Mike’s professional career
began playing the guitar, and occasional violin, with soul, blues and reggae
bands in the London club scene of the early 1970s. All-nighters at the Flamingo
Club with the System Soul Band opposite bands like
Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were followed by a year with Junior’s
Conquest, which featured Hammond organist/guitarist Junior Marvin (later of Bob
Marley and The Wailers).
This was followed by 2 years with
Gass with whom he recorded his first album, which featured Fleetwood Mac
guitarist Peter Green as a guest. A change of direction resulted in work with
Paul Brett (3 albums), Paul King (Mungo Jerry – 3 albums), Ralph McTell (6
albums), Bert Jansch (2 albums), and three years as a member of the re-formed
Pentangle, replacing John Renbourn, (2 albums).
Other bands include The Denny Laine Band (1 album), for two years, Phil Collins’ "Zox & the Radar Boys"(a sideline from Genesis). Also Keith Nichols’ Ragtime Orchestra which featured in the Bix Beiderbeck concert series (featuring Guy Barker) at the Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall. He has also worked with the Kimbara Brothers, Big Jim Sullivan, Diz Disley, John Joyce, John Etheridge, Gary Potter, Campbell Burnap, Digby Fairweather, Bucky Pizzarelli, Marty Grosz, Herbie Flowers, The Hot Club of London, Bob Kerr’s Whoopee Band (honorary member-3 albums), and The Lord Colwyn Band (society gigs – 1 album), and works regularly as a session musician.
For five years he has been jazz/rock violin/guitar tutor with the "Herbie Flowers Rockshop" at Dartington International Summer School. The first International violin festival - "The Genius of the Violin" - held in London in 2004, featured a live broadcast from the 606 Club. The "Violin Summit" included Mike with Christian Garrick and Stuart Hall, and was broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s "Jazz Notes".
At this years festival Mike appears twice on Saturday with Keith Stephen and Caroline Irwin (Fairfield House Hotel), and again with Norman Field, John Hallam and Keith Nichols (Elms Court Hotel), then again on Sunday with Keith Nichols' Swing Kings (Station Hotel).