To gain cult status from the audience of a hugely successful television show will, for many, always remain a dream. Yet for composer and bass player Michael Haggins that dream became a reality. His song, ‘Daybreak’, featured on NBC’s Emmy award winning Community and in so doing became an immediate social media sensation. Indeed, this particular sensation turned out not to be of the overnight variety as in May 2014, when Community favorite Ken Jeong appeared on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, both Jimmy and Ken had some fun while dancing around to a rendition from Fallon’s house-band of, yes you guessed it, ‘Daybreak’.
In fact Michael has been around awhile and although ‘Daybreak’ was lifted from his 2004 debut recording of the same name, both that and ‘Traffic’ (which followed four years later) marked him out as a consummate craftsman of smooth jazz tinged with old school R & B.
Now he is back with his latest project, ‘Here I Come’. The first single to be serviced to radio is the fabulously chilled ‘Dare To Dream’ that, with backing from Andre Frappier on guitar, Lance Beckford on drums and both Lew Laing and J Michael O’Neal on keys, is as fine an example of laid back west coast smooth jazz as will be heard all year.
Born in Pasadena, California, Haggins grew up in a house filled with music. His uncle, Al Duncan, was a session drummer in the legendary era of labels such as Vee-Jay and Chess while Michaels own curiosity for music was fuelled first by the guitar, then the saxophone and finally by his now instrument of choice, the electric bass.
In the 80’s Michael played with future Billboard chart-topper Robbie Nevil before finally, early in the twenty-first century, striking out on his own. As well as the iconic spot on Community, music from Michael’s albums has been featured in the 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Movie ‘Hall Pass’ starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis, the Sony Pictures romantic comedy ‘The First Time’, the ABC television’s primetime series ‘Happy Endings’, the Fox series ‘Raising Hope’ and the Weather Channel’s early morning flagship offering ‘Wake Up With AL’.
In the December 2009 issue of Smooth Jazz News Magazine ‘Traffic’ was selected as one of it's top 10 CD picks of the year.
‘Here I Come’ will be Haggins’ way of reflecting all that he is, his story and his life. The next chapter starts right now.