MICHAEL CHAIS
THE STORY
Michael Laytin Chais is a producer, performer, and entrepreneur, originally hailing from Baltimore, MD. At the young age of two, his parents discovered a natural musical aptitude and enrolled him in classical piano study at the Peabody Institute. Ten years later, he fell in love with the guitar and was playing in college bands before high school. Mike’s next move would be to obtain a Business degree from Western Maryland College with a Minor in Jazz Guitar. While attending, he performed every semester with the Jazz Combo, Big Band and produced three albums with two original bands in parallel. The live performing continued after graduation along with a ten month Audio Engineering certification at the Sheffield Institute in Phoenix, MD.
Anxious to learn more about the music industry, Michael accepted a position as Session Guitarist and Business Development Manager at a growing new custom music company called Selectracks. Given that the company was bi-coastal, he moved to Los Angeles circa 2003. The custom scoring for film and TV projects commenced with a fury, but this was also the kickoff of an ~18 year journey, primarily focused on original music.
Mike’s first LA band, ‘Revolutionary Side Effects’ performed at the 2007 Wakarusa Festival in Lawrence, KS. ‘RSE’ also supported many notable artists around the USA, including but not limited to: Maceo Parker, Robert Randolph, Les Claypool, and The New Mastersounds. A few years later, Chais became a primary member of the Miles Evans Band (Son of Gil Evans), performing and recording among the likes of Darryl Jones, Bernard Fowler, Steve Ferrone, Bernie Dresel, Doug Webb, Mitch Forman, Dean Brown, Jamie Kime, Sheila Gonzalez, Andrew Synowiec, Tina Guo, and several other world renown musicians. This experience also spawned a friendship and the creation of a small record label with NYC-based guitar wizard, Oz Noy. Over the next ~8 years, Chais produced and performed both as a solo artist and with several original bands including Rebel House Radio and The Heavy Waits, before relocating in early 2021.
Michael has recently released four songs on all platforms with accompanying music videos! All music can be found HERE. The next order of business will be the official launch of his new “Five Block Method” guitar series, focusing on natural mechanics, fretboard economy, and improvisation techniques for players at ALL levels. PLAY DUMB!
Check out the NEWS page for updates on all things!
