Mike Longo

{{short description|American pianist and composer (1937–2020)}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Mike Longo | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name =  | alias = | birth_date = March 19, 1937 | birth_place = | origin = | death_date = March 22, 2020 | death_place = New York City | genre = | occupation = Jazz pianist, Composer, and Author | instrument = | years_active =  | label = | associated_acts = | website =  | module = | module2 = | module3 = }}

'''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 to parents who had a musical background. His father played bass, his mother played organ at church, and his music training began at a young age. Mike recalled seeing Sugar Chile Robinson playing boogie woogie piano: "The first time I saw him, man, he knocked me out. I must have been three or four years old. He played after the Count Basie show, so I went home and started picking out boogie woogie bass lines."<ref name="aaj-interview">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061127153351/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/iviews/mlongo.htm|url-status=dead|title=All About Jazz Music, Musicians, Bands & Albums|first=All About|last=Jazz|archivedate=November 27, 2006|website=All About Jazz}}</ref> His parents took him for formal lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at four. He moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida soon after. At the age of 12, he won a local talent contest.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

==Career== Longo's career 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 teenaged Longo because he needed a pianist at his church. At this time the town was largely segregated, so the white Longo playing at a black church was unusual. When this 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.<ref name="aaj-interview" /> He would go on to receive his Bachelor of Music degree from Western Kentucky University.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

Dizzy Gillespie heard Longo at the Metropole. "I was playing downstairs with Red Allen, and Dizzy was playing upstairs with his band. So every time he wanted to go outside for a break, he had to come down the stairs and pass us on the way out. There was a joint across the street called the Copper Rail, which was a soul food restaurant and a bar where the musicians from the Metropole would all hang out. Soon I learned Dizzy mentioned me in an interview in ''International Musician'', the musician union's magazine, when he was asked about any promising young musicians he'd heard."<ref name="aaj-interview" /> Longo was a fan of Oscar Peterson from a young age and 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 to be a jazz pianist- textures, voicings, touch, time, conception, tone on the instrument."<ref name="aaj-interview" />

In the 1960s, Longo began to lead the Mike Longo Trio, which would remain active for the next 42 years. Gillespie was playing at the Metropole again and 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. Gillespie hired Longo the next day.<ref name="aaj-interview" /> Longo became musical director for the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet and later Gillespie chose him to be the pianist for the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Band. From 1966 onward, his music career would be linked to Gillespie. In 1993, Longo was with Gillespie on the night he died and later delivered a eulogy at his funeral.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

Longo performed at weekly jazz sessions held at the Baháʼí center in honor of Gillespie,<ref>[http://www.bahainyc.org/index.html New York Baháʼí Center] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060710180555/http://www.bahainyc.org/index.html |date=10 July 2006 }}</ref> a tradition he helped start.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061122123724/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/entity.php?id=5169|url-status=dead|title=All About Jazz Music, Musicians, Bands & Albums|first=All About|last=Jazz|archivedate=November 22, 2006|website=All About Jazz}}</ref> Like Gillespie, he was a member of the Baháʼí Faith.<ref>[http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3591&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Interviews: JazzTrenzz: Between Sets with Mike Longo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021154847/http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3591&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 |date=2006-10-21 }} JazzTrenzz By Karl Stober</ref> Longo also taught a master class<ref name="emol">{{Cite web |title=Mike Longo and the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble: Oasis |website=Emol.org |date=2010 |url=http://www.emol.org/music/artists/longo/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613025723/http://emol.org/music/artists/longo/index.html |archive-date=2010-06-13}}</ref> to upcoming jazz musicians including Adam Rafferty.<ref name="aaj-interview" /> Longo's big band, the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble, would play at the center intermittently and provide upcoming musicians a chance to learn on stage and the audience receives a jazz experience at reasonable cost.<ref name="emol" /> A big part of Mike Longo's mission was to re-establish the apprenticeship relationship in teaching jazz. He said "I know jazz education is an important thing and I know that the field means well, but there seems to be a trend in that field to teach jazz where people are actually copying off recordings instead of actually learning to play jazz. The apprenticeship aspect of jazz has always been the way it has evolved."<ref name="jn-internview">{{Cite web|url=http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/articles/2005/06/0042.html|title=Fabulous Mike Longo :: interview|website=Home.nestor.minsk.by}}</ref>

==Awards and honors== Mike Longo received a scholarship from the Ft. Lauderdale Symphony Orchestra in 1955, a Downbeat Hall of Fame Scholarship in 1959, and a National Endowment for the Arts Grant in 1972. He was inducted into Western Kentucky University's Wall of Fame in 2002.<ref name="jb">{{Cite web|url=https://jazzbeat.wordpress.com/newsroom/mike-longo-bio/|title=Mike Longo – Bio |website=Jazzbeat.wordpress.com|date=December 22, 2008}}</ref>

==Death== Longo died in Manhattan on March 22, 2020, three days after his 83rd birthday, from complications of COVID-19.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mike Longo, Jazz Pianist, Composer and Educator, Dies at 83|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/arts/music/mike-longo-dead.html|work=The New York Times|last=Smith|first=Steve|date=March 28, 2020|access-date=March 28, 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=WBGO>{{cite news |last1=Chinen |first1=Nate |title=Mike Longo, Prominent Jazz Pianist Known For His Tenure with Dizzy Gillespie, Dies at 83 |date=2020-03-23 |work=WBGO |url=https://www.wbgo.org/post/mike-longo-prominent-jazz-pianist-known-his-tenure-dizzy-gillespie-dies-83 |access-date=23 March 2020}}</ref> He was survived by his wife of 32 years, Dorothy Longo.<ref name=WBGO/>

