ABOUT
Young Mikan on stage with Chet Baker
Born a musical prodigy in former Yugoslavia, Mikan started his professional jazz career as a teenager. Top musicians, the audiences and music critics alike quickly recognised his immense talent.
Throughout the '80s he remained a major feature on the thriving Yugoslav jazz scene. In the early '90s, however, he decided to pursue bigger musical challenges, at first in New York, and ten years later in San Diego, where he regularly shares the stage with the likes of Gilbert Castellanos, Charles McPherson, Allison Adams-Tucker, Chuck McPherson, Bob Magnusson, Rob Thorsen, Jamie Shadowlight, and many other notable performers.
At RTP studios in 1984
Mikan's father, a local jazz guitarist, exposed him to jazz very early on. The father and son would use an old German-made Grundig reel-to-reel recorder to tape jazz tracks and then play them back at half speed.
This allowed them to observe and analyse in microscopic detail the delicate structure, the subtle nuances and solos of artists such as Thelonious Monk, Wes Montgomery, McCoy Tyner, Joe Pass, Chick Korea, Joe Zawinul, or indeed the legendary Oscar Peterson, to whom Mikan is often compared.
With Horace Silver, San Diego 2001
On piano or synthesiser, Mikan's fiery performances continue to thrill and excite his audiences. He connects jazz fans in many settings, from concert halls to small clubs to street corners. His musical chemistry and remarkable skills captivate and welcome his audience into his music, offering an exciting and memorable jazz experience.
No two performances can ever be the same. Mikan's music constantly evolves through his never-ending search for new creative possibilities.
Mikan's signature expression
Mikan is a natural jazz ambassador. He always presents himself with class and dignity and interacts with his audiences and musicians with great passion and professional integrity.
He deeply understands the power of music to transcend all language, race, and cultural barriers and to present a common ground where people of any age, race, or culture can enjoy and share the magic of jazz ••
Stephen Ziggy Tashi
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