Michael, Ted and Ken = Michael London, Ted Jordan & Ken Ulansey

Michael, Ted and Ken

Gaslight Productions is excited to offer bookings for this new trio of top-flight, award-winning veteran entertainers.  Their shows will delight your audiences with an eclectic mix of Standards, Blues and Folk delivered with panache, verve and great style. These three musicians prove the magical possibility that sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  When they make music together, magic happens.

Michael London is an accomplished recording artist, guitarist, singer, and entertainer.  He has released 3 CDs of uplifting, original music and his fourth, "One Whole Heart, "Rumi In Song" is coming in 2015, inspired by the deeply moving, transcendental poetry of Rumi, the 13th century Persian Sufi mystic.  In the daytime, London is an Associate Professor of Business at Muhlenberg College, and has had a diverse professional career after teaching for 13 years at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He was recognized as "Professor of the Year" in the Wharton Evening Division for 1996 and 2003.  London's professional activities involve teaching, research, consulting, group facilitation and music.  In both classroom and workshop settings, London uses his musical gifts to uplift participants and inspire them to be fully engaged and embracing life. 

Michael London has performed in concerts at the Sedgwick Theater (Philadelphia), Allentown Symphony Hall, Steel City Coffeehouse (Phoenixville, PA), PSALM Salon (Philadelphia) now Jamey's House of Music in Pottstown, PA; Unity Church of Lehigh Valley, Unity Church of Dallas, Philadelphia Ethical Society, Unitarian Church of Bethlehem, and Unitarian Church of Reading. Michael was also a guest on WXPN (National Public Radio from the University of Pennsylvania) on the Gene Shay Show 3 times!

Ted Jordan has been a performer (guitar, banjo, vocals) since the late fifties, starting in his native Jackson, Mississippi and working his way to clubs, concerts and festivals in Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, and the Northeast.  He has a “full set” of recordings -- a vinyl album, a cassette tape and a CD.  He has opened for Leon Redbone and Mance Lipscomb, and has played with Jerry-Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphey, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Freddie King, and Mickey Raphael (aka Willie Nelson’s harmonica player). Ted also shines and shares his music as a Music Therapist, performing songwriter and guitar teacher.  He has performed at retirement communities all over the Delaware Valley at The Quadrangle, Shannondell, Peter Becker Community, Souderton Mennonite Community, Cathedral Village, Assisi House, Arden Courts at Yardley, Luther Woods, Luther Park, Masonic Eastern Star Home Warminster, Twining Village, Twining Manor, Aria Community the Brunswick at Attleboro, Pennswood Village, Somerton Center, The Birches at Newtown, and Wesley Enhanced Living at Doylestown (Heritage Towers).  He also teaches clinical guitar methods in Drexel University’s Hahnemann Creative Arts in Therapy program, does guitar workshops, and has private guitar students.

Michael and Ted have been playing and singing together for over ten years, developing a seamless interplay of guitar and vocals.  Their unique style features down home guitar picking, improvisation and sensitive, soulful vocals with harmonies and a repertoire of originals and covers ranging from blues, spirituals and folk to rock 'n roll and jazz.  Their sound has blossomed through years of playing in concerts, bars, and coffee houses and in some of Philly's best late night jams, where they learned to "raise the roof" with spirited picking and singing that gets everyone involved and tapping their feet.  Their musical adventure has evolved with two powerful voices, guitars, slide, harmonica and audiences singing along.  Their wide range of influences includes James Taylor, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Josh White, Merle Travis and Richie Havens.  Now adding extra electricity to Michael and Ted’s musical magic is Ken Ulansey.

Ken Ulansey (soprano and alto sax, clarinet, penny whistle), musician and psychologist, has explored many worlds of music.  He recently received the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Grant for composition; Philadelphia Music Foundation Award for Best Traditional or Contemporary Folk Performance and was a finalist for the Pew Foundation $50,000 Grant in Composition.  One of his other bands, the Ken Ulansey Ensemble, records and plays at jazz clubs and dance parties, drawing from Swing, Motown, Zydeco, Klezmer, Samba, Rhythm and Blues, and Afro-Pop, in addition to classical and the omni-present pop and rock of our time.  He played classical music with Relache, the Ensemble for New Music, for eight years, producing their latest record. Ken toured with them extensively in Europe and the United States, including performances at Lincoln Center, Bang on a Can Festival, Seattle Museum of Modern Art, Prague Spring Festival and the Telluride Composer to Composer Festival.

