Mike Richmond

Philadelphia-born bassist Mike Richmond has channeled his worldwide passion for music through performances alongside jazz greats Miles Davis and Stan Getz, folk/blues singer/songwriter Richie Havens, Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, and the South Indian Orchestra, while also acting as chief instructor for the National German Jazz Orchestra. Originally a guitarist, he drew inspiration from a mid-'50s Bill Haley and the Comets concert he attended with his parents and made the switch to bass after entering his high school orchestra. An early grasp of world music took root at home, where his mother often played Middle Eastern records, and his interest in Indian music was kindled by the late-'40s television series Ramar of the Jungle soundtrack together with the Beatles' involvement in that tradition. Richmond has contributed to landmark jazz undertakings, among them the Miles Davis and Quincy Jones collaborative concert in Montreux, Switzerland, which proved to be Davis's final appearance, and he later took Charles Mingus's place in Mingus Dynasty. On his debut solo album Basic Tendencies he was joined by harp player Lois Colin, percussionists Glen Velez and Joe Passaro, and oud player Simon Shaheen. New York University presented him with a Teacher of the Year award in 1994 for his work there.