Michael LeClerc

Canadian musician Michael Leclerc has a wonderfully soulful voice and plays guitar a bit better than most. But where he truly excels is in his songwriting. Mixing soul, powerpop and acoustic rock, Leclerc has an arsenal of hook-filled material that’s seriously impressive. It’s an eclectic batch of tunes. “Breathe” is a high-energy number taking the best elements of all three genres to craft a song that’s pure groove and would appeal to Style Council fans. Meanwhile, “Turnaround” is a dynamic rocker in the tradition of pop-tinged combos like The Gin Blossoms or Smithereens, and would stand up to any of their hits. Leclerc has a Saturday evening residency alongside guitarist Jonathan Ebanks at the Tiki House each Saturday in June at 6 p.m. For anyone who enjoys music more on the melodic side, this is definitely a talent you’ll want to hear.

Read more: San Diego Community News Group - MUST HEAR - sdnews.com/wrttien by Bart Mendoza

When exceptional talents unite and their musical chemistry connect, great opportunities can truly arise, even on an island as small as Grand Cayman. Singer-songwriter Michael Leclerc and local guitarist Jonathan Ebanks are on a creative trip to California to record with a top producer in Los Angeles.

For the musicians this comes as significant progress since they joined their musical forces a year ago and began performing as an acoustic duo at venues such as Mezza, Abacus and The Ritz-Carlton’s Silver Palm Lounge.

The distinctive blend of Leclerc’s voice and song writing twinned with Ebanks’ inventive guitar style brings a fresh, original sound best described as acoustic rock with nuances of funk, folk and blues.

“Jonathan lends a lot to my style of song-writing. He is probably the best guitar player I have ever worked with,” said Leclerc, who comes from Chatham, Ontario, Canada, and has 22 years of musicianship under his belt, “When I first came to Cayman, five years ago, I learned of his exceptional guitar skills. I am privileged to have such a gifted musician work with me and travel with me on this opportunity. He deserves this as does anyone who is willing to work hard on their passion.”

It was during a previous recording trip to California with his former band Smooth Bill that Leclerc’s songs fell into the hands of top producer Jim Wirt of 4th Street Recording Studios. With 11 gold and platinum records to his credit, the producer has helped in signing record labels for up 19 acts, such as Incubus, Fiona Apple and Hoobstank, to name a few.

“We are very excited and fortunate to work with a producer of his calibre,” said Leclerc. “The doors of opportunity are open. California is beautiful. I get a good vibe when I’m there. I am very proud, it has been a long road to get to this point”.

The five-song extended-play production will feature music and lyrics by Leclerc, with Ebanks laying down his parts and contributing his ideas. Plans for both musicians to collaborate on further song-writing and recording are firmly in place when they return to Cayman. The pair expressed their gratitude to Minister of Culture Mark Scotland “for his support and sponsorship towards this musical endeavour.”

Talking about their musical partnership, Ebanks said, “Michael and I have found a natural chemistry.

“There is a lot of untapped music within the both of us for many albums to come,” he added. Ebanks himself no stranger to song-writing and studio work.

In 2008 he released an album, Tales Of The G-String, featuring his outstanding skills on a 100-year-old Dyer model harp guitar, which he bought from Robert Hartman, the last living descendant of the Larson brothers, makers of this rare instrument.

“Tales Of The G-String is a contemporary, instrumental compilation of jazz, blues and folk songs based on my travels, personal experiences, friends and misfortunes on my musical journey”, said Ebanks.“The songs each tell a story using different tunings on the harp guitar.”

Having previously worked with local bands Memory of Justice, Hi-Tide and Thanks and Praises, the guitarist described his aspirations for the Los Angeles trip and future work with Leclerc: “We work well with each other. It’s something you can’t explain, travelling anywhere to play or record always excites me. It’s good for the soul, and what I love and have much passion for. I feel deep inside that Mike and myself are going to go far.”

Leclerc’s new extended play will be for sale on iTunes and Amazon when released, as will Ebanks’ new extended play upon its anticipated release at the end of this year. In the meantime tune into 106.1FM to hear his songs Gypsy Woman and Blue Mountain Morning, or seize the opportunity to experience these exceptional musicians when they play in Cayman - Cayman Compass