Michael Paris

American winds player (saxophones, recorder, flute) and percussionist from Brooklyn, New York.
He grew up in Brooklyn and played saxophone in a local band called "The Sunday Funnies". In 1967, Paris and friends from other local bands decided to found a band called "Sweet Smoke of the Happy Plant Pipeful". The name was later shortened to Sweet Smoke, while in certain night clubs, they had to call themselves "The Ice Company", in order not to provoke the public. Paris played saxophone, recorder and percussion in the band.
The band got a gig at the "Cafe Wha?" in Greenwich Village and after success, the chief of the bar booked them for half a year to tour through Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. After that tour, he came up with the idea to go to Europe. As he was still in school, he had to quit school for the tour. He settled over to Europe in 1969.
The band headed to Amsterdam in 1969, but they were not allowed to enter the Netherlands. So they had to find a place to stay near the Dutch border in Germany, in a small town called "Emmerich".
They met sculpturer Waldemar Kuhn, who helped them to find a place and much more and who later became their band manager. They toured through Europe and recorded 2 albums. In 1972, they went to India for a one year hiatus.
Paris married an Indian woman during that time and he didn't return to the band from this travel. He stayed in India, where he quit the band and the music business in 1973 and started a new life with his wife. They are still living in India.