In 1994, after years of playing in various ensembles and a decade in Nashville playing sessions, fronting his own band, and writing songs for artists that included Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, Kathy Mattea, and Emmylou Harris, Mike launched a solo performance career. Armed with an engaging voice, self-deprecating wit and an arsenal of elegant interpretations of old blues, swing, ragtime, and original tunes it didn't take long for Mike to capture the hearts of acoustic music fans and with the release of his first solo album, the critically acclaimed "Swamp Dog Blues", he began headlining at concerts and festivals throughout the world. In 1996, buoyed by his success as a soloist, he packed up his guitars and his fishing gear and moved from Nashville, Tennessee to a little mountain town in northwestern Wyoming.

Leaving Nashville didn't slow Mike down at all. He opened Wind River Guitar school in his Wyoming home, began to tour throughout the world, and became a popular guitar instructor at guitar camps here and abroad. He released 8 albums on his Wind River Guitar label, two more for Solid Air Records and continued to play on sessions for other artists as well, including a hillbilly jazz recording called "Airmail Special" he did with swing fiddle great Buddy Spicher. Mike calls that project, recorded in Nashville in 2005 and featuring Calvin Vollrath on twin fiddle and the great Buddy Emmons on pedal steel guitar, the most fun he's ever had in a studio. Also in 2005, Mike won a Grammy for his contribution to Pink Guitar, a collaborative compilation of Henry Mancini tunes arranged and performed by twelve of the country's top acoustic guitarists. Pink Guitar, produced by Solid Air Records, was voted Pop Instrumental Album of the Year.