:Michael Mondesir

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File:The Billy Cobham Band Michael Mondesir Unterfahrt-2012-10-23-015.jpg

Michael Mondesir (born 6 February 1966 in London) is an English jazz bass guitarist,{{cite web|url=http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/profile/MichaelMondesir |title=Michael Mondesir'S Page - The Jazz Network Worldwide "A Great Place To Hang" |website=Thejazznetworkworldwide.com |access-date=2016-09-30}} and composer. {{Cite web|url=http://www.google.co.uk/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990508232555/http://www.google.co.uk/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 1999|title=Google|date=May 8, 1999}} He is one of the most in demand jazz bass players in Europe,{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/breaking-news/13592-mark-mondesir-set-for-yamaha-uk-drum-clinic-tour |title=Mark Mondesir set for UK Yamaha drum clinic tour |website=Jazzwisemagazine.com |access-date=2016-09-30}} touring regularly with drummer Billy Cobham,{{cite web|url=http://www.billycobham.com/html/projects.php |title=Projects |publisher=Billy Cobham |access-date=2016-09-30}} Cream (band) drummer Ginger Baker{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzjournal.co.uk/magazine/612/preview-ginger-baker-in-stratford |title=Preview: Ginger Baker in Stratford |website=Jazzjournal.co.uk |date=2013-09-20 |access-date=2016-09-30}} and James Brown musical director Pee Wee Ellis.{{cite web|url=http://sijf.co.uk/phone/pee-wee-ellis-swansea-international-jazz-festival-2016.html |title=Pee Wee Ellis Swansea International Jazz Festival 2016 |website=Sijf.co.uk |date=2016-06-17 |access-date=2016-09-30}} He is credited as bass player on over twenty major name jazz albums.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-mondesir-mn0001732566 |title=Mike Mondesir | Credits |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2016-09-30}}

Brother of drummer Mark Mondesir,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1fUAwAAQBAJ&q=michael+mondesir&pg=PA250 |title=Who's Who of British Jazz |edition=2nd |page=250 |date= 21 June 2004|isbn=9780826472342 |access-date=2016-09-30|last1=Chilton |first1=John |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic }} Michael Mondesir started playing drums at the age of 11 and moved to bass guitar when he was 16. Like his brother, he is largely self-taught. He played jazz fusion oriented music in a trio called EMJIEM (with guitarist Hawi Gondwe). Then he and his brother visited Weekend Jazz Workshops in North London organized by Ian Carr and from the late 1980s started playing with jazz musicians including the saxophonists Courtney Pine, Iain Ballamy and Steve Williamson,{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/breaking-news/13244-steve-williamson-and-courtney-pine-tuck-into-pizza-express-jazz-club |title=Steve Williamson and Courtney Pine tuck into Pizza Express Jazz Club |website=Jazzwisemagazine.com |access-date=2016-09-30}} and with pianists Jason Rebello and Django Bates (in "Human Chain") and international musicians including Billy Cobham,{{cite news|author=John L Walters |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/feb/25/jazz |title=Billy Cobham/Empirical, Ronnie Scott's, London | Music |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2016-09-30}} Jeff Beck,{{cite web|author=Alan Ticheler |url=http://dynamic88.securesites.net/~dynamic7/janhammer.com/archive/A-UKtour.html |title=Jan Hammer & Jeff Beck Reunite For U.K. Tour! |website=Dynamic88.securesites.net |access-date=2016-09-30}} John McLaughlin, and Annette Peacock.

