MICHAEL BEATTY

September 20, 2019

Great news! My new single The Lights of Mystery will be released on September 20, 2019. Produced by Devin Greenwood, it was recorded at The Honey Jar in Brooklyn, NY and features original cover art by artist and filmmaker Darren LeGallo. It will be available on all streaming platforms...Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc.

About the song: The Lights of Mystery was a songwriting breakthrough for me. Following the sudden loss of my brother, musician Matt Beatty, I was no longer able to write or sing for several years -my creative spirit was broken. Until one night half asleep, my brother came to me in a dream and said "I am just returning to the lights of mystery" and then he vanished. It was a life changing moment for me as I felt the veil of darkness had been lifted. Since then I have carried his message of light as a talisman -a tool for transformation. Thankfully I was inspired to write a song.

Yes, it is a song about a dream but it is also a song about turning an unbearable loss into something that is life affirming and universal. Even though he is gone, I feel he is guiding me, and the more I embrace his passing, the more I have come to understand the deeper meaning of life’s journey. I hope you enjoy my single and the new music soon to be released! “We are the lights we follow, we are the dreams we dream, we are just returning to the lights of mystery.” XO

Friends and fans -if you haven't already...be sure to follow me on Spotify! Now you can listen to Mikey music whenever the moment inspires. Plus you will be notified when new music is added!  Thanks as always for your continued support! XO 

March 28, 2018

Excited to announce that my new EP "The Lights of Mystery" is finally coming together...stay tuned for more good news about the realization of this long awaited project! New songs and new sounds!!!

SO EXCITED! Will be taking some time off from my recording projects in NYC...to teach once again at the COCA Summer Arts Intensives at Washington University. I will be teaching two Summer Voice Intensives for young performing artists- "Acting the Song: The Singing Artist." Intensive I is June 5-9 and Intensive II is June 12-16. I will be teaching Intensive I in tandem with the super talented  Phil Woodmore and Intensive II will have some special guest artists as well! It's gonna be an incredible two weeks of creativity and FUN!

October 07, 2016

New projects, new songs and a new single heading your way this Winter/Spring! Ok so it's been a while since the music was flowing and the inspiration was captured...but this  summer I have been busy tracking and developing a fresh batch of songs- kinda a follow up to my last album CITY SCRAPES but really just the next step in my creative journey. See folks...the music never ceases- it's always there -thank God...to pull us all through and make the day a little brighter. So...I'll keep you posted and share news & teasers as we progress...but most of all THANK YOU for your continued support and interest in all things "Michael Beatty"!!! XO, Mikey

January 12, 2016

​Broadway World's BEST OF 2015 by Chris Gibson features COCA Theatre Company's production of the musical THE LITTLE PRINCE starring Michael Beatty as the Aviator, Michael Harp as The Little Prince, directed by Shanara Gabrielle.

March 07, 2015

Great review in Broadway World! 

May 01, 2014

With Delaney Gibson, Julie Mcbride, and Sean Harkness

March 02, 2013

Songwriter's Beat to feature stellar performing songwriters Michael Beatty, Peter Calo, Damara Lynn Greene, and Blue Halo Effect. Now in its 13th year, Songwriter's Beat is NYC's premiere performing songwriter series. Hosted and founded by singer-songwriter Valerie Ghent, each month four artists are encouraged to perform new material in a supportive and intimate atmosphere.

October 15, 2011

CITY SCRAPES,

SINGER/SONGWRITER/PERFORMER MICHAEL BEATTY’S NEW ALBUM, IS DUE OUT November 15, 2011 on bluewingmusic.

Produced by Ron Allaire and Michael Beatty

Featuring Sean Harkness, Valerie Ghent, Jonathan Mover, Boris Pelekh, Dave Schommer, Martine Allard, and Nikki Van Cassele.

On November 15, 2011, bluewingmusic will release City Scrapes, Michael Beatty’s fourth and highly anticipated new album of piano driven pop songs with a 1970’s retro edge. The latest in the career of an artist always determined to hit his mark and tell the truth. Guitar virtuosos Sean Harkness and Boris Pelekh guest on the album which Beatty co-produced with Ron Allaire. City Scrapes also features Jonathan Mover (Aretha Franklin, Elton John) Valerie Ghent (Nina Simone, Ashford & Simpson)  as well as Tony Award nominated vocalist Martine Allard and Nikki Van Cassele. Percussionist Dave Schommer (Carole King, Gavin DeGraw) lays down a solid groove throughout. Beatty plays grand and Rhodes piano on all ten tracks.

