Mike Melito

Mike Melito hails from Rochester, NY where he keeps an active performance, recording, and teaching schedule. Mike comes from a very musical family and started playing at a very early age. Mike's older brother Tom is also a jazz drummer based in NYC for over 30 years. He helped Mike in every aspect of jazz drumming

Mike Melito hails from Rochester, NY where he keeps an active performance, recording, and teaching schedule. Mike comes from a very musical family and started playing at a very early age. Mike's older brother Tom is also a jazz drummer based in NYC for over 30 years. He helped Mike in every aspect of jazz drumming. His father and other brother Chris both play trumpet and played an important role in Mike becoming a musician. They have encouraged him to study hard, listen to the greats and above all be swingin!! Mike names Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Art Taylor, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb and Papa Jo Jones as main influences. Mike started his professional career at age 16 playing with vibraphonist Joe Locke and saxophonist Joe Romano in his hometown of Rochester. Work then started to snowball for Mike, he started getting calls to play all over upstate NY. He started leading a jam session in the mid 80's at the now defunct Rochester jazz room Indigos. He continued to lead many groups in the 90's as well as freelancing. In 1997 he released his first of six critically acclaimed CDs called MY CONCEPTION. From there he started to appear on a lot of CDs as a sideman and in 2001 released his second CD BOUT TIME followed by THE NEXT STEP which was released in 2005. IN THE TRADITION 2008, THE RIGHT TIME 2011 and his latest NEW YORK CONNECTIONS 2016.His recordings caught the attention of Downbeat that in turn did a feature article on him. Mike is also on over 20 CD's as a sideman. Over the years he has gone on to play with names such as James Moody, Barry Harris, JR Monterose, Chris Potter, Eric Alexander, Vincent Herring, Gary Smulyan, John Swana, Fred Wesley, Danilo Perez Harry Allen, Peter Bernstein, Grant Stewart, David Hazeltine and many more. He is the house drummer of The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and backs many artists who come through upstate NY. When not playing or recording, Mike teaches at The Eastman Community Music School and on his own.