Andrew Michel - Theme for Franco Z
Andrew Michel is a composer and musician from San Diego, California. With playing music as a part of his life since age twelve, Andrew has been a part of the music scene in San Diego since the early 2000’s as a bass player, playing Jazz, Rock and in cover bands. He also writes his own compositions as well. Today we take a listen to “Theme for Franco Z”, a song written by Andrew Michel and performed by the San Diego State University Alumni Big Band.
“Theme for Franco Z” is dedicated to Andrew’s friend, saxophonist Franco Zigarelli, who helped Andrew find work during his earlier days as a musician. A six-minute piece, this track really draws your attention in from the start and holds it throughout its duration. Perhaps my favorite part of this song is how easy it is to groove along to and kind of get absorbed into the world of sound within it. Andrew has revealed that he was going for a vintage kind of vibe with this track and he certainly succeeds; for me, this song is reminiscent of that classic bar/club scene and I could easily imagine hearing this piece used to score 60’s-inspired films.
The way in which the San Diego State University Alumni Big Band brings Andrew Michel’s work together in “Theme for Franco Z” is really something special. It is easy to tell that this song was crafted by a skilled composer and he certainly chose the right people to bring it to life. You can keep up with Andrew Michel through his Instagram and you can find more music on his YouTube channel. We have “Theme for Franco Z” embedded below - take a listen!
