Mike Longo
Mike Longo is best-known as a reliable and versatile player who was the pianist with Dizzy Gillespie during 1966-1973. Longo was born in Cincinnati and began playing piano at age three thanks to his church organist mother and part-time professional jazz bass-playing father. The family moved to Florida, where Mike, at age 15, began working with his father’s band on weekends. Cannonball Adderly heard Mike and soon they were playing the Southern “chittlin’ circuit” together. Longo earned his Bachelor of Music degree in classical piano at Western Kentucky State University.
During those years, he went on the road with the Hal McIntyre Orchestra one summer and also played with legendary guitarist Hank Garland in Nashville. Longo toured for two years with the Salt City Six. After the group played at New York’s Metropole Cafe, the band left, but Mike stayed on as the house pianist playing with such jazz notables as Coleman Hawkins, Henry Red Allen, George Wettling, Gene Krupa and many others.
After the Chicago stint studying with Peterson, Longo moved permanently to New York City which led to opportunities to work with many great singers — Nancy Wilson, Gloria Lynn, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing and others. Longo did an extended stay at Embers West with bassist Paul Chambers accompanying acts such as Frank Foster, Lee Konitz, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims and Roy Eldridge. In addition, over the years Mike has performed on albums by Dizzy Gillespie, Astrud Gilberto, James Moody, Buddy Rich, Lee Konitiz and numerous others.
Read moreTags
Album Review
- Step On It by Dan Bilawsky
- Live from New York! by Jack Bowers
- Live From New York! by Dan Bilawsky
- To My Surprise by Edward Blanco
- Sting Like A Bee by Marcia Hillman
- Sting Like a Bee by Jack Bowers
- Sting Like A Bee by Edward Blanco
- Float Like A Butterfly by Marcia Hillman
- Float Like a Butterfly by Hrayr Attarian
- Float Like a Butterfly by Jack Bowers
March 05, 2017
Pianist Mike Longo's Consolidated Artists Productions To Release His...
September 15, 2014
Pianist Mike Longo To Release New CD, "The Mike Longo Trio Celebrates...
February 07, 2014
Pianist Mike Longo Reconvenes His Trio With Bob Cranshaw & Lewis Nash...
January 10, 2014
Enter the "Mike Longo - Live From New York" Giveaway at All About Jazz!
December 13, 2009
"Sting Like A Bee" By Mike Longo
October 17, 2005
Rob Scheps performs with Jimmy Owens & Mike Longo in New York Oct. 18
September 14, 2004
Albums
Watch
Similar

piano

saxophone, alto

trumpet

piano

saxophone

piano

trumpet

bass

vibraphone

piano

saxophone, tenor

saxophone, tenor

trumpet

piano

piano

piano