Mike Piggott
One of Britain’s leading jazz violinists, influenced by Stephane Grappelli, Joe Venuti and Stuff Smith in particular, Mike Piggott began his musical career as guitarist/violinist, playing with reggae, soul and blues bands including working with Junior Marvin (the Wailers), and guitarist Peter Green. He has toured, recorded and broadcast with a wide range of artists (as both violinist and guitarist) including Ralph McTell, Phil Collins, Diz Disley, Pentangle, The Kimbara Brothers, John Etheridge, Gary Potter, pianist Keith Nichols and Guy Barker’s “Bix” concert series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room (also a long-standing member of Nichols’ Ragtime Orchestra and ‘Blue Four’), and The Hot Club of London. He is featured in the “Venuti” role in Russell Davies’ television film, “The Lowest of the Low” – the history of the bass saxophone.
Recent jazz festival successes include appearances wirh Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski and Marty Grosz. A “Violin Summit” featuring Mike with Christian Garrick and Stuart Hall was recently broadcast on Radio 3’s Jazz Notes, as part of the “Genius of the Violin” festival in London.
Abbreviations: as alto sax; b acoustic bass ; bjo banjo; bsax bass sax; cl clarinet, ct cornet; d drums; eb electric bass; eg electric guitar; fl flute; flg flugel horn; g guitar; org organ; p piano : sousa sousaphone; t = trumpet; tr trombone; ts tenor sax; viol violin; voc voice.