Michael Dease

Michael Patrick Dease (born August 25, 1982) is an American jazz tenor and bass trombonist, composer, and producer. He also plays saxophone, trumpet, flugelhorn, bass, and piano.

Biography Michael Dease was born in Augusta, Georgia, and attended John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet High School, where he studied saxophone and voice. During his time as a high school student, he achieved all-state honors on the latter instrument for three years in a row.

At age 17, Michael taught himself to play trombone, and was soon invited to join the inaugural class of the Juilliard jazz studies program by Wycliffe Gordon. Dease would go on to earn both his bachelor's and master's degrees while at the school. His teachers included Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre, Vincent Gardner, John Drew, and Joseph Alessi. While at Juilliard, Dease won many awards, including the Frank Rosolino Award, J.J. Johnson Award, the Sammy Nestico Jazz Composers Award, ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, and the Fish Middleton Jazz Competition.

Educator Dease has conducted masterclasses and workshops at universities and conservatories around the world, including at the University of Costa Rica, University of Osaka, Michigan State University, Augusta State University, Broward College, Simpson College, University of Scranton, and Northeastern University.

Dease currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Jazz Trombone at the Michigan State University College of Music. He has also held similar positions at Queens College, CUNY, and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City.

Dease performs exclusively on Yamaha trombones and plays the YSL-891Z model.

Discography

As leader The Takeover (self-released, 2005) Dease Bones (D-Clef, 2007) Clarity (Blues Back, 2008) Grace (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2010) Coming Home (D-Clef, 2013) Relentless (Posi-Tone, 2014) Decisions (Posi-Tone, 2015) Let's Get Real (Spice of Life [Japan], 2015) Father Figure (Posi-Tone, 2016) All These Hands (Posi-Tone, 2017) Reaching Out (Posi-Tone, 2018) Bonafide (Posi-Tone, 2018) Never More Here (Posi-Tone, 2019) Give It All You Got (Posi-Tone, 2021) Best Next Thing (Posi-Tone, 2022) The Other Shoe: The Music of Greg Hill (Origin, 2023) Swing Low (Posi-Tone, 2023) Flow (Posi-Tone, 2025)

As sideman With Sharel Cassity Relentless (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2009)

With Matt Garrison Familiar Places (D-Clef, 2010)

With the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band I'm BeBoppin' Too (Half Note, 2008)

With Illinois Jacquet Swingin' Live With Illinois Jacquet: His Final Performance (Jacquet, 2006)

With Alicia Keys As I Am (J Records, 2007)

With the Christian McBride Big Band The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue, 2011) Bringin' It (Mack Avenue, 2017)

With Claudio Roditi Simpatico (Resonance, 2010)

With the Charles Tolliver Big Band Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note (Half Note, 2009)