Michael Wolff (musician)

Michael Wolff (born September 19, 1954 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and actor.

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Personal life

Wolff, whose father Marvin was a social worker, grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and San Francisco, California. He studied classical piano from the age of eight, and attended U.C.L.A. and U.C. Berkeley.^[1]

Wolff was the band leader on the The Arsenio Hall Show for five years; he met his wife, actress and screenwriter Polly Draper, when she appeared on the show.^[1] They have two children, Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff. Wolff's family is culturally Jewish.^[2] Wolff has Tourette syndrome;^[2] he serves on the Board of Directors of the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA),^[3] and is involved with mentoring children with Tourette's through the chapters of the TSA.^[4]

Career

Wolff is the leader of a jazz band, Michael Wolff and Impure Thoughts, which features Indian tabla player Badal Roy, drummer Mike Clark and electric bassist John B. Williams. He wrote music for the films Who's the Man and Made up,^[4] as well as writing for and performing in other films.^[5]

A movie released on video in 1999—The Tic Code starring Gregory Hines as a saxophone player with Tourette syndrome who befriends a young boy with Tourette's—was written by Draper and is loosely based on Wolff's life. Wolff contributed the music score and Draper co-stars in the film.^[6]

Wolff co-stars in The Naked Brothers Band on Nickelodeon with his sons, Nat and Alex. Wolff's wife Draper, directs, screen-writes, creates, and executive produces the show. ^[7]

Discography

• The Tic Code Soundtrack
• 2AM
• Jumpstart!
• Portraiture: The Blues Period
• Christmas Moods
• 2000 - Impure Thoughts (Indianola Music)
• 2001 - Intoxicate (Indianola Music)
• 2004 - Dangerous Vision (Artemis Records)
• 2006 - Love & Destruction (Wrong Records)

Awards and mention

Wolff was honored as a Steinway Artist in June 2006. The Tic Code won awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Giffoni Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival.^[8]