John Michael Hersey

“A lovely addition to the Christmas tradition, John Michael Hersey sings straight from the soul on “Merry Christmas, Stranger”. Pop, jazz, and folk all enter into the fray. Done with dignity there is a raw grit and soul about it. His voice contains the trademarks of a life lived to the absolute fullest. Interplay of the whole band revels a group that listens to each other. The timeless tenor of the work comes from the hit of the piano chords, done in a way that indicates such dignity to it. Balance here matters for there is a sense of intimacy to it. From the very beginning the mood is set perfectly with such precision. A degree of geography enters into the fray. His exquisite detail helps to give the song a literary bent. Indeed, the characterization of those he observes gains a degree of warmth. Songs about strangers usually do not delve into this sense of kindness, a desire for connection and to spread a little bit of good cheer. Yet this spirit is ultimately what Christmas is about – about caring for those who are alone, who need comfort. Buildup of the work has a casual quality to it, for there are some fantastic flourishes to it. For the final stretch it all comes together in a wonderful kaleidoscope of color. “Merry Christmas, Stranger” shows off the ornate storytelling of John Michael Hersey for he captures an entire living, breathing realm. ” - Beach Sloth

“Some time ago the editor-in-chief sent us a link - in these modern times an underlined formula is enough to get a whole world through your boxes - with the additional message: “Interesting?”. Well, dear editor, it was a discovery. We lied a little bit. The artist in question, John Michael Hersey, also had a brief announcement in house in which he informed “worldwide” that the present CD - in formula form - was conceived as "a coming of age solo musical about a small town musician who finds himself on the therapist's couch that is New York City ”. According to the title of the CD, "The Fifty Minute Hour", that therapeutic story would have taken him just under an hour. That is a lot less than - we only drop one name - Bob Dylan, who at the time needed a few more albums to grow up in NY. And the question is whether his Bobness has completely succeeded? But we deviate. Not a full hour and yet fifteen songs. They are usually short songs, most of which are steeped in a solid musical tradition that could easily run on the circuit in London's West End without much adjustment. Catchy tunes, lots of piano songs, something between vocals and patter. For the enthusiasts, we recommend, for example, I'm Not What She Had In Mind. By the way, this title illustrates that John Michael obviously needs some psychological support. I Can't Get Out Of Bed and I Think I'm Shrinking are another of those titles that don't necessarily make you happy. So conversations in front of the Freudian seat. The piano ballad Merry Christmas, Stranger is nothing more than a crystallized icicle on a Christmas tree in lonely New York. The bluesy The Long Weekend is equally wintry and lonely. In the “ldvd” section it only scores highly on piano and atmospheric backing It Doesn't Get Better Than You: classic but beautiful. Apparently Hersey thought so too, because he repeats - albeit from a changed perspective - the melody and (almost) the title in the closing track It Doesn't Get Better Than This. Of course you get a CD full, a mop might say, but we don't want to hear that for a while. What is left in the box? A lot of musical stuff, as already mentioned, and sometimes - and that's a small criticism - completely exchangeable songs. Water, Water is a welcome change and exception and All The Time In The World has enough production to appeal to the body. John Michael Hersey has filled almost an hour with "The Fifty Minute Hour" with strong, but also a few weaker songs, usually with a lot of darkness but now and then also a dash of light, often only on the piano and sometimes in a slightly wider production. An exciting hour with some unpleasant moments. So like in the classroom. The hours lasted fifty minutes there too.” - Frank Tubex

“John Michael Hersey has just released a massive full-length album and it touches on the more contemporary side of the songwriter’s abilities. The Fifty Minute Hour still holds true to Hersey's staple theatrical feel and variety in songwriting but also boasts some wonderful piano work and brings out the jazz influence as songs feel almost like showtunes and seems very much like a concept album. You really feel like you just watched a full-on play and that's such an outstanding thing to accomplish. To be able to paint visual pictures and lay it all out with such detail and with such a bright performance that it all comes together with a near flawless performance. Piano rock, ballads, and more all rolled up in one huge record and sonically produced with a shine and vibrant feel, The Fifty Minute Hour is easy to get caught up in right from the first track. You want to hear what happens next constantly so you keep listening. Bringing artists like Billy Joel to mind at times, and crossing it with songs that sound like they were written in the late 50's other times, there are real deal genuine crooner tracks on this record. One of our favorites and in a timely manner to boot, is "Merry Christmas Stranger". This is an excellent and original Christmas song that tells a story. Hersey has a way of telling stories and keeping everything colorful. This album is a full deep dive and it's worth every minute. ” - Recording Artists Guild

“John Michael Hersey isn't getting much sleep in his new video for " I have No Head". The single is bordering on a math indie rock style and with each part transfixes you further and the video certainly joins that ride. A psychedelic rock romp of a video, it offers a glimpse into the mind of John Michael Hersey and it's a hell of a glimpse indeed. Guitars and keys follow each other making for a robust sound and although the video is a little on the horror movie side of things, it's quite fun. There is something about this song that gives of a little bit more of a 90's alternative feel bringing to mind bands like Primus or even Tool. The great thing about that Hersey does is that with each new piece of content he releases he pushes the envelope and himself to create something different than the last, and always has a bit of a shock factor. You really never know what to expect next from this artist but you can be sure you won't be able to stop watching or listening. Enjoy "I Have No Head" ” - Recording Artists Guild

“This is an unusual album. It's decidedly progressive rock based. It's a series of shorter pieces, with both instrumental and vocal numbers. There are recurring themes, but there is also a wide range of sounds and concepts. This is often slightly off-kilter (in a good way), twisted just a bit off from mainstream. It's generally very effective, too. ” - Gary Hill