Mike Essoudry is a sensitive, active and responsive drummer-composer with strong musical intuition. In 2003 Mike received a Master of Music degree (Jazz Drumset Performance) from McGill University where he studied drumset with Chris McCann, Dave Laing and Michel Lambert. Mike is pleased to be releasing Passage, his recording of original compositions and arrangements for octet, on Jan. 10th at the NAC's Fourth Stage as a part of the Ottawa International Jazz Festival Concert Series. Mike is active as a dance accompanist and performs regularly in avant-garde free jazz and improv settings with Parade and has recorded a self-titled CD (Mal 006) with Linsey Wellman. Mike plays drums, clarinet, baritone ukulele, and glockenspiel with singer/songwriter Megan Jerome. Mike has toured Canada with the Mighty Popo in 2001, and with the Megan Jerome Trio in 2006.
In 2009, Mike released a CD of his own compositions for jazz octet entitled "Passage" to critical acclaim and is composing music for the improv-core chamber-type group Parade for an upcoming CD as well as new material for a 2nd octet recording. Mike is active in the improvised music scene as well having released a duo album on Malasartes (MAM006) with Linsey Wellman in 2007. In addition to composing for his octet Mike composes for new musical settings for silent movies.
Mike is also an active drumset teacher and dance accompianist with Propeller Dance and the group Dancing in the Streets and performs in many different musical settings from folk to musical theatre, from jazz to rock to 20th century classical percussion.