Mike Cowie is a trumpet player, singer and songwriter in a funk/jazz/blues style.
After the success of his Big Night Out CD, which brought Mike’s original jazz/funk based music to audiences in Canada and Europe. Mike has followed up with the release of his latest CD Lucid Blue. A stunning fusion of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way period with hip-hop beats and electronica. Ten new Mike Cowie originals, combine computer/DJ soundscapes with his stunning trumpet tone. The funky beats, beautiful melodies and sophisticated chord progressions create a sound that is new, fresh and timeless.
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, one of the most fertile areas of the world for producing highly original and creative musicians, Mike, at the age of 16, began sitting in with the legendary Bucky Adams, learning the art of improvisation. “Bucky was always throwing new musical concepts at me, tempos I couldn’t play yet, tunes I should know and didn’t; he was always telling me to ‘play less notes!'”
Mike spent a year at Dalhousie University where, as a first year student, he formed and conducted the Dalhousie University stage band. His first paying gig, however, was with The Prime Minister of the Blues, Dutch Mason. The gig was at the Waverly Fire Hall where they performed for a motorcycle gang. “When I played with the greatest Blues band in Canadian history, it changed my life!”
At 19, Mike moved to Toronto to study music at Humber College. Multicultural Toronto was a great place for a young musician. “I’d be playing for a Jewish wedding one night and in a Calypso band from Trinidad the next. There was so much music it was unbelievable.”
Mike toured across Canada, New York City and Boston and freelanced in Toronto. “During this time a bunch of us would get together and play in this after-hours club. To get in you had to get past the doorman, walk through a clothing store — that was never open in the day — through another door and at the end of the hallway was this nightclub. We were there for 2 years every Sunday from 1am to 6am and developed a huge following.” The group became Vertical Hold and started getting gigs at legitimate clubs and a spot on the Toronto TV show Just Jazz. “Columbia and Warner Bros. came calling, but Steve Webster, the bass player, got the gig with Billy Idol for the Rebel Yell album and tour and the rest of us became involved with other projects . . . timing is everything!” It was then that Mike left for the US.
In the late 80s, Mike returned to Canada with his young family. Halifax’s beautiful ocean locale, laid back lifestyle, and the nearness of old friends and family made it natural to think about staying. “When many of the musicians, who had left town years ago, started moving back the scene really came alive!”
Mike has produced custom designed shows and special music for YPO, WPO, Sable/Mobile Oil, Emera, Softworld, Clover/Serca/Sobeys, Superstore, Maritime Travel, Aliant, and Clearwater.
Mike has produced music CDs such as Mike Cowie and Friends Live at the Birmingham, Mike Cowie – Big Night Out, Yuletide Cheer, Peace, Lucid Blue, Theresa Malenfant’s Eye of the Hurricane, Liz Rigney’s Red Petticoat and Chameleon and Cheryl Lescom’s All the way.
Mike has been heard on recordings and/or live with Sloan, Lennie Gallant, Rita MacNeil, Theresa Malenfant, Frankie Vallie And The 4 Seasons, Leslie Gore, Matt Minglewood, Richard Wood, Dutch Mason, John Gracie, Cheryl Lescom, The Barbados Troubadours, Jean Stapleton, Jeri Brown, Holly Cole, The Nova Scotia Mass Choir, Warren Chiasson, Wayne Nicholson, The Waterfront Stompers, The Cowie/Mitchell Band, Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits, Frank MacKay, Liz Rigney, Joe Murphy, Highland Heights, The John Alphonse Big Band, The Champagnes, Rick Jeffries, BB King, and others.
Cowie has written and produced music for films and TV working with such stars as Jean Stapleton from “All in the family” and Farrah Fawcett. Wrote the original score for the award winning film Beyond Survival directed by Mike Greer.
