Mikey Mao Chung has been associated with the Jamaican Music Industry since the late sixties. He is known and respected for his role in reggae music. Beginning as a singer during High school Mikey formed “The Minstrels†a vocal trio who recorded for Studio 1 and Federal Records. During this period Mikey also started to play guitar and bass in local road bands like The Mystics, The Virtues, Generation Gap, Byron Lee, Inner Circle, The In Crowd and his own band The Now Generation.
Recording sessions were also becoming a regular job and Mikey found himself doing work for producers like Niney The Observer, Joe Gibbs, Bunny Lee, Randys, Lee Scratch Perry, Duke Reid, Matador, Moodies, GG Records, Harry J, Derrick Harriott, Dynamics, Federal and Channel 1.
This became his main focus both as a freelance player and also with his band NowGen who stopped playing on the road and became a popular studio group. NowGen members included brother Geoffrey Chung (who later became a record producer/engineer) on guitar, Robbie Lyn on keyboards, Earl Wire Lindo on keyboards, Val Douglas on Bass, and Mikey Boo Richards and Martin Sinclair on drums.Initially a self taught musician, Mikey also studied at The Jamaica School of Music. Tutors included Joe Williams, Ernie Ranglin, Olve Lewin, Margorie Whylie, Melba Liston and Peter Ashbourne. At school Mikey devoted more time on the bass guitar which led him to work with Ernie Ranglin, Lester Bowie and the late Dexter Gordon.Mikey has toured and recorded with Jacob Miller and The Inner Circle .
Mikey was a member of Word Sound Power recording and touring with the late Peter Tosh.
With Sly and Robbie he has recorded and toured with Black Uhuru and as a member of the Taxi Gang.
Mikey was a member of Island Records’ Compass Point All Stars.
Mikey has recorded and toured with Serge Gainsbourg.
In 1997 Mikey reunited NowGen to record "After 30 Years Life is Just for Living" with Ernie Smith.
Mikey has remained to be one of Jamaica’s foremost session musicians and has recently toured with Buju Banton.Jamaican artistes recorded with - Ken Boothe, John Holt, Dennis Brown, Gregory Issacs, The Gaylads, The Heptones, Marcia Griffiths, The Abyssinians, Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley, Lorna Bennet, Joe Higgs, Chosen Few, Derrick Harriott, Barry Biggs, Ernie Smith, Ken Lazarus, Israel Vibrations, Ken Parker, Nicky Thomas, Bob Andy, Big Youth, Stanley and the Turbines, Delroy Wilson, Pablo Moses, Junior Byles, Black Uhuru, Wailing Souls, Peter Tosh, IJahman Levi, Sly and Robbie, Inner Circle, Toots and the Maytals, Ernie Ranglin, Floyd Lloyd, Garnet Silk, Kulcha Knox, Doniki, Beenie Man, I Wayne and Buju Banton among others.International Artstes recorded with – Grace Jones, Gwen Guthrie, Serge Gainsbourg, Mick Jagger, Bernard Lavilliers, Sandra Bernard, Valrie LaGrange, Marianne Faithful, Manu Dibango, Joe Cocker, Chris Hinze, Khaled, Barry Reynolds, James Brown,Hubert Felix Thiefaine and more recently Sinead O Connor among others.NowGen Discography include :
Peter Tosh - Maga Dog. (Joe Gibbs)
Peter Tosh - Dem Ha Fe Get a Beating. (Joe Gibbs)
Junior Byles - Beat Down Babylon. (Lee Scratch Perry)
Dennis Brown - Things in Life. (Matador)
Dennis Brown - Baby Don’t Do It. (Matador)
Dennis Brown - Silhouttes. (Derrick Harriott)
Lorna Bennet - Breakfast in Bed. (Harry J)
Chosen Few - Shaft. (Derrick Harriott)
Ken Boothe - Is it Because I’m Black.
Ken Boothe - Six in One.
Ernie Smith - Pitta Patta. (Federal)
Ernie Smith - Life is just for Living. (Federal)
Abyssinians - Y Mas Gan. (Matador)
Ken Lazarus - Hail the Man. (Federal)Minstrels Discography include :
Studio 1 - People Get Ready, Yours until tomorrow. Federal - So Weary, Hey There Lonely Girl.
Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting
