Pianist / vocalist originally from the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area. Michael came to Baltimore to work at his dad’s business although he had a stronger desire to play music. John Fager, owner of The Upstairs on Charles Street (above The Classroom), asked Michael to play at his club. Michael sought after some of the area’s top musician’s and formed a band. One of his top choices was accomplished guitarist Orin Smith, who played his guitar left-handed and upside down. Although Orin initially couldn’t join due to involvement with Bob Brown and Joe Clark, he eventually would join the group. The original group featured Goldberg on keyboards, with Rick Davis (drums), Kevin Kelly (bass), and Roger Fink (flute). The Michael Goldberg Band evolved to include Goldberg with Orin Smith (guitar), Richard Lake (keyboards), Liz Hein (flute), Jim Wasick (percussion), Pete Kessler (bass), Stanley Bailey (drums), and Aleta Greene (vocals).
The Michael Goldberg Band participated in a concert to benefit the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians who were on strike. The rock band portion Michael called Longhairs Meet Longhairs featured selections moving from classical to rock music.
The band also played as house band at The Classroom on 810 N. Charles Street. The Classroom featured many national acts such as Mother Earth. In 1971, then a relatively unknown folk singer, Emmylou Harris came into the club looking for work and began a two-year association with Michael and the group. She had previously released the album “Gliding Bird” (Jubilee 8031) in 1969 accompanied by guitarist Bruce Archer.
Eventually Smith, Wasick, Lake, Kessler, and guitarist Wall Matthews went on to form the jazz-fusion group Pangea.
The next version of the Michael Goldberg Band included Orin Smith (guitar), Claude Ginsberg (violin), Jim Wasick (percussion), Paul Welsh (drums ex-Maypole), Mike Shacochis (vocals), and Denny Romans (guitar). The group did a U.S. tour accompanied by Steve Patt, guitarist of the Chambers Brothers.
In addition to the Classroom gigs, they made appearances at the Bluesette and a special Wyman Park free concert on August 1, 1971 with Ames Oakes, and Momma Max. Locally the group also played at the Rock Theater, and continued as house band when the Upstairs became known as Finnegan’s Wake.
The group auditioned for Clive Davis of Columbia Records at a club called My Father’s Place in Rosslyn, Long Island, New York. They did recordings at ITI Studios under the direction of George Massenburg.
Emmylou recorded some demos with the Michael Goldberg Band. She and Michael migrated to D.C. where they picked up a regular gig at Clyde’s as Harris & Goldberg. It was there that they met Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman of the Flying Burrito Brothers. While sitting in on gigs with them at the Cellar Door they were introduced to Gram Parsons. The duo was later invited to sit in on one of the Burrito Brothers last concerts at the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus.
Harris collaborated with Gram Parsons and went on to a successful solo career in country/pop music. Greene (see bio) continued to perform with many local groups.
Goldberg moved back to Virginia Beach where he continued to play music and run an Internet solutions company. He also founded ‘MAGIC – The State of the Arts’ (getmagic.net), an internationally recognized non-profit for integrating music, art, performing arts, and the Internet to increase standards of learning test scores in schools across the country. His music was also used by NASA to increase science and math scores as well as used in NASA TV shows. His band the R&B All Stars played with the Beach Boys, Huey Lewis & the News, and the Spinners among others.
