With over 30 years under his belt as a professional percussionist, Mikel Urdy’s musical journey has seen him through many styles and challenges with widely varied artists the world over. Born in Austin, Texas in 1963, Mikel began playing professionally in 1982, a week after graduating from high school, with saxophone player Derrick Edmondson (Jody Whatley,Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins). Shortly after that, he began playing off and on with Grammy Award winning artist, Kirk Whalum, locally in Austin, Texas. Mikel also performed with pop/rock band “Spirit Child” as well as opening for major artists Sting and The Dave Matthews Band in the Starplex in Dallas Texas.

After spending four years playing in the local community college jazz band, he played with the calypso band Steel Power for three years and moved on to perform regularly with R&B group Sweet Daddy Redd and rap/hip-hop artist, MC Overlord. While with MC Overlord, he recorded two CDs, “A Better Funk” and “Dark Side” and also played regularly as a guest with artists such as Los Lonely Boys, Lisa Tingle, Ady Hernandez, (son of Grammy winning Tejano musician Joe Hernandez), The Dahebegebees, Del Castillo, and the late Stephen Bruton. Mikel went on to play and tour with renowned guitar player Monte Montgomery from 2001 – 2008. While playing with Monte’s band, they opened for artists such as Ben Taylor, The Outfield, Wide-Spread Panic, Indigenous, and Train. Mikel also toured Italy with Monte performing at the Soave Music Festival. Other notable performances with Monte Montgomery included the International Music Festival, South by Southwest (SXSW), and Austin City Limits. Other venues with Monte Montgomery included regular House of Blues dates in Boston, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans and Chicago.

In 2009 Mikel was asked to join Austin, Texas’ original 8-piece soul-band, Mingo Fishtrap. Mingo recently played the Muscle Shoals 2 Music Row Live webcast in Muscle Shoals, AL and the first ever Stax to the Max festival at the legendary Stax studio museum in Memphis, TN. Past Mingo performances have included the Delbert McClinton Sandy Beaches Cruise, on which the band has performed the last seven years; Austin City Limits, Smokey Hill River Festival, Kansas City Jazz in the Woods, The International Jazz Festival in Rochester, NY, annual performances at Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA, and many others. Other notable performances include a performance at the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center in D.C. and Summerfest in Albany, New York with the Neville Brothers. Mingo Fishtrap has performed on bills with a wide range of artists: Sting, Blues Traveler, Ozomatli, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Little Feat , Jonny Lang,Marc Broussard, Earth Wind and Fire and Tedeschi Trucks band among others.

2015 marked the end of a 7 year run with Mingo Fishtrap ,having released the CD "On Time " the previous year ,and with the release of "Spectrum"in 2015 with new band The 80H Project ,and " Imagine"the re with Grammy winning saxophonist Fabian Hernandez , the journey continues in 2018 with the release of "lonely World " with the 80H Project. Mikel also endorses Tycoon Percussion, RichSticks,Swan Percussion, and Humes & Berg .