Toronto-based trumpeter and composer Mike Field has the capacity for vision much like a phoenix scanning the landscape and collecting sensory information, creating with intense excitement and deathless inspiration. His latest collection of nine instrumental tracks, called ASHES, delivers a deep and penetrating array of textures and sounds.

Field can be frequently heard playing with various bands at local concert venues such as The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, The El Mocambo and The Rex. He has toured Canada three times (with rock/funk band Jay Spectre), and has played the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto and in New Zealand (where his trumpet can be heard in the experimental bossa-nova collective The Inverts). He is also in the well-known reggae collective High Plains Drifter, playing numerous local Bob Marley and Peter Tosh tribute shows.

1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?

Today (Friday, May 24), we’re preparing for our third Vietnamese jazz concert, which takes place tomorrow night. Last year we were invited to be “the young local jazz band” to join Don Thompson and some Vietnamese singers in a concert of Vietnamese jazz songs and original local jazz music. It went so well, we’re now on our third concert and are now the headlining band. The crowds have grown to about 200 people and it’s been really amazing learning so much about their culture through music. I’ve even been fortunate enough to have translated a famous song of theirs and arranged a couple more for jazz quintet. Also, sharing the stage with Don Thompson and Diana Panton has been really nice too.

2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?

Can’t wait to see Dr. John this summer at the jazz festival.

3. How about as a music maker/player?

I’ll be performing at the Lighthouse Café in Los Angeles this July. It’s the second time I’ll be taking the stage there to perform my original music, and really amazing to play where Chet Baker and so many other famous musicians have performed. I hire a local band – all players who are crazy talented and pick up my tunes so quickly and play them so well.

4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?

We’re releasing our second album of jazz originals this fall. It’s been 12 months in the making, we’ve gone a lot further since our first one and it’s been really exciting to add flamenco guitar and vocals to our traditional jazz quintet sound. This summer, I’ll be finishing up the mixing, mastering and printing, and beginning the promo campaign.

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