Michael “Spike” Wilner, was born in the city of Manhattan. His father is a professor of Hematology and his mother a clinical social worker. Spike hails from a direct line to a famous rabbinical dynasty founded by his great-great-great grandfather, Moses Sofer, who was a mystic and a sage. His grandmother, Marie, was a well-respected painter in the Abstract Expressionist style. She was active on the New York art scene of the 1930's through the 1960's.

Spike was inspired to play ragtime piano at a young age after seeing a docudrama on the life of Scott Joplin. This led to a life-long passion for piano playing, ragtime and jazz music. Spike made his performance debut at the age of 14 by playing Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag at the St. Louis Ragtime Festival, then held on the Goldenrod Showboat moored on the Mississippi River. Spike continued his music studies through highschool and participated in its award winning jazz band.

In 1986, Spike entered into the first class of the, now legendary, New School For Social Research's Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, then led by the late Arnie Lawrence. In this original class, Spike met and befriended many of today's prominent members of the current jazz scene. This included: Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Jesse Davis, Chris Potter, Roy Hargrove, Sam Yahel and others.

Spike entered into a period of intense study and worked with many great teachers. Of the most important were: Barry Harris, Jaki Byard, Kenny Werner, Walter Davis Jr., Kenny Barron, Mark Thompson, Harry Whitaker, Fred Hersch and Terry Waldo.

Spike performed with and has led many bands in New York City at many famous, now closed, jazz clubs including The Village Gate, The Angry Squire, Visiones, Augies, The West End Gate and The Village Corner. Spike also toured with The Artie Shaw Big Band, The Glen Miller Orchestra and Maynard Furgeson. Spike also worked with Tony Bennett as his personal rehearsal pianist. Spike has toured in Europe frequently under his own name and as a sideman with other projects.

In 1994, Spike began to work a regular gig at Smalls Jazz Club. This became his permanent musical home. In 2007, Spike became a partner and general manager of Smalls Jazz Club. One of his initiatives was to create SmallsLIVE, a digital media company dedicated to recording and disseminating the music created at Smalls. He was one of the first to utilize live streaming from the club and developed an international audience of dedicated Smalls fans. In September of 2014, Spike opened a new jazz venue called Mezzrow, dedicated to the jazz piano duo format. Mezzrow has been very well received and was named “Best Piano Bar” in New York Magazine’s “Best of “ issue and “Best Jazz Club of 2015” by the Village Voice.

Spike has several recordings out under his name including his latest “Koan” (Posi-tone), “A Blues of Many Colors” (Freshsound/New Talent), ”Planet Jazz” (Sharp Nine) and ”Three To Go” (Positone) as well as 2 others on his own SmallsLIVE label. Spike has published a folio of transcriptions of the work of Willie ”The Lion” Smith entitled “The Lion Of The Piano: 9 Compostions by Willie “The Lion” Smith. Spike completed his Masters Degree in Piano Performance at the State University of New York in Purchase, New York in 2007.