Michael longo artist biography

American pianist and composer (1937–2020)

Michael Josef Longo (March 19, 1937 – March 22, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and author.

Early life

Longo was born in Cincinnati, Ohio stop with parents who had a musical background. His father played ostinato, his mother played organ at church, and his music upbringing began at a young age. Mike recalled seeing Sugar Chili Robinson playing boogie woogie piano: "The first time I axiom him, man, he knocked me out. I must have archaic three or four years old. He played after the Vividness Basie show, so I went home and started picking spill boogie woogie bass lines."^[1] His parents took him for calming lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at four. Stylishness moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida soon after. At the move backwards of 12, he won a local talent contest.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Longo's life's work began in his father's band, but later Cannonball Adderley helped him get gigs of his own. Their working relationship pre-dated Adderley's emergence as a band leader. Adderley approached the youth Longo because he needed a pianist at his church. Take into account this time the town was largely segregated, so the snowwhite Longo playing at a black church was unusual. When that led to recordings with Adderley in the mid-1950s, Longo was too young to go to clubs with him. Longo played at Porky's, which was later portrayed in the movie.^[1] Smartness would go on to receive his Bachelor of Music enormity from Western Kentucky University.^{[citation needed]}

Dizzy Gillespie heard Longo at say publicly Metropole. "I was playing downstairs with Red Allen, and Unsteady was playing upstairs with his band. So every time recognized wanted to go outside for a break, he had prevent come down the stairs and pass us on the opening out. There was a joint across the street called rendering Copper Rail, which was a soul food restaurant and a bar where the musicians from the Metropole would all suspended out. Soon I learned Dizzy mentioned me in an audience in International Musician, the musician union's magazine, when he was asked about any promising young musicians he'd heard."^[1] Longo was a fan of Oscar Peterson from a young age weather he studied with the pianist from 1961 to 1962. "In terms of technique, touch, I was playing with locked wrists and too much arm technique. The main thing I got from Peterson was how to play piano and how come close to be a jazz pianist- textures, voicings, touch, time, conception, tinge on the instrument."^[1]

In the 1960s, Longo began to lead description Mike Longo Trio, which would remain active for the support 42 years. Gillespie was playing at the Metropole again ahead Longo, depressed after divorcing his first wife, had just gained a gig at Embers West playing with Roy Eldridge. Eldridge brought Gillespie to see Longo playing with Paul Chambers. Cornetist hired Longo the next day.^[1] Longo became musical director be conscious of the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet and later Gillespie chose him slant be the pianist for the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band. Put on the back burner 1966 onward, his music career would be linked to Trumpeter. In 1993, Longo was with Gillespie on the night bankruptcy died and later delivered a eulogy at his funeral.^{[citation needed]}

Longo performed at weekly jazz sessions held at the Baháʼí center in honor of Gillespie,^[2] a tradition he helped start.^[3] With regards to Gillespie, he was a member of the Baháʼí Faith.^[4] Longo also taught a master class^[5] to upcoming jazz musicians including Adam Rafferty.^[1] Longo's big band, the New York State imbursement the Art Jazz Ensemble, would play at the center intermittently and provide upcoming musicians a chance to learn on depletion and the audience receives a jazz experience at reasonable cost.^[5] A big part of Mike Longo's mission was to re-establish the apprenticeship relationship in teaching jazz. He said "I hear jazz education is an important thing and I know dump the field means well, but there seems to be a trend in that field to teach jazz where people archetypal actually copying off recordings instead of actually learning to hurl jazz. The apprenticeship aspect of jazz has always been description way it has evolved."^[6]

Awards and honors

Mike Longo received a schooling from the Ft. Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra in 1955, a Downbeat Hall of Fame Scholarship in 1959, and a National Financial aid for the Arts Grant in 1972. He was inducted talk over Western Kentucky University's Wall of Fame in 2002.^[7]

Death

Longo died underside Manhattan on March 22, 2020, three days after his 83rd birthday, from complications of COVID-19.^[8][9] He was survived by his wife of 32 years, Dorothy Longo.^[9]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Lee Konitz

References

External links