Michael Brothers was the Director of Jazz and Percussion Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University, retiring in 2025. He established the Jazz Studies degree and revitalized the annual Bill Evans Jazz Festival into one of the largest collegiate jazz festivals on the Gulf Coast.
A native of Oakland, California, his forty-plus year career as a drummer and percussionist spans a wide range of musical experience including performances with big bands, symphony orchestras, recording sessions and Broadway.
His first album Reunion with the Michael Brothers Quartet was released to critical acclaim and airplay on over 270 stations throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, France and The Netherlands including the syndicated radio programs Jazz After Hours and Jazz Happening Now on Public Radio International and Jazz with Greg Bridges on Jazz Network/WFMT Radio Network. Reunion reached #26 on the CMJ New Music Report Jazz Top 40 and #49 on the JazzWeek Top 50 and received 59th GRAMMY Awards® First Ballot consideration in several categories including Jazz Instrumental Album; Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Record Of The Year and Album Of The Year.
His second album Three Times Two with pianist Andy Nevala and bassists Jeff Carswell and Chris Kozak also received critical acclaim and airplay on over 400 stations throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the syndicated radio programs Jazz After Hours on Public Radio International and the WFMT Jazz Satellite Network. Three Times Two was the #1 Jazz CD on WZBT 91.1 FM Gettysburg, PA, spent 7 consecutive weeks in the top ten on KDNK 88.1 FM Carbondale, CO and received 61st GRAMMY Awards® First Ballot consideration in several categories including Jazz Instrumental Album; Improvised Jazz Solo; Instrumental Composition; Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Record Of The Year and Album Of The Year.
His third album, House Sessions, Vol. 1, with pianist Andy Nevala and bassist Tim Aucoin is scheduled for release in 2026. Other album credits include guitarist Phill Fest Café Fonfon (on the JazzWeek Top 60 for 16 consecutive weeks), pianist Michael Pagán Is Waiting for You, Production Coordinator for pianist Matt Lemmler's New Orleans Jazz Revival Band UBUNTU and Executive Producer for drummer Paul Yonemura Reunion Trios, Kindred Spirits and Survivors / Thrivers.
Michael is the founder and owner of independent record label Girod Records®, a Voting Member of The Recording Academy (GRAMMY® Awards) and Vic Firth® artist. He is the drummer for the John Mahoney Little Band, one of New Orleans premier jazz ensembles and serves as percussion clinician for Music at the Summit and drum set clinician for Jazz at the Summit in Breckenridge, CO. Michael and holds degrees in Percussion Performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (MM) and Loyola University New Orleans (BM).
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Saturday, January 10, 2026
12:00 PM - 12:50 PM CST
