About this Event

Mike Piggott



" One of the best swing jazz fiddle players anywhere...."(New York Jazz Times)

Mike began playing the guitar, and occasional violin, with soul, blues and reggae bands in the London club scene of the early 1970s. His first group, The Bone Idols, play local gigs and spend a month in the South of France in the summer of 1966. During a week's residency at a nightclub in Cannes, Stephane Grappelli, who is playing next door at the Palm Beach Casino, comes in most evenings to unwind and sits at the band table. Although MP is playing rock/blues, Shadows etc guitar at the time, a significant encounter in view of future events. An attempt at a "proper job" at the BBC tape library with a view to becoming a sound engineer, is cut short after playing at all-nighter gigs in London at weekends and not being on the ball on Monday morning. So the alternative seems to be to become a full-time musician - if possible.



As guitarist in local groups "The Sound of St.James", Krivoli Rog" and "All-nighters" at the Flamingo Club in London's Wardour St. with the System Soul Band opposite bands like Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, and US Airforce bases around the UK are followed by a year with Junior's Conquest, which features Hammond organist/guitarist Junior Marvin (later of Bob Marley and The Wailers). This is followed by 2 years, as guitarist/violinist, with The Gass who record his their album in 1970 at Sound Techniques and Trident Studios in London, featuring Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green as a guest on two tracks. Apart from some dates in Spain The Gass play mainly the London club scene, which at the time includes The Bag O' Nails, Speakeasy, Scotch of St. James, The Revolution, Rasputin's, Sybillas and a Saturday residency "Upstairs" at Ronnie Scott's where regular sitters-in include Peter Green, Georgie Fame and the horn section from Ginger Baker's "Airforce". The Gass also recorded with Jack Hammer (writer "Great Balls of Fire").



Another venture is Phil Collins's "Zox & the Radar Boys" - a band he forms pre Brand X, while still with Genesis - MP violin - lots of rehearsals, not many gigs.



A change to a more acoustic style, featuring more violin, results in tours, recordings, broadcasts from 1972 with Paul Brett (3 albums) and MP possibly the only person ever to appear on the Old Grey Whistle Test wearing a dressing gown - see video clips. Mike and Paul support Status Quo on their first nationwide UK tour in 1972. Gigs with Paul's friend, Paul King (Mungo Jerry), as a duo and with the Jigilo Jug Band - (3 albums). Ralph McTell (6 albums) and tours with Ralph and Danny Thompson and also concerts with a six piece band including Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Maddy Prior and Nigel Portman-Smith.



As a member of the Denny Laine Band (Moody Blues, Wings) 1980 - 82 - 1 album "Japanese Tears" (including "Go Now" and "Say You Don't Mind"), playing UK and continental dates on guitar and violin.



Violinist and guitarist with Bert Jansch on and off for about 18 years (1977-1995), as a duo and other line-ups including the band "Conundrum" with Bert, Rod Clements (Lindisfarne) and Pick Withers (later with Dire Straits), and recording 2 albums. In 1982 Bert asks Mike to join the re-forming Pentangle (the original line-up, replacing John Renbourn, who embarks on a music degree course at Dartington College), from 1982 - 89 (3 albums) - tours of the U.S.A., UK and and continental dates.



Alongside this there are violin jazz concerts, including with Keith Nichols' Ragtime Orchestra featuring in concerts at the Purcell Room in London and the Bix Beiderbeck concert series, featuring Guy Barker, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Also some dates at Ronnie Scott's with Madeleine Bell (MP on guitar). Recordings with a wide variety of other artists.



Russell Davies' TV film "The Lowest of the Low" - the history of the bass saxophone, includes Mike in the Joe Venuti role, playing "Raggin' the Scale" - (see video clips).



