Michael J. Parlett
Michael J. Parlett (also known as Mike Parlett) is a prominent British-born jazz saxophonist and producer.
Career
Michael J. Parlett (also known as Mike Parlett) is a prominent British saxophonist whose MusicAL abilities were borne of the 1980 jazz music genre. With the end of disco music in the U.S., a sub-genre of jazz music emerged and later became popular in the UK. Michael plays jazz and gospel in this style which is characterized by R&B, funk, and pop known as pop fusion jazz (or “Smooth jazz”).
As a young man, Michael first pursued a career in an Accountancy firm in London but later in 1982 realized his passion for music, playing in London pubs and clubs on drums until he found his true calling on the saxophone. In 1993, he obtained a Bachelor Music degree at Goldsmiths, University of London and thereafter, a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education) at the Middlesex University in 1994, where he was nominated for the distinctive Arts Foundation of England award.
Michael’s musical talents include his ability to play all saxophones (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone) and the blowing of the shofar. He is also a flautist playing the concert flute, piccolo, and Indian flutes, as well as the WX7 Wind Synthesizer, an electronic musical instrument that is played like a saxophone, recorder, trumpet, and clarinet. Wind synthesizers are often labeled as being significantly more expressive in making music because the volume of the musical notes is controlled by the player's breath. Michael is often seen playing two saxes at the same time ala Roland Kirk.
Dr. Joseph Vento, 1 Conductor, Composer, Musicologist of Joe Vento Music in Las Vegas, California penned the following statement about Michael’s musical abilities. “Michael is an orchestral woodwind specialist and a much sought after musician/performer. His brilliant performance on orchestral woodwind instruments radiate with intense, unusually unique conceptualization and interpretive qualities which commands respect towards all written musical literature. Michael is a most coveted and musical artist in the symphonic, chamber music, Latin and jazz fields of music.”
Michael has played alongside some of the world’s biggest names – artists such Roy Ayers, Lulu (singer), The Jones Girls, Take That, Jazz Africa, Simply Red, Joey Negro and M People – but he also runs his own management company, agency and record label, Talented Productions. He has performed and recorded with many top artists around the world, performing at venues such as Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Jazz Café, Café Royal, The Royal Albert Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and many other establishments both in the UK and U.S.
In 2005, Michael recorded and produced his own CD which he titled, “Waiting on You”, featuring many UK session musicians and singers including Incognito’s Joy Rose and other top singers including Lurine Cato and Waine Hernandez.
Relocating to the USA in 2006, by the following year Michael performed alongside Peabo Bryson at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, California. He has since played with Jeffrey Osborne and Randy Crawford to mention a few and he continues to work as a session musician and producer, working with such renown artists as grammy nominated Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown (guitarist), Najee, and Eric Benet while broadcasting his radio show, The Mike Parlett Show on Solar Radio, 2 via internet to the UK from his own studio in Southern California.
Endorsements
Artists played and recorded with
- Take That
- Eternal
- Jose James
- Jones Girls
- Richard Niles
- Soul immigrants
- Roy Ayres
- Gabrielle
- Jim Mullen
- Simply Red
- Darlene Zschech
- Noel Robinson
- Yazz
- Lulu
- Right Said Fred
- Helen Shapiro
- M People
- Geno Washington
- Abdul Kader Saadoun
- Ron Kenoly
- Adlan Cruz
- Joy Rose
- Judy Jacobs
- Sunnie Paxson
- Helen Baylor
- Mica Paris
- Andre and Sandra Crouch
- Darwin Hobbs
- Eddie Long
- Juanita Bynum
- Joyce Meyer
- Mike Murdoch
- Randy Crawford
- Jeffrey Osborne
- Jeff Lorber
- Najee
- Eric Benet
- Larry Dunn
- Brian Culbertson