Michael John Hall has the rare ability to take even rock "standards" and play them at their simple essence. Whether it his almost eerie cover of David Bowie's "Ground Control to major Tom" or his slow version of Maria Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" from his "Dashing Through the Snow" CD, or tracks from his "Soft and Sacred, Michael John Hall Plays the Beatles," every track is soft, simple and peaceful.

Hall comes from Long Island and went to Carle Place High School with the great guitarist Joe Satriani, whose style is the polar opposite of Joe's, but whose love for music is the same. He grew up listening to Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson with his mother. He has released 5 CDs since "Higher Places" came out in 2009.

There was almost a 50 year gap between lessons with Mr. Wickey in 3rd grade and a deeper study of bringing the heart to the keyboard with Satan Fe piano coach Criss Jay. During the first lesson, Jay asked Hall, "What do you want to accomplish here?" Hall's response was, "I want to make people cry."' Two years later, during a lesson in the same studio, Hall wept at the piano while improvising a standard. Jay pointed his finger and said, "You could not make your audience cry with your music until you could make yourself cry."

"But it is not just about tears," says Hall. "It is about opening the heart and freeing the Soul."

Hall now lives in Santa Fe New Mexico, where his Petrof grand piano and his home recording studio make it possible to share his "Midnight Whispers" with a global audience. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.