The Rough Guide To Jazz describes Mondesir as "a superb bassist with phenomenal concentration and excellent time."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5wrGL-a-Q8C&q=jason+rebello+mike+mondesir&pg=RA1-PR97 |title=The Rough Guide to Jazz |author1=Ian Carr |author2=Digby Fairweather |author3=Brian Priestley |page=97 |date=1966-02-06 |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=9780312278700 |access-date=2016-09-30}}

In 2009, Mondesir joined the Thriller – Live world tour celebrating the life of Michael Jackson. The Brisbane Weekender noted that Michael Mondesir "boasted instrumental skills that made the crowd go wild".{{cite web|url=https://brisbaneweekender.com/2015/01/19/thriller-live-jackson-5/ |title=Thriller Live – Jackson 5 |publisher=Brisbane Weekender |date=2015-01-19 |access-date=2016-09-30}}

He has performed with artists including Jeff Beck, Billy Cobham, Ginger Baker, Eddie Harris, Jack DeJohnette,{{cite web|url=http://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/jack-dejohnette-group-adrian-boult-hall-birmingham-20-11-2012/ |title=Jack DeJohnette Group - Jack DeJohnette Group, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham, 20/11/2012. | Review |publisher=The Jazz Mann |access-date=2016-09-30}} John McLaughlin,{{cite web|url=http://www.londonjazznews.com/2010/05/review-john-mclaughlin-and-fourth.html |title=LondonJazz: Review: John McLaughlin and the Fourth Dimension |website=Londonjazznews.com |date=2010-05-11 |access-date=2016-09-30}} Oumou Sangare, Usher, Whitney Houston, Imogen Heap, Sir George Martin, State of Bengal, Hermeto Pascoal,{{Cite web|url=http://jazztimes.com/articles/172284-hermeto-pascoal-s-80th-birthday-concert|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727034128/http://jazztimes.com/articles/172284-hermeto-pascoal-s-80th-birthday-concert|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 27, 2016|title=Jazz Articles: Hermeto Pascoal's 80th Birthday Concert - By Paul Wood — Jazz Articles|date=July 27, 2016}} David Garibaldi, Jan Hammer, Ty, Zoe Rahman, Jim Mullen, Ronnie Wood,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xjwDAwAAQBAJ&q=ronnie+wood+michael+mondesir&pg=PT469 |title=Hot Wired Guitar: The Life of Jeff Beck |author=Martin Power |page=469 |date= 8 March 2012|publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=9780857128102 |access-date=2016-09-30}} John Serry Jr., Andy Summers, Django Bates,{{cite news|author=John Fordham |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2001/jul/12/jazz |title=Jazz: Django Bates/ Human Chain | Music |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=2016-09-30}} Gary Husband, Chante Moore, Lulu, Nitin Sawhney, Lenny White, Chad Smith, Courtney Pine, Jocelyn Brown{{cite news|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/event/jocelyn-brown-saturday-standing-room-only/ |title=Jocelyn Brown - Saturday - STANDING ROOM ONLY |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=2015-01-09 |access-date=2016-09-30}} Jason Rebello, Brice Wassy, Neneh Cherry, Nikki Yeoh, Bernard Purdie, Iain Ballamy{{cite web|author=Christine Steuer |url=http://www.jazzcds.co.uk/artist_id_2/cd_id_158 |title=Acme by Iain Ballamy |website=Jazzcds.co.uk |access-date=2016-09-30}} Bill Bruford, Julian Joseph, Leni Stern, Mory Kante, Keith More, Trilok Gurtu, Mike Lindup, Aster Aweke, S-Club 7, Talvin Singh, Pee Wee Ellis, and Neneh Cherry.{{cite web | url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/michael-mondesir-in-36-years-of-playing-professionally-i-havent-really-owned-a-high-end-bass | title=Michael Mondesir: "In 36 years of playing professionally, I haven't really owned a high-end bass" | date=9 June 2020 }}

He has taught as a freelancer at the Royal Academy of Music and at the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen.

Michael is the bass player for West End show [http://www.dreamgirlswestend.com/ Dream Girls] in London from March 2017.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/MichaelMondesir?lang=en | title=MichaelMondersirBass |website=Twitter.com |date=2017-01-01 |access-date=2017-04-05}}

Michael also has 2 children, Julius and Ellis, of which, Julius is a Twitch streamer and amateur music producer.