==Discography==

===As leader/co-leader=== {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year recorded !Title !Label !Personnel/Notes |- |1962? |''A Jazz Portrait of Funny Girl'' |Clamike |Trio, with Herman Wright (bass), Roy Brooks (drums)<ref name="DB2020" /> |- |1972 |''The Awakening'' |Mainstream | |- |1972 |''Matrix'' |Mainstream | |- |1974 |''Funkia'' |Groove Merchant | |- |1974 |''900 Shares of the Blues'' |Groove Merchant | |- |1976 |''Talk with the Spirits'' |Pablo |Septet, with Virgil Jones (trumpet), Harold Vick (tenor sax), George Davis (guitar), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Mickey Roker (drums), Dizzy Gillespie (congas, vocals)<ref>{{cite web |title=Pablo Records Catalog: 2310-700 series |url=https://www.jazzdisco.org/pablo-records/catalog-2310-700-series/#2310-769 |website=jazzdisco |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |1977 |''Jazzberry Patch'' |JPB | |- |1978 |''New York '78'' |Consolidated Artists |With big band; released 1990s<ref>{{cite web |last=Adler |first=David R. |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-york-78-mw0000024343 |title=Mike Longo: New York '78 |website=AllMusic |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |1981 |''Solo Recital'' |Consolidated Artists<ref name="DB2020" /> | |- |1990 |''The Earth Is But One Country'' |Consolidated Artists<ref name="DB2020" /> | |- |1993 |''First Impressions'' |Consolidated Artists | |- |1997 |''I Miss You John'' |Consolidated Artists<ref name="DB2020" /> | |- |1998 |''Dawn of a New Day'' |Consolidated Artists<ref name="DB2020" /> | |- |2000 |''Explosion'' |Consolidated Artists |With the New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble<ref name="DB2020" /> |- |2001 |''Still Swingin''' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Ben Brown (bass), Ray Mosca (drums)<ref>{{cite web |last=Adler |first=David R. |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/still-swingin-mw0000592394 |title=Mike Longo: Still Swingin' |website=AllMusic |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |2001 |''Aftermath'' |Consolidated Artists |With big band<ref name="DB2020" /> |- |2002 |''Live: The Detroit International Jazz Festival'' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Santi Debriano (bass), Ray Mosca (drums); in concert<ref>{{cite web |last=Ruhlmann |first=William |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-the-detroit-international-jazz-festival-mw0000023503 |title=Mike Longo: Live: The Detroit International Jazz Festival |website=AllMusic |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |2004 |''Oasis'' |Consolidated Artists |With big band<ref name="DB2020">{{cite magazine |last=Milkowski |first=Bill |date=March 24, 2020 |title=Colleagues Mourn Death of Mike Longo |url=https://downbeat.com/news/detail/jazz-world-mourns-pianist-mike-longo |magazine=DownBeat |volume= |issue= |page= |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |2007 |''Float Like a Butterfly'' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Paul West (bass), Jimmy Wormworth (drums)<ref name="DB2020" /> |- |2009 |''Sting Like a Bee'' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Bob Cranshaw (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)<ref name="DB2020" /> |- |2011 |''To My Surprise'' |Consolidated Artists |Six tracks trio, with Bob Cranshaw (bass), Lewis Nash (drums); six tracks quintet, with Lance Bryant (tenor sax), Jimmy Owens (trumpet) added<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cordle |first=Owen |date=April 25, 2019 |title=Mike Longo Trio + 2: To My Surprise |url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/mike-longo-trio-2-to-my-surprise/ |magazine=JazzTimes |volume= |issue= |page= |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |2012 |''A Celebration of Diz and Miles'' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Paul West (bass), Ray Mosca (drums); in concert<ref name="DB2020" /><ref name="concert" /> |- |2013 |''Celebrates Oscar Peterson'' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Paul West (bass), Ray Mosca (drums); in concert<ref name="concert">{{cite web |title=Mike Longo Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson |url=https://jazzbeat.com/?product=mike-longo-trio-live-celebrates_oscar_peterson |website=jazzbeat |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> |- |2017 |''Only Time Will Tell'' |Consolidated Artists |Trio, with Paul West (bass), Lewis Nash (drums)<ref name="DB2020" /> |}

===As sideman=== '''With Dizzy Gillespie''' * ''Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac'' (Impulse!, 1967) * ''The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band'' (MPS, 1968) * ''The Real Thing'' (Perception, 1969) * ''Portrait of Jenny'' (Perception, 1970)

'''With Lee Konitz''' * ''Chicago 'n All That Jazz'' (Groove Merchant, 1975)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324202617/http://www.jazzbeat.com/pdf/resume.pdf |date=March 24, 2006 |title=Extensive bio from jazzbeat }} *[http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/articles/2005/06/0042.html Interview with Mike Longo] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061127153351/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/iviews/mlongo.htm All about Jazz interview] * {{Discogs artist|Michael Longo}} * {{Discogs artist|artist=The Mike Longo Trio|name=The Mike Longo Trio}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Longo, Mike}} Category:American jazz pianists Category:American male jazz pianists Category:1937 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Musicians from Cincinnati Category:American Baháʼís Category:Mainstream Records artists Category:20th-century Baháʼís Category:21st-century Baháʼís Category:Western Kentucky University alumni Category:20th-century American pianists Category:21st-century American pianists Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) Category:20th-century American male pianists Category:21st-century American male pianists