nick Lombardelli – trombone; Barbara Jaffee - violin; Nina Wilkerson – viola; Talia Schiff - cello. The majority of the nine songs were arranged by E. Shawn Qaissaunee and the album was recorded at Morningstar Studios under two-time Grammy award winning engineer Glenn Barratt. Photography by Spencer Ostrander. Album design by Bonnie Briant.

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    01-The Girl In The Front 3:53
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    02- Positively Lovely 4:10
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    03- What A Day If I Spend It With You 4:25
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    04- You'll Be Fine 5:11
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    05- The Lipstick Blues 5:07
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    06- Hard Winter 5:09
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    07- Not Alone 5:24
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    08- Pandemic Haze 6:44
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    09- When The World Gets Better 6:15
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As Seen On

Broadway World

The Sandpaper

Indie Pulse Music Magazine

Skope

Notable VENUES

The Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester, PA

 The Winterthur Country Estate Galleries, Winterthur DE

 Andrea Clearfield Salon, Philadelphia, PA

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA

 The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts + Sciences, Loveladies, NJ 

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