Mike Strickland is an American pianist and composer whose work occupies a unique intersection of jazz, blues, and contemporary instrumental music. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, his early exposure to the Delta blues and the melodic pop of the 1960s (Beatles, Bacharach) provided a foundation of strong melodicism.
His formal education at Berklee and CSUN refined his technical facility, allowing him to master diverse styles from stride piano to cinematic orchestration. Strickland's career is marked by a highly successful independent trajectory, moving from the Pacific Northwest music scene to national distribution with over 350,000 units sold. His sound identity is characterized by a 'clean' production aesthetic, favoring high-fidelity piano recordings with occasional lush string accompaniments. Critically, he is viewed as a bridge-builder between the technical demands of jazz and the atmospheric accessibility of the New Age movement. His influence web connects the whimsical jazz of Vince Guaraldi to the commercial piano success of artists like Lorie Line, though Strickland maintains a more pronounced blues and boogie-woogie edge than many of his contemporaries.
Shares smooth jazz, vocal jazz, sentimental, traditional pop (subgenre)
Shares smooth jazz, vocal jazz, sentimental, traditional pop (subgenre)
Shares smooth jazz, orchestral_arrangement, vocal jazz, traditional pop (subgenre)
Shares reading, smooth jazz, vocal jazz, sentimental (atmosphere)
Shares smooth jazz, orchestral_arrangement, vocal jazz, traditional pop (subgenre)
Shares smooth jazz, vocal jazz, traditional pop, peaceful (subgenre)
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