Michael Lington

中文名：麦克·林顿

国籍：美国

Michael Lington (born June 11, 1969) is a Danish-American contemporary saxophonist, songwriter, producer, recording artist and a purveyor of soul and contemporary jazz.[1]

Lington has released 9 solo albums and has 21 singles that have charted on the Billboard and Radio & Records (R&R) contemporary jazz radio charts.[2][3]

Over the course of his career, Lington has collaborated with Michael Bolton, Barry Manilow, Aaron Neville, Mike Love, Randy Crawford, Bobby Caldwell, Kenny Lattimore, Ryan Shaw, Little Richard, Joan Sebastian, Christian Castro, Booker T. Jones, The Dap-Kings, Ray Parker, Jr., Taylor Dayne, Brian Culbertson, and many others.

Lington has performed at the Royal Wedding of Denmark's future king, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary Donaldson at Fredensborg Castle and has also played numerous other times for the Danish royal family. He is the grandson of Danish composer and band leader Otto Lington.

从艺历程：很多帅气的小伙子喜欢吹管乐器, 吹奏SAX的年轻白人都喜欢拿Dave Koz作为他们的榜样, 无论是造型, 还是音乐的风格, Dave Koz都是一个标准, 而执行这个标准最为完美的当数Michael Lington, 除了造型, 外表已经音乐的类型风格，吹奏的技巧都酷似Dave Koz, 甚至连他最新的一张专辑都是在Koz创建的厂牌Rendezvous Entertainment旗下发行的, Michael Lington可谓就是一个不折不扣的Dave Koz第二。 这位年轻的小伙子的专辑唱片并不是很多，但如果注意他每一张专辑的话, 都可以深深体验到他的进步, 当然他的音乐依旧是注重商业市场的Jazz-Pop, 和Dave Koz一样, 开始的专辑作品都是先用优美的旋律和性感的形象取得商业上的突破, 而在后面的专辑中开始注重技巧的提升以及风格的转变。在介绍Kim Waters的时候, 我就提到过对于流行爵士中的SAX音乐来说，控制好旋律和技巧的有机结合是很重要的, 要不然出来的东西都是千篇一律, 分不出谁是谁了, Michael Lington在他新专辑《Stay With Me》中很明显已经注意到这一点, 尽管做的还不够完善。

当红白人SAX小生Michael Lington发行了他在在另一个蒸蒸日上的现代爵士厂牌，由Dave Koz创立的Redezvous Entertainment旗下发行的新专辑《Stay With Me》。萨克思风悠扬的旋律给人以极大的享受，让人久久不能忘怀。

《Stay With Me》可以说是Michael Lington在商业上的又一个突破, 至少现在很多人都喜欢把他来和Dave Koz做对比了。第一首单曲“Show Me”是很有Koz味道的, 也是专辑中最为积极向上的单曲, 这首也成了专辑中第一首Radio Hit, 这肯定是和Rendezvous的老板Dave Koz有必然的联系。单曲“Don’t Go”非常出色, 灵歌味十足的旋律和节奏是Michael Lington给听众的一个全新体验, 而背景的人声酷似Mindi Abair, 而接下来的“A New Day”就完全成了Mindi类型的单曲, 每个音节都是那么的象, 这样就非常让人期待Michael和Mindi的双SAX管的合奏了, 期待那种合二为一的精彩。“Pacifica”是专辑中间部分的最亮点, 美国西海岸风情尽显其中, 并且值得注意的是原声吉他的演奏可是Paul Brown哟。而标题曲“Stay With Me”可能将成为下一个Radio Hit, 前台深邃的SAX和后台飘渺的女声应该能够创造一次榜单上的辉煌！

职业：Lington signed his first recording contract in 1996 with Nugroove Records and released his self-titled debut album in 1997. It produced the hit “Tell It Like It Is” (feat. Bobby Caldwell), a song that became a Top 10 Radio & Records (R&R) NAC/Smooth jazz song and a Top 20 R&R Adult Contemporary song.[8]

In 2000, Lington signed with Gold Circle Records and released his 2nd album, Vivid, which produced two R&R charting singles, “Twice In A Lifetime” (#2) and “Sunset (Por Do Sol)” (#4). The album featured Randy Crawford singing the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic, “Message To Michael.”

