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The Mike Wolff Interview Part I…
Mike Wolff joined Cal Tjader's band at 19 years old. His second gig was at the Monterey Jazz Festival with Dizzy, Clark Terry and Al McKibbon. He than joined Cannonball's band and was an integral part to the Fantasy/Milestone/Bezerkely scene of the 70s. Since moving to New York he played with Nancy Wilson and was the musical director for Arsenio Hall. He still plays gigs all over the world with Badal Roy and Mike Clark among others. You can catch him at the Knickerbocker on most weekends.
JF
Mike- Great to hear your voice and learn even more about you since our old gigs back at Eric on 2nd Ave- “…meet me at the disco at 2 o’clock…”. We met through Barry at your old apt near the Museum- 88th St. circa 76? That’s where you jokingly showed me “bitunality” as opposed to “bitonality”- playing one tune in the right hand and another with the left. Don’t remember the tunes, but it was hysterical and very impressive simultaneously. Then in your West End Ave. apt. you were really fascinated by swinging on your Lynn Drum cymbals one afternoon- the things we remember. You started in the south, and now I’m ending up here now at 63 in the Myrtle Beach, SC area. Don’t miss NYC at all, but I have tons of memories to cherish. Barry got me on that Joe Farrell audition at Josandra Studio where you were on Rhodes too. It remains the only audition I’ve ever gone on, and being the perennial non- reader I still am, I felt like a drop of water in a vat of oil. Paul Metzky fairly won, and life moved on. Still love your musicality and spirit. It doesn’t surprise me you still use the same wah pedal today. BUT- the old echoplex you got from Joe Zawanul I think ended up with Lincoln Goines? Great to hear this interview- albeit 4+ years after the fact, but the net is timeless. And thanks, Jake for picking a stellar gem like Mike to interview- Bruce