Don’t miss the world-class pianist, vocalist, and entertainer Michael Kaeshammer live in concert on April 16 (2026) at Key City Theatre!

Known for his jaw-dropping piano skills and infectious energy, Kaeshammer blends jazz, boogie-woogie, and blues like no one else.

Something magical happens when Michael Kaeshammer sits at the piano. Sure, like all pianists, he plays 12 notes across 88 keys. But the musician and songwriter coaxes dazzling, kaleidoscopic sounds from his instrument in a way few can rival.

So, it’s no surprise that Turn It Up — Kaeshammer’s towering 15th album — is superb, a dynamic, rollicking collection though one stubbornly resistant to a single, catchall genre. “Eclectic yet accessible jazz-based pop” might come closest to the mark, but it doesn’t quite capture it all. Like his sprawling record collection, which houses everything from AC/DC to Erik Satie, Kaeshammer’s songs reflect his boundless appreciation of music in whatever form it takes.

For him, playing just jazz or just pop or just boogie-woogie instead of all three — sometimes with a classical instrumental piece thrown in — would be the aural equivalent of eating a cheese sandwich for lunch. Every. Single. Day.

“I think of myself as a piano player and singer even though I know things need to be categorized,” the German-born, B.C.-based Kaeshammer offered. “The sonic landscape of these songs is more pop than jazz. That was done simply because I love hearing songs like that. The nice thing for me is, I can play a jazz festival or a blues festival or a pop festival.”

Or the Olympics, which Kaeshammer has done thrice, in Torino, Italy in 2006, in Beijing in 2008, and in Vancouver in 2010, electrifying literally millions.

There have also been nine ecstatically received tours of China across 25 cities. “This music fits everywhere,” he added. “It’s just my music. I play what I hear. Why wouldn’t I play the piano the way I want to hear it?”

As might be surmised, a spin through Turn It Up’s eight original songs and one dynamic cover reveals Kaeshammer’s indelible thumbprint: a heady roster of keyboards, from Wurlitzer organ to Rhodes piano, buoyed by ace trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drums, and bass, all anchored by Kaeshammer’s sparkling voice and palpable positivity, which deeply informs both his worldview and his lyrics.

“I’m a very positive person,” confirmed the seven-time JUNO Award nominee. “I always try to turn negatives into positives.” Witness the new album’s chiming, wildly propulsive title track and first single, with its irrepressible chorus boosted by merrily blooping trumpet and caffeinated “whoa-whoa-whoa” vocals.

“‘Turn It Up’ is about making the best out of a situation and coming out stronger on the other side. That’s why I sing, ‘We can dance in the kitchen ‘til the end of the night.’ That’s what we do at my house! Cooking is a big part of my life,” said the host of cooking show Kaeshammer’s Kitchen which airs on Vancouver Island’s CHEK TV.

“My girlfriend and I hang out in the kitchen, forget about the day, and let the music take over. This is a song for people to do that too,” Kaeshammer said, adding that the tender ballad “It Will Always Be You” featured on Turn It Up was written for partner Josephine.

Elsewhere, that knock-kneed sentiment takes on a jaunty, upbeat vibe in “Never Knew What Love Was,” which finds our man guiding the keys into pure-pop territory as fingers snap in time in the background.

“Michael is one of the best pianists in the country. When it comes to boogie-woogie, I don’t know anyone better,” says Turn It Up co-songwriter, bass player, and producer Ron Lopata. He would know, having served as an A&R executive for a major Canadian record label.

“But Michael can also play classical pieces, blues, pop…. all at a top-tier level,” Lopata continues. “His vocals have a real sincerity to them, and a charm in how he phrases things. His topics are on the positive side, as he really looks at the world in a positive light. That comes out authentically in the music.”

Come see this world-class talent perform at Cranbrook’s Key City Theatre on April 16 (2026).

Learn more and score tickets.

e-KNOW

Article Share