In 2002, he signed with Three Keys Music and released the album Everything Must Change, which also produced two R&R charting radio singles; “Still Thinking Of You” (#5) and “Off The Hook.” In 2004, Lington signed with Rendezvous Music and released the albums Stay With Me (2004) [feat. Michael Sembello] and A Song For You (2006) (the latter of which featured a full orchestra arranged and co-produced by Randy Waldman). Stay With Me produced three Top 5 R&R charting radio singles; “Show Me” (#2), “Two Of A Kind”(#2), and “Pacifica” (#6). A Song For You also featured the notable single, “It’s Too Late,” penned by songwriter Carole King.

In 2008, Lington re-signed with Nugroove Records and released the album Heat, which reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz albums sales chart[9] and was chosen as JazzTrax’s 2008 Album of the Year.[10] The album featured singers Aaron Neville and “American Idol” finalist Ace Young. It also featured Brazilian guitarist Torcuado Mariano, and the Academy Award-nominated songwriting team of Allan Rich and Jud Friedman. It was produced, in part, by Keith Olsen and Greg Phillinganes. Heat’s lead single, “You and I,” reached #2 on R&R’s Smooth Jazz radio chart.[11] Lington's duet with Neville, "That's When You Save Me," tied that year as JazzTrax Best Vocal Song of the Year.

In 2012, Lington released Pure on Trippin ‘N’ Rhythm Records, which featured guest artists Michael Bolton, Jonathan Butler, Lee Ritenour, Jeff Golub, and former “American Idol” & “Tonight Show” bandleader Rickey Minor. It produced the Billboard Top 5 radio single “Road Trip,” which also hit #1 on the instrumental radio charts.[12]

In 2014, Lington established his own label, Copenhagen Music, along with business partner Roy McClurg, on which he’s since released the albums Soul Appeal (2014) and Second Nature (2016). Soul Appeal featured vocalists Kenny Lattimore and Ryan Shaw and produced 4 Billboard jazz radio singles; “Soul Appeal,” “Uptown Groove,” “In The Pocket” and “Taking Off.” The self-titled first single becoming the #1 song of 2014 on the Groove Jazz music chart.[13] Lington released Second Nature in April 2016. The album has been described as an “audio love letter to the city and sound of Memphis,” a place that the artist has said influenced him significantly as a young man.[14] Special guests on the album include vocalists Taylor Dayne and Sy Smith, as well as Booker T. Jones, Ray Parker Jr., Paul Jackson Jr., and Brian Culbertson. Second Nature debuted at on #3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz sales charts and #7 on the Billboard Combined Jazz sales chart. The album’s first radio single, “Beale Street,” was a Top 15 Billboard jazz radio single.

Lington has toured regularly his entire career, averaging 60-80 shows per year. In recent years, from 2010 to 2013, Lington joined Michael Bolton on tour as his opening act & special guest. Lington and Bolton performed over 350 shows together in more than 40 countries. Venues on the tour included Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Universal Amphitheater, and the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington DC (where they performed for President Bill Clinton). Lington was also featured on Bolton’s Motown tribute album, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.[15]

In February 2016, Barry Manilow invited Lington to join his “One Last Time” arena tour. Lington opened the show and joined Manilow on the song “Brooklyn Blues” during the headliner’s main set.[16]

In Nov. 2016, Lington performed for the Memphis Music Hall Of Fame ceremony, honoring 2016 inductee, (Memphis saxophonist) Charles Lloyd. Stax Records soul singer William Bell and Snoop Dogg also performed at the induction ceremony.[17]

Lington is signed to the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) for worldwide representation and has a publishing administration deal with Kobalt Music Publishing. He is an ASCAP songwriter/publisher and a 20-year voting member of the Recording Academy (NARAS). He is a Yamaha Saxophone, Vandoren reeds, Westone audio and Sennheiser performing artist.[18]

Michael was nominated for International Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2009 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards.

International Musician Magazine featured Lington on the cover of the November 2008 issue.