Michael Santos is a bassist who comes from the West Palm Beach area. He studied with guitarist Neil Bacher throughout his high school career and is now a scholarship student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida. He is currently studying Jazz Bass under Richard Drexler.

His all time favorite bassist is the one and only Ray Brown, who heavily influences the way he plays.

In 2017, he was awarded a scholarship to play bass in the Michigan State University Big Band Symposium where he studied with Rodney Whittaker, Diego Rivera, Michael Dease, Xavier Davis, Etienne Charles, and Randy “Uncle G” Gelispie. He is currently the bassist in The Flying Horse Big Band and has played The Golden Triangle Jazz Festival, The Summer Solstice Jazz Festival, and The New Smyrna Beach Jazz Festival.

He has played with saxophonist Dick Oatts, saxophonist Dave Liebman, saxophonist Jerry Weldon, saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz Brown, trumpeter
Terell Stafford, trumpeter Dan Miller, saxophonist Jeff Rupert, pianist Per Danielsson, drummer Marty Morell, drummer Adam Nussbaum, drummer Duffy Jackson, singer DaVonda Simmons, and singer Stephanie Nakasian.