Ken has played on over one hundred recordings of classical, jazz, folk and pop music, including Off To Philadelphia (Irish music by The Cassidys), Everything is New (folk by Michael London), Compositions (Jazz originals by Rich Rudin), Origami (New Age by Jay Ansill), Comets Collide (folk rock by Patti Shea), Outcome Inevitable (new classical by Relache), And the Angels Swing (Klezmer meets Jazz by Bruce Kaminsky). Ken has also recorded for MTV, as well as for many TV commercials, several small films and dance pieces. Weekly for nearly 3 years, Ken played at the Philadelphia location of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. 

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When asked about Michael and Ted's show at Country House on July 2, 2015, Resident Services Director Carolina Santander replied, "Yes, the residents loved the program on July 2nd - really really loved it!"

Michael and Ted graced their Mermaid audience with a stellar performance. Playing together beautifully . . . their music last night peaked with a clear, rich, emotionally-filled sound that had everyone in complete awe. ... it was a night that no one will forget.

Cindy O'Donnell London, Phoenixville , PA

Michael and Ted at The Mermaid Inn in Chestnut Hill

Unity of Lehigh Valley has been blessed by the frequent appearances of Michael London as part of our music team.  His selection of music provides the perfect support for the day’s message and his ability to engage the audience is a delight.   Michael’s recent concert featured a range of topics from his mystic Rumi selections to his own philosophical musings set to music.   Our congregation always looks forward to the next appearance of Michael London at Unity of Lehigh Valley.

Reverend Joy Wyler, Emmaus, PA

I heard Michael's music for the first time on WXPN (Gene Shay's show) and was blown away by the ways in which he wove the exquisite poetry of Rumi with his own inspired musical creations.  Hearing him in concert less than a week later, the intensity of the passion and magic increased 100-fold.  Sitting in the audience, surrounded by souls listening with rapt attention, I was moved with a certainty that the poet himself was whispering in Michael's ear throughout the performance.   At turns, deeply peaceful and vibrantly energetic.  What a gift! 

Edie Weinstein Moser, LSW

Ted Jordan is the real deal.  Exquisite finger-picking matched with a pleasant voice and a bit of southern charm thrown in as well --- a seasoned professional.
 

Rob Lincoln, Philadelphia Area Songwriters Alliance

Ted Jordan is a delightful performer, who can play guitar with the best of them.  He's so flexible, he can play with anybody, play anything and make it sound good.  He knows every song ever written (it seems!).  And you can tell from his performance that he is a nice guy, a good person, with a lot of soul.   I love Ted Jordan!!!! 

Phyllis Chapell

Whirled Music

When Michael London and Ted Jordan join their music together a warmth suffuses the room that transcends the excellence of their individual music.  Ted’s folksy baritone voice blends bring a charm to Michael’s almost mystical settings, so that together Rumi and Doc Watson seem to be hanging out on a back porch appreciating the sunset.  Weaving together the familiar with more obscure tunes, as well as some choice originals, the two fine guitarists together create a memorable experience.  

Ken Ulansey, Musician

BEST OF PHILLY: PARTY BAND – Ken Ulansey Ensemble  This band can get the crowd off its feet at any occasion, be it wedding reception, birthday party, Bar Mitzvah, gallery opening or antiques show.

Philadelphia Magazine

If it’s got a reed, Kenny Ulansey can play it.   Before anyone had heard of Kenny G, Kenny U was popping up everywhere on soprano sax--from an eight-year stint with Relâche to guest appearances with traveling folk artists at the Cherry Tree...  Expect anything and everything, from very danceable traditional tunes to out experimental stuff.

Mary Armstrong, City Paper

By inclination, uber-talented Ken Ulansey is a jazz musician.  But how do you pin down a saxophonist whose musical range encompasses classical, folk, world beat, Klezmer and rock...?  This kind of praise has become routine for Ulansey.

Frank Quattrone, Montgomery Newspapers

A lot of players look up to Ken Ulansey.   And rightly so; he is indeed a ’musician’s musician.’  Ulansey freelances all about town, as he puts it, ’dabbling in seven or eight traditions of music.’  His repertoire includes Baroque music, contemporary classical, swing jazz, contemporary jazz, Eastern European folk tunes, Indian ragas and Brazilian samba.  If you consider all the awards Ulansey has collected throughout his career, it’s obvious the instrumentalist does more than ‘dabble‘.

Deni Kasrel, Jewish Times

*** (three stars) Ulansey is a resonant player who can negotiate a bewildering array of styles. ...overall, this disc is bright.

Karl Stark, Philadelphia Inquirer

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