Michael Kaeshammer

After studying classical piano for seven years in his German homeland, a 13-year-old Kaeshammer (pronounced "case-hammer") discovered boogie-woogie as played by Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, and Pinetop Smith. In three years, the teen wunderkind was playing boogie-woogie piano in clubs, concerts, and festivals all over Germany. He attracted attention almost immediately after the family moved to the west coast of Canada, turning heads at performances at blues and jazz festivals during the summer of 1996. His first three recordings, Blue Keys (1996), Tell You How I Feel (1998), and No Strings Attached (2000), showed increasing maturity and artistic evolution.