Mick Mulligan – born Peter Sidney Mulligan on January 24, 1928, in Harrow,
England – was a traditional jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He began playing
trumpet while attending Merchant Taylor’s School. His alcoholism brought an end
to his career with the family’s wine company, so he formed the Magnolia Jazz
Band in 1948. He met jazz vocalist George Melly and they began a friendship and
professional relationship that lasted many years. Mick Mulligan’s orchestra –
which featured Archie Semple, Roy Crimmins, and Ian Christie – became one of the
UK’s most popular traditional jazz band...