No stranger to the Jazz scene, Mike has performed with the Duke Ellington Band, Ray Vega, Steven Bernstein, Arturo O’ Farrell and Harvey S., just to name a few. He has played in noteworthy venues such as, Lincoln Center, Birdland, Tonic, Satalla and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall.
The quintet assembled to record his new disc, Open Window, recorded at famed Bennett Studio, are some of the finest jazz musicians playing today. Mike has said that, Pete Brendler, Rich Huntley, Soren Moller and Amanda Monaco are some of “the finest musicians in New York City.” Their high level of skill allowed the music to have the complete artistic expression he envisioned” Open Window, features eight original tunes and one standard. The core narrative of the album, Mike has explained, is “about two things…emotion and communication” which was inspired by his teenage battle with Leukemia. It’s an album that has been brewing in his psyche for awhile and is the culmination of times spent developing his own voice..
As clarinetist and bandleader, Mike’s other devotion is to Klezmer Music and his band Kleztraphobix. Their latest album, Another Bottle of Vodka, has been described by Klezmershack as "defining an exciting, driving sound that makes New York the place to listen
to Klezmer."
Career highlights include playing with: composer Bill “Apollo” Brown, Rebecca Garfein’s, Golden Chants in America, on Fado singer Fatima Santos’ CD, Nostalgia and with the R&B band, Ellis Island. Mike has also collaborated as both composer and performer with Rina Rinkowitch dance company, Return of the Sun, and with the chamber opera, Harlots Progress, performed in Nantes, France.
your music is sounding so great and it'd be great to hear more of you live...hopefully sometime in the not-too-distant future. I'm not sure when I'll be in NYC next but of course will let you know....
Dear Mike, I am honored to leave your first comment! SO lovely to hear from you today! Yes, I remember you from NYC and look forward to crossing paths there on the 15th ... if no gigs come up for you! Your playing for the tunes on your page sounds wonderful! Keep up the good work! Peace and blessings, Ashley
