Palle Mikkelborg (b. 1941) started playing trumpet in 1956 and became a professional musician in 1960. He consider himself an autodidact on trumpet. At first he was a member of the Danish Radio Jazz Group and the Danish Radio Big Band. As a leader of these bands in the 1970s, he developed his skill as a composer and arranger. Throughout the 1980's Mikkelborg toured Europe and Japan and made recordings with Gil Evans Big Band, George Russel Big Band, Terje Rypdal, Jan Garbarek, Gary Peacock, Dinu Saluzzi and others.