Mike Carr

Who is Mike Carr?

Mike Carr is an English jazz organist, pianist and vibraphonist. For a living he travels round and performs, but he also teaches people how to write songs. Mike had an impact on the South African Jazz scene where he played Piano & Organ with many great Jazz musicians like Drummers Maurice Gawronsky, Will McClure & Bassist Basil Moses. Will commented in an article he wrote on Jazz in SA in the 60's that Mike Carr brought with him a creative maturity that changed the direction of many of the young Jazz musicians in South Africa at the time.

Younger brother of trumpeter Ian Carr, with whom he formed the EmCee Five band, he started out playing in Newcastle in the 60s before going on to London in the 70s and appearing regularly at Ronnie Scott's. EmCee Five featured some of the UK's top jazz musicians of the 60s and 70s, including John McLaughlin, Ronnie Stephenson, Malcolm Cecil, Spike Heatley and Johnny Butts. In 1976 he was band member of Eric Burdon.

From 1971-5, Carr was a member of Ronnie Scott's trio, first with Tony Crombie and later with Bobby Gien. In the mid-1980s he led the band Cargo, who were notable for recording the first jazz rap record, entitled "Jazz Rap".