On his last two albums The Night Traveler and Shotgun, Beatty explored personal themes of travel. Now, with City Scrapes, he stays right at home in New York City, with ten fresh songs from the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. The first track “My Street” is a Laura Nyro-esque walk through his neighborhood. “We are bound together, by a force of the unknown” Beatty shares on “The Bluest Eyes,” a poignant piano/vocal reflection on the city and the spell it casts on two lovers. “We are bound but we are free...by the light of Lady Liberty.”

The title track “City Scrapes” is a lyric rich anthem to the saving graces of a lonely city, while the electric guitar and Rhodes piano flavored “First Time” recalls the love of a lifetime. The street savvy gospel tinged “Rise,” chronicles a young girl and her yearning for a better life. The latter features Broadway’s Martine Allard on background vocals. The album’s closer “42nd St. Hymn” is a haunting ode to the ghosts of Times Square past where “magic sparks the morning on a marquee chasing gold.”

copyright 2011 bluewingmusic news

..

September 15, 2011

Details have been revealed about singer/songwriter Michael Beatty’s upcoming album, City Scrapes, due out November 15th. The recording which was influenced by the 1970’s New York City songwriter scene, includes 10 original compositions about urban life and longing. Beatty, who plays grand and Rhodes pianos on all of the tracks co-produced the album with Ron Allaire for bluewingmusic. 

Musicians lending a hand to Beatty’s “retro-hybrid” sounds are Sean Harkness on guitars, Jonathan Mover (Elton John, Aretha Franklin) on drums, Valerie Ghent (Ashford & Simpson) on Hammond B3 and Dave Schommer (Carole King, Gavin DeGraw) on percussion. City Scrapes includes the soul stirring “42nd Street Hymn,” the Laura Nyro inspired “My Street,” and the title track where visions of a “naked neon fantasy” take you “tripping Alphabet City.”

“I’ve been a troubadour and songwriter for most of my life and in many ways this album reflects the kind of music that I remember hearing as a kid. Of course it’s not so much a re-creation of that sound but my own interpretation of it. It has a universal appeal which at the core level draws upon the rich history of the city and of real musicians making real music,” he said in a statement about City Scrapes, “my music has been called both catchy and deep...that’s what people seem to appreciate about it. It’s an honest approach that endures.” 

copyright 2011 bluewingmusic NEWS

February 21, 2011

New Release Spotlight

by Jaime Ingle

MICHAEL BEATTY:

City Scrapes and The Haunted American Jukebox

If the streets of Manhattan are still a melting pot, then Michael Beatty has created yet another harmonious, ear-delicious blend of songs that speaks to the soul with his soon to be released album, City Scrapes.

Several years in the making, the album features the singer/songwriter vibe of the 1960s and 1970s, while “remaining organic without being overproduced,” explains Michael, who has made the Big Apple his home for the past decade. The streets of Hell’s Kitchen, Times Square and Alphabet City, among others, provided the inspiration for songs such as “When You’re Gone” and the title track “City Scrapes.

“It doesn’t have any pretension, it is what it is...a guy with some stories to tell, his piano, and the musicians that surround him. We wanted to keep it as in the moment as possible,” said Michael, who accompanies himself on grand piano. What results is a very open hearted and spirited album about making your way in the city of cities. Produced by Michael and Ron Allaire for bluewingmusic, Michael created some songs in minutes, others took several years. Most were recorded in the wee hours of the morning with a tight-knit group of artists including Sean Harkness, Jonathan Mover (Aretha Franklin, Elton John) Dave Schommer (Carole King, Gavin DeGraw) Valerie Ghent (Nina Simone, Ashford & Simpson) Nikki Van Cassele and Martine Allard. 

The stories come from Michael’s own experience and people he’s met, while forging a career as a recording artist and performer in New York City. “You could talk to 50 different people on the subway, and they would all have 50 different stories and be going to 50 different places. That’s what makes (New York) such a unique place.” Why the name City Scrapes? The name is a play on the word cityscape, the iconic image of Manhattan and the bumps and bruises creative artists, business people and others alike sustain while living and working in America’s largest city. Despite a few creative bumps and bruises of his own, Michael says the city always inspires him  “The city has always picked me up, given me the energy to carry on.” And City Scrapes is sure to do the same for all who listen.