Playing guitar, and occasional violin, with soul, blues and reggae bands in the London club scene of the 1970s, first groupThe Bone Idolsplayed local gigs and toured the South of France.During a week's residency at a nightclubin Cannes,Stephane Grappelli, who was playing down the roadat the Palm Beach Casino,came in most evenings to unwind and sat at the band table - asignificant encounter in view of future events. Playing with other local bands including The Sound of St. James and Krivoli Rog who featured vocalist Paul Conroy, later chairman of the Brit Awards. An attempt at a proper job at the BBC tape library with a view to becoming a sound engineer, was cut shortafter playing atall-nighter gigsin London at weekendsand not being on the ball on Monday morning, although came back to the BBC on a couple more occasions.

Still on guitar, All-nighters at the Flamingo Club in London's Wardour St. with the System Soul Band opposite bands like Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, and US Airforce bases around the UK with Mac and Katie Kissoon were followed by a year with Junior's Conquest, which featured Hammond organist/guitarist Junior Kerr (later aka Junior Marvin of Bob Marley and The Wailers). This was followed by 2 years, as guitarist/violinist, with The Gass, recordingfirst album at Sound Techniques and Trident Studios, which also featured Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green as a guest on two tracks. Apart from some dates in Spain The Gass played mainly the London club scene,which at the time included The Bag O' Nails, Speakeasy, Scotch of St. James, The Revolution, Rasputin's,Sybillasand aSaturday night residencyUpstairsat Ronnie Scott's where regular sitters-in included Peter Green, Georgie Fame and the horn section from Ginger Baker's Airforce.
Another venture -Phil Collins's Zox the Radar Boys - a band he formed pre Brand X, while still with Genesis - MP violin.

A change to a more acoustic style, featuring more violin, resulted intours, recordings, broadcasts from 1974with Paul Brett (3 albums).Claim to fame! - Possibly the only person ever to appear on the Old Grey Whistle Test wearing a dressing gown - see videos) - still have the OGWT badge of honour; Paul King (Mungo Jerry)- 3 albums, Ralph McTell (6 albums) and tours with Ralph and Danny Thompson, including a week in Holland supporting Randy Newmanand also concerts with Ralph's six piece band which included Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Maddy Prior and Nigel Portman-Smith.

Recording with Joanne Kelly (the greatest female British blues singer) and Pete Emery on the album Do It.

A short-lived band Horace with Rick Parnell - (famous asthe in-thebath, non-playingSpinal Tap drummer) - no gigs but one vinyl EP

Violin and guitar with Bert Jansch for several years as a duo and other line-ups including the band Conundrum with Bert, Rod Clements (Lindisfarne) and Pick Withers (later with Dire Straits), and recording 2 albums.

1980- 81a member of the Denny Laine Band (Moody Blues, Wings) - 1 album Japanese Tears (including re-workings of Go Now and Say You Don't Mind), playing UK and continental dates on guitar and violin.

In 1982 Bert Jansch askedme to join the re-formingPentangle(the original line-up, replacing John Renbourn who was leaving to pursue a music course at Dartington College), as violinist/guitarist, from 1982 - 89 (2 albums) -tours of the U.S.A., UK andand continental dates.

Alongside this there were violin jazz gigs including Keith Nichols' Ragtime Orchestra which featured in concerts at the Purcell Room in London and the Bix Beiderbeck concert series at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with Guy Barker. Also some guitar dates at Ronnie Scott's with Madeleine Bell. Three nights with Bert Jansch as part of a guitar week at Ronnie's opposite John Williams.

Further work with pianist/arranger Keith Nichols at concerts andjazz festivals. An International Fiddle Festival at Battersea Arts Centre with Nigel Kennedy. With Gypsy Jazz guitar starsFapy Lafertin, Angelo de Barre and Romane. Playing withGrappelli guitarists,including Diz Disley, Martin Taylor, John Etheridge, Bucky Pizzarelli,Jeff Green and Denny Wright. Also with the Neil Stacey's Kimbara Brothers,Jonny Hepbir Quartet, Ultraswing, Tours of Finland with The Hot Club of London(Nils Solberg and Gerry Higgins), Ian Cruikshank, Keith Stephen's Gypsy Jazz, Jack Emblow, Big Jim Sullivan, Max Brittain, John Joyce,Wizz Jones, Tom Spats Langham,Malcolm Harrison, Gary Potter, Campbell Burnap, Digby Fairweather, Alan Barnes, Piers Clark, Marty Grosz, Ken Peplowski, Chris Spedding, Howard Alden, Mike Dowling, Nigel Price, Herbie Flowers,Laurence Corns, Jason Henson,Tony Barnard,Jim Mullen,Stefan Grossman, Duck Baker, Gary Brooker, Dave Bronze's Fargo (1 album).
Long-standing member of The Lord Colwyn Band (MP vln/gtr), featuring Anthony Colwyn (dentistry/tpt/perc), saw the inside of many a Cotswold marquee and royal event. (The champagne withdrawal is evident) - 1 album.

Ventures into comedy/theatre includeBob Kerr's Whoopee Band (honorary member-3 albums and several continentaltours - MP violin/ banjo/guitar/strohviolin and saw). Recordings:Jim Davidson (The Devil Went Down to Brixton), Ivor Biggun the Red-nosed Burglars (Cyril Goes to Bognor) and Bernard Cribbins (I Can't StandYour Country Music). Long-standing partner in crime, accordionistJohn Parker alias Les Onions and MP (Hercule Croissant) liven up a few jolly events in various guises. Local Folk Club gigs with Dave Toye.
Performances and recordings with Australian vocalist Jeff Duff (Duffo) Band. Also a duo,Duffo and MP performing as Zippy Pinhead (never quite sure who was who). Duffo sported a pink jumpsuit and lived on tofu.