Listen to Mike
Live At Birm
Waterbabies
Mike Cowie Demo
Dixie Devils
Performance Highlights
- East Coast Music Extravaganza
- One Fine Night
- When Swing was the Thing
- Booty Boppin’ Brass Band
- Dixie Devils
- Yuletide Cheer
- Yuletide Brass
- Yuletide Jazz
Dixie Devils Song List
Ain’t Misbehavin / Ain’t She Sweet / All Of Me / Basin Street Blues
Bill Bailey / Bourbon Street Parade / Bye Bye Blackbird / Bye Bye Blues
Caravan / Darktown Strutters Ball / Don’t Get Around Much Anymore /
Down By the Riverside / Five Foot Two / Heart Of My Heart / Hello Dolly
Honeysuckle Rose / Indiana / JaDa / Jazz Band Ball / Oh When The Saints
St. Louis Blues / Sweet Georgia Brown / Mood Indigo / Tiger Rag
Tin Roof Blues / Undecided / Washington Lee / You Are My Sunshine
What A Wonderful World
Big Night Out Dance Band Song List
90 min set:
Play That Funky Music / Oh What a Night / Brown Eyed Girl
Get Lucky / My Girl / Saw Her Standing There/Twist and Shout
Lady Marmalade / Dancing in the Street / Mustang Sally
Billie Jean / Beast of Burden / Hot Hot Hot
Natural Woman / Honky Tonk Woman
60 min set:
Everyday People / Satisfaction / Miss You
I Will Survive / Just My Imagination / Knock on Wood
Piece of My Heart / Stay With Me / 634-5789
Brick House / Sex Machine / Purple Rain
Let’s Get It On / I Feel Good
In reserve…
Good Times / I Wish / Red Red Wine
Time After Time / No Particular Place To Go / In the Midnight Hour
I Know I’m Not the Only One / Uptown Funk
Background Music
Sittin’ On The Dock of The Bay / Black Magic Woman / Stand By Me
Time is On My Side / Unforgettable / Wonderful World
Take a Walk on the Wild Side / I’m on Fire / How Can U Mend a Broken Heart?
I Want You Back / Unchain My Heart / Something is Wrong with My Baby
You Can’t Always Get What You Want / With or Without You / Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Wicked Game / For What It’s Worth / Help Me Make it Through the Night
The Last Chance Texaco / Like a Rolling Stone / Mannish Boy / Jambalaya
Waterbabies Song List
A Closer Walk With Thee / Ain’t Misbehavin’ All Blues
Basin Street Blues / Better Than Anything / Billie’s Bounce / Blue ‘n Boogie
Blues In the Night / Bourbon Street Parade / Bye Bye Blackbird
Caravan / CC Rider / Chelsea Bridge / Comes Love / Confirmation
Donna Lee / Easy Living / Fever / Fine and Mellow / Fragile
Freddie Freeloader / Freedom Jazz Dance Good-Bye / Green Dolphin Street
Here Comes The Rain Again / Here There and Everywhere
Honeysuckle Rose / How Insensitive / Human Nature /
I’m Glad there Is You / I Mean You / In A Sentimental Mood
If You Could See Me Now / I’ve Got You Under My Skin / It Had To Be You
It Never Entered My Mind / Just In Time / Just Squeeze Me / Killer Joe
Laid Back / Comes Love / Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off / Little Darlin’
L-O-V-E / Love For Sale / Lush Life / Lullaby of Birdland
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy / Milestones / Mood Indigo / Moonglow
My Funny Valentine / My Man’s Gone Now / Nothing Compares To You
Old Devil Moon / Oleo / Once Upon a Summertime
On the Sunny Side Of The Street / Ooh Shoo Bee Doo Bee / Round Midnight
Seven Steps To Heaven / Someday My Prince Will Come
Somebody Up there Likes Me / So What / Spain
Spring Can Really Hang You Up Most / Squeeze Me / Star People
Summertime / S’Wonderful / Stella By Starlight / Take Five
Take The A Train / Teach Me Tonight / Teo / The Beautiful Ones
They Can’t Take That Away From Me / Time After Time / Tin Roof Blues
True / Undecided / Walkin’ / Well You Needn’t / What’s New?
Willow Weep for me / You Are My Sunshine