Further work with Keith Nichols at concerts and jazz festivals. An International Fiddle Festival in 1984 at Battersea Arts Centre, also featuring Nigel Kennedy and Johnny Van Derrick. With Gypsy Jazz guitar stars Fapy Lafertin, Angelo Debarre and Romane. He has worked with most of the Grappelli guitarists (apart from Django!), including Diz Disley, Martin Taylor, John Etheridge, Bucky Pizzarelli, Jeff Green and Denny Wright and Paul Degville. Also including Neil Stacey and the Kimbara Brothers, Jonny Hepbir Quartet, Ultraswing, Ian Cruikshank, Keith Stephens Gypsy Jazz, Jack Emblow, Madeleine Bell, Big Jim Sullivan, Peter Green, John Joyce, Wizz Jones, Tom "Spats" Langham, Malcolm Harrison, Max Brittain, Gary Potter, Campbell Burnap, Digby Fairweather, Alan Barnes, Don Weller, Marty Grosz, Ken Peplowski, Chris Spedding, Howard Alden, Nigel Price, Herbie Flowers, Peter Ind, Peter Morgan, Jez Cook, Andy Crowdy, Laurence Corns, Dave Toye, Tony Barnard, Jim Mullen, Steve Simpson, Nigel Bagge, Martin Wheatley's Arcadians, Stefan Grossman, Duck Baker, Piers Clark, The Hot Club of London (Nils Solberg, Gerry Higgins), a gig with Gary Brooker at "Blues on the Farm", Dave Bronze's Western Swing band "Fargo" (1 album), The Lord Colwyn Band (long-standing member, playing private parties and Royal events - 1 album), Remi Harris, Mark Ridout, Jason Henson, Miller Anderson.



Ventures into comedy/theatre include a long-standing partnership with John Parker (Les Onions) in many musical guises, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band (honorary member-3 albums and several Continental tours - MP violin/ banjo/guitar/strohviolin and musical saw), Jim Davidson ("The Devil Went Down to Brixton"), Ivor Biggun & the Red-nosed Burglars ("Cyril Goes to Bognor") and Bernard Cribbins ("I Hate Country Music"). Recording and gigs with Australian singer "Duffo" (Jeff Duff) with a band and as a Duo; "Zippy & Pinhead" (MP as "Pinhead").



An occasional member of John Etheridge's "Sweet Chorus" and an appearance at the Xabia Jazz Fesival in Spain as a member of Martin Taylor's "Spirit of Django".



Five years as jazz/rock violin/guitar "tutor", for a week each year, with the "Herbie Flowers Rockshop" at the 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" includes MP with Christian Garrick and Stuart Hall, and is broadcast on BBC Radio 3's "Jazz Notes".



In addition to guest appearances on numerous recordings by other artists Mike's first CD release "Blues for Stuff and Steph", featuring his quartet, receives excellent reviews from music publications in the UK, the USA, Jazz FM and BBC radio's "Jazz Notes".

"One of the best swing jazz fiddlers anywhere"..... New York Jazz Times. "Master of the jazz violin"...Jazz UK.



MP Quartet CD "Take a Walk" receives excellent reviews and media coverage, including Humphrey Lyttelton opening his BBC Radio 2 "Best of Jazz" with "Struttin' Stuff" from the CD. (He also opened a previous show with a track from "Blues for Stuff and Steph").



These publications all include recognition of MP's fiddling/guitar:

"Stephane Grappelli - with and without Django", by Paul Balmer (Sanctuary Publications)

"Exploring Jazz Violin" by Chris Haigh, Schott Publications

"Dazzling Stranger - Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival" by Colin Harper, Bloomsbury Publications

"The Songs and Guitar Solos of Bert Jansch" Punchbowl Publications

"The Guinness Who's Who of Sixties Music" by Colin Larkin, Guinness Publications

"Streets of London - The Official Biography of Ralph McTell" by Chris Hockenhull, Northdown Publishing

"Strange Brew - Eric Clapton and the British Blues Boom 1965-1970" by Christopher Hjort, JawBone Publications



Current appearances at The Ivy Club in London with the Joe Thompson Trio. Blues gigs with the Nigel Bagge Band, Bob Brookes' Voodoo Kitchen, Miller Anderson and Eric Ranzoni's Blues Band at Boisdale. Guest appearances at jazz clubs and festivals in the UK and abroad. "Jazz Breakfasts" with Herbie Flowers. London club appearances with Laurence Corns at the Green Note and Arcola Theatre, The Hot Club of Boisdale - (see video page). Concerts and festivals with MP's Hot Club Trio.



Recent activities include recording with guitarist Chris Spedding on John Lodge's (Moody Blues) solo album "10,000 Light Years Ago".



31/01/16 and 1/02/16, as an ex-member of Pentangle and Bert Jansch bands, MP performed at two concerts for "Celtic Connections" at The Old Fruitmarket and The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, playing guitar with Jacqui McShee as a duo and violin with Robert Plant's Sensational Space Shifters, Graham Coxon (Blur), Bernard Butler (Suede), Karine Polwart, Ryley Walker and Martin Simpson and others for the Bert Jansch Foundation.

http://bertjansch.com/news/bert-inspired-a-concert-for-bert-jansch/

A further appearance is confirmed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Monday 21st August 2017 with Jacqui McShee.