I started playing in a Brass Band at 10. My dad took me to the band and signed me on. I didn't have any lessons except for, "try to spit something off your lip". Armed with this in-depth insight, it took me a year to become able to sit in with the band. When I went to do my Army service, I was the solo cornet player in the band and I did one of the few clever things in my life, I signed on for 6 years and bought myself out after 3. This enabled me to choose what I wanted to do in the Army, so I picked a band that was going to Hong Kong for 2 years, and off I went. Had as good a time as you can in the service, and in retrospect should have stayed in for the early pension and the cushy life!!!

I emigrated to Canada in 1967, I was a centennial project, I did the second clever thing in my life when I got a job at N.R.C. God bless them! If you have to work, that's a great place. Oh I forgot to say that I was a sheet metal worker at The De Havilland Aircraft Co. in England.

I retired and moved to Guelph, Ontario. Joined a great band called The Hot Five Jazzmakers in Toronto for 2 years. Shortly thereafter I joined the Climax Jazz Band, and played with them until I decided to return to Ottawa and my kids, the plan being that they look after me in my dotage. It seems real close at times.

My photo 1958, that's close enough, eh? 1955 Norton Dominator 500 cc.

Mick may be contacted at (613) 253-3517 or by email .

Editor's note: Since moving to Carleton Place, Mick, playing trumpet and cornet, is a member of the Community Band, member of Almonte's Standing Room Only Dance Band, member of the Concorde Jazz Trio and is performing at the St. James Gate Irish Pub in Carleton Place. with Peter Brown, Wednesdays, 6-9pm starting May 10. He also has performed on several CDs with Toronto jazz bands. The Concorde Trio's Black Butterfly CD was recorded in 2004.