Born and raised in Toronto, jazz trumpeter, composer and vocalist Mike Field is known for his bright and energetic music. His works have earned him a series of prestigious awards, and he travels around the world performing his original compositions with local musicians at jazz festivals and clubs. Whether he’s playing one of his standard-like instrumental jazz tunes or singing a silly world-music vocal piece, his music is a mix of fun, technical ability and cultural influences.

His fifth album, Nashland (2025), has been described as “a joy from start to finish” (Scott Yanow) and a “bold new statement in modern jazz” (JazzChill Magazine), receiving extensive radio play across North America. Other accolades include winning the worldwide Independent Music Award for Jazz Music Producer (Ghost And The Paperboy 2018), the Toronto Independent Music Award for Best Jazz Vocals (Magnolia 2017), and reaching #1 on the Canadian Jazz Charts (Attic Jump 2016). Notable recent concerts include the Nelson Jazz Festival in New Zealand, the Grampians Jazz Festival in Australia, the Newmarket and Niagara-on-the-Lake Jazz Festivals in Canada, the Lighthouse Cafe in Los Angeles, SCAT Jazz Club in Madeira and Gregory’s Jazz Club in Rome.

Mike’s philosophy is that life is too short to take it seriously, so we should have as much fun as possible. And this shows in his music – similar to how Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Brian Setzer have done in the past. His melodies are dynamic, exciting and since learning languages and travelling to all corners of the world have always been part of Mike’s life, the titles of his songs often reflect movement and cultures – such as Five Days in Hermosa, High Altitude or the Latin-flavoured tune, Train Station Frustration.

Mike began studying trumpet when he was 10 years old with private teachers from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and later New York University, and taught himself to play rhythm guitar and write music. In 2007, he left a PhD in Spanish Computational Linguistics when he realized playing music would be so much more fun. He is an unsigned, independent solo artist; he has five full albums (Nashland, True Stories, Attic Jump, Rush Mode and Ashes) and is currently touring to promote his latest works.

He performs regularly in Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, with the odd concert in South Korea, Chile and Antarctica.

“Attic Jump lives up to its name, boldly swingin’ from start to finish” -Howard Druckman, SOCAN Words & Music

Name:

Mike Field

Genre:

Jazz

Founded:

2009

# of Albums:

5

Latest Album:

Nashland (July 2025)

Latest Single:

Traffic Police (July 2026)

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

Pearl Jam

Favourite musician now:

Louis Armstrong

Guilty pleasure song:

Hero by David Guetta

Live show ritual:

Telling stories

Favourite local musician:

Paul Metcalfe

EP or LP?

LP. I love the idea of albums. As the person making an album, they can be huge projects that take a long time to put together, like writing a thesis or a book. They can be painstaking at times, but the end result is something tangible, something to be proud of. As a listener, albums can tell a story about the artist, they tell what their mindset was at the time, they’re long enough to put you in the same mood as the music itself.

Early bird or night owl?

Early bird. I love the quiet of the mornings, having a clear head, going for a walk down by the lake, getting lost in my own thoughts. It’s the peace before the chaos of the day sets in. It also lets me feel like I’ve gotten more done during the day.

Road or studio?

Road. I love travelling. I love being out there. I constantly feel the pull – the pull of new cultures, new languages, new experiences. I’m on the road six months of the year, and it’s so great. Don’t get me wrong – I love coming back home; Toronto is where I grew up, where my heart is, where my friends and family are. Being away, though, helps me keep perspective on how good we have it here at home. We’re so lucky here in Canada, in Toronto, and I love being away partly to be an ambassador of Canada, partly to meet new people and see how the rest of the world lives.

Where can we follow you?

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Bluesky

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Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

The Novotel on the Esplanade. It’s just down the street from me and has a great happy hour every day. I love to sit under the porticos, sipping a drink at one of their tables, and watching people go in and out of the Spaghetti Factory across the street.

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

The Esplanade. It’s a local community, it has everything – low-rise apartments, schools, daycares, cafés, bars, restaurants, and it’s bookended by St. Lawrence Market on one end and the Distillery on the other. It’s only a 10-minute walk to the lake and has great cycling paths. Can’t beat that!

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Biidaasige Park! I love the new park they’ve built! It’s right around the corner from me, and it’s just so beautiful. The way they’ve brought back the natural habitat and let the Don River flow the way it always did before is just so great. There are already so many animals that have moved back in, the plants are growing tall, it’s so green, the bike and walking paths are pristine, and the newest part along the actual waterfront is just beautiful. I love it and can’t wait to see the rest of it!

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

The Distillery Main Stage. It’s not a venue per se, but when they have live shows in the main square of the Distillery during the summer, it’s so great to just sit out there and listen to the bands play. The bands are always great, and the vibe of sitting in an old, brick town square surrounded by the buzz of people walking by, listing to live music, is just so great.

What is your favourite music store in your city?

I always loved the local cafés that sold CDs from indie artists who lived in the neighbourhood. They were always the coolest, and I loved being able to support other local musicians by picking up one of their albums there. As an artist, to have a CD at a café meant you were out there pounding the pavement, trying to find people who could help promote your music – and the cafés that helped were always gems. These days it’s not so common since a shift to vinyl makes it a bit impractical to sell such a large format on the counter beside the cash register. For that, I’d head to She Said Boom in Roncesvalles, no question!