Russell Davies' film The Lowest of the Low - the history of the bass saxophone, includes MP in the Joe Venuti role, playing Raggin' the Scale - (see videos).

Currentlyan occasional member of John Etheridge's Sweet Chorus and played at the Xabia Jazz Fesival in Spain as a member of Martin Taylor's Spirit of Django - also playing at the party, with Jeff Green,to celebrateMartin's MBE.

Five years as jazz/rock violin/guitar tutor with the Herbie Flowers Rockshop week at Dartington International Summer School. The first International violin festival - The Genius of the Violin - held in London in 2004, featured a live broadcast from the 606 Club. The Violin Summit included playingwith Christian Garrick and Stuart Hall, and was broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Jazz Notes.

In addition to guest appearances on numerous recordings by other artistsmy first CD release Blues for Stuff and Steph, featuringa quartet,has received excellent reviews from music publications in the UK, the USA, Jazz FM and BBC radio's Jazz Notes.
One of the best swing jazz fiddlers anywhere..... New York Jazz Times. Master of the jazz violin...Jazz UK.

MP Quartet CD Take a Walk received excellent reviews and media coverage, including Humphrey Lyttelton opening his BBC Radio 2 Best of Jazz with Struttin' Stuff from the CD. (He also opened a previous show with a track from Blues for Stuff and Steph).

Stephane Grappelli - with and without Django, by Paul Balmer (Sanctuary Publications)
Exploring Jazz Violin by Chris Haigh, Schott Publications
Dazzling Stranger - Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revivalby Colin Harper, Bloomsbury Publications
The Songs and Guitar Solos of Bert Jansch Punchbowl Publications
The Guinness Who's Who of Sixties Music by Colin Larkin, Guinness Publications
Streets of London - The Official Biography of Ralph McTell by Chris Hockenhull, Northdown Publishing
Strange Brew - Eric Clapton and the British Blues Boom 1965-1970 by Christopher Hjort, JawBone Publications

31/01/16 and 1/02/16,as an ex-member of Pentangle and Bert Jansch bands,two concertsfor Celtic Connections in Glasgow, playing guitarwith Jacqui McShee as a duo, violin with Robert Plant's Sensational Space Shifters,Graham Coxon (Blur), Bernard Butler (Suede), Karine Polwart andMartin Simpson and others for the Bert Jansch Foundation.
http://bertjansch.com/news/bert-inspired-a-concert-for-bert-jansch

Appearancesat The Ivy Club in Londonwith the Joe Thompson Trio.Blues gigs with the Nigel Bagge Band and guest appearances at jazz clubs and festivals in the UK and abroad.Jazz Breakfasts with Herbie Flowers.Concerts and festivals with MP's Hot Club Trio and Martin Wheatley's Arcadians. WithMarcus Bonfanti (currently frontman for Ten Years After and The Ronnie Scott Blues Explosion) andThe Hot Strings Review with guitarist/vocalist Laurence Corns www.laurencecorns.com

Recording with guitarist Chris Spedding on John Lodge's (Moody Blues) solo album 10,000 Light Years Ago.

Concerts, includingsupporting Steeleye Span on tour, withJacqui McShee Friends (MP, Kevin Dempsey and Tom Chapman).

In November 2023 playing with JacquiMcShee and Kevin Dempsey at the Royal Festival Hall for the Bert Jansch Foundation, celebrating
what would have been Bert's 80th birthday.

In December 2023 playing with Ralph McTell again at the Streets of London Homeless Charity concert at the Half MoonPutney

Album recordings include:

MP-GUITARIST: Becoming aware of recordings by such artists as Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, T Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker,my first live introduction to the blues was John Mayalls Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton and then Peter Green and other British Blues bands of that era. After playing in local groups such as the Convicts, The Ighbroughs, The Bone Idols, and Sound of St. James,I joined the System Soul Band, playing Clubs and US Airforce bases in the UK, and All-nighters at Londons Flamingo Club. This led to playing in soul and reggae bands around London and Juniors Conquest led by Hammond organist/guitarist Junior Kerrwho, as Junior Marvin, later joined Bob Marley and the Wailers.

Myfirst album recording was with The Gass for Polydor records. The band was Bobby Tench (voc), DeLisle Harper (bass), Godfrey Mclean (dms), Derek Austin (keybds),myself (guitar/violin). The Gass played Londons top night clubs: The Bag ONails, Speakeasy, Blaises, Revolution, Rasputins, Sybillas, Scotch of St James, tours of Spainand, for a year,a Saturday night residency Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts. Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac was a regular sitter-in at these sessions and played on two tracks on the Gass album. The Gass also recorded with Jack Hammer (writer Great Balls of Fire). Continuingto play guitar alongside violin,including with Shakey Vick's Blues Band, which included bass playerAlex Dmochowski, (previously withAynsley Dunbar's Retaliation and later with Frank Zappa). Alex andI were planning a band Wavy Gravy - which never materialised....Blues on the Farm with Gary Brooker Band (vln) and with Madeleine Bell at Ronnie Scott's (gtr). A special moment was recording the album Do It with the great Joanne Kelly and Pete Emery in 1976.

Current gigs with contemporary blues playersinclude The Nigel Bagge Bandand Mike Dowling (USA), Duck Baker (USA,) UK band Mess of Blues (featuring Graham Hinton ex Bone Idols) and Eric Ranzonis Blues band. Playing with Laurence Corns - a very versatile musician and great bluesman too. Also with Marcus Bonfanti - great blues guitarist and vocalist with Ten Years After and Ronnie Scott Blues Explosion.

One of the blackest white geezers I've ever met - Jim Richardson (bassist with Georgie Fame, Chet Baker)

CDs STILL AVAILABLE!!!