Mike Fahie is a jazz trombonist, composer and educator living in Brooklyn.  His current projects include a collaboration with legendary trumpet player John McNeil (represented on the Destiny Records release, Plainsong), the Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece ensemble that features the project Urban(e) Classics, and the Mike Fahie Quintet (heard on Mike’s debut album, Anima, released on the Brooklyn Jazz Underground label).

He grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and enjoyed his first professional experience there, playing weddings and in small jazz clubs. He studied at McGill University with Muhammad Al-Khabyyr, Peter Sullivan and Andre White, and achieved the rare feat of being both lead trombone McGill Jazz I and principal trombone of the McGill Symphony Orchestra. While living in Montreal, Mike joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a trombonist and ended up serving in all three branches as a musician. He performed in the Ceremonial Guard, at the Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and with the National Band of the Naval Reserve.

Mike established himself in Montreal as a first-call trombonist and played with the great jazz vocalist Ranee Lee, salsa producer Jesus “El Nino” Alejandro, bandleader Vic Vogel and many other major Montreal jazz figures.

Shortly before moving to New York City, he played two 3-month runs of the show Forever Swing featuring Michael Bublé and Gary Guthman in Vancouver, BC.

September of the year 2000 brought Mike to New York to study with trombone master Conrad Herwig at the Manhattan School of Music. While pursuing his Master’s degree there he met and played with many of the great musicians on the scene today, including Aaron Parks, Miguel Zenon, Ambrose Akinmusire, Jon Cowherd, Will Vinson, Ryan Keberle, Jaleel Shaw, Obed Calvaire and others. He also studied with NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman at that time, and in this intense and inspiring environment began to shape and refine his personal musical style. During this time, his sextet, Utopia, won an international competition for a spot in the first Carnegie Hall Jazz Workshop which culminated in a performance in that wonderful venue.

After graduating, he formed the Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra as a creative outlet for composition and improvisation. The group has played in many venues around New York, and Mike’s current focus with the group is called Urban(e) Classics, re-imaginings of great classical pieces for the jazz orchestra, including music by Bartok, Chopin, Bach and others.

​Mike has become an in-demand sideman in New York City, playing with many highly recognized groups.  He is the lead trombonist of Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, a three-time Grammy and Juno nominated big band.  He is the principal trombonist of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York, and a member of the Gramercy Brass Quintet.  He is also a regular member of the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra, the Gregorio Uribe Big Band, and the Dan Pugach Nonet. He is a regular substitute with other great big bands including the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Charles Tolliver Big Band.

Having lived and worked in New York for over 15 years, Mike’s circle of musical colleagues has grown to include many of the biggest names in jazz. In addition to the musicians mentioned earlier, he has had the good fortune to make music with Ingrid Jensen, Tim Hagans, Mike Rodriguez, Jonathan Powell, John Ellis, Dick Oatts, Jon Irabagon, Bill McHenry, Marshall Gilkes, Jacob Garchik, Ethan Iverson, Randy Ingram, Adam Birnbaum, Dred Scott, Carmen Staaf, Ben Monder, Nir Felder, Lage Lund, Ben Street, Joe Martin, Jorge Roeder, Billy Hart, John Riley, Dan Weiss and Jochen Ruechert.

He has also had the good fortune to travel extensively as a musician. He has played in almost every American state and Canadian Province. His musical travels have brought him to Mexico, Barbados, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, China, Indonesia, and Thailand.

As a commercial musician, Mike has played several Broadway shows including the Lion King, Porgy and Bess, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Ragtime, In The Heights, and Elf.  He has appeared on a number of recordings and movies, and performs with various rock & pop bands.

He is an also a dedicated educator, and is the jazz trombone instructor at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Mike has also been on the faculty of the United Nations International School for over 15 years. He is a faculty member at the yearly Gramercy Brass Band Camp, and he has also worked across the US as a trombone and composition clinician.

Mike was a finalist for the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Trombone Competition, and was the first ever Canadian Fulbright Scholar in jazz.

Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra

The Mike Fahie Jazz Orchestra was founded in 2002 and serves as a vehicle for Mike’s large ensemble composing and arranging..  This music draws from a wide variety of influences, from classical to world to popular music, but is ultimately rooted in the contemporary New York jazz scene.

The members of the MFJO are all well-established musicians on the NYC jazz and commercial scene, and many are bandleaders and composers in their own right. The MFJO has performed in many venues in NYC and in the Northeast. The MFJO has resulted in several large ensemble composition commissions, notably including 3 for premiere at the Festival of International Schools at Carnegie Hall: The Odyssey (2016) for wind band, The Planets (2019) for jazz band and strings, and Bogotà (2019) for wind band with euphonium soloist.

www.mikefahie.com

Press Quotes

“…an erudite, witty composer and a trombonist with serious chops…” – Stereophile