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Mike Catalano

Jazz pianist, composer Mike Catalano, best known for his jazz CD, A Manhattan Affair and his work for Television and film. A Manhattan Affair, co-produced by Grammy winning bassist Will Lee, featuring an all star lineup of special guests and legends including Will Lee, Ivan Lins, Rob Mounsey, Lou Marini, Bob James, Randy Brecker, Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Jeff Mironov, Chris Parker, Mark Egan, Chuck Loeb, Nico Assumpcao, Sean Pelton, Bashiri Johnson, Ricardo Silveira.

In addition Mike Catalano is known for his composing hundreds of pieces of music for TV and film, including Fox Tv’s A Current Affair, Fox News, Good Day New York, and other programs.

In the mid-80’s Mike released his first record A RIO AFFAIR, which has recently been re-released by his own Catman Records Label. Catalano enjoys combining the rythms and musicians from Brazil, with the rythms and musicians from NY throughout his own musical compositions and performances, not surprising his biggest influence would be Antonio Carlos Jobim the legendary Brazillian composer whom Catalano had the fortune to meet on various occasions in Rio De Janeiro

Mike Catalano’s live shows, have included many of the above long standing musical collaborators , as well as special guests Tom Scott, Donald Harrison, Toninho Horta, and the late great trumpeter Lew Soloff.

Gear

Yamaha Pianos and Keyboards

Avid Protools

Apple Logic

Mike Catalano: A Trio Affair

Read "A Trio Affair" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
September 23, 2026

There is something comforting about the way Mike Catalano's A Trio Affair brings his musical trilogy to a close. This release returns to where the story began in 1989 with A Rio Affair, followed 18 years later by A Manhattan Affair. Listening to this album, it feels as if Catalano is less interested in revisiting those albums than in recalling what he liked about them, namely the meeting of New York jazz and Brazilian rhythms. Catalano has also ...

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Recording

Pianist Mike Catalano gets Will Lee, Bob James, Chuck Loeb, Ivan Lins and more on his debut CD, "A Manhattan Affair"

Source: Michael Ricci
June 26, 2007

Pianist Mike Catalano teams up friends and favorite talents to make this dream come true. Beginning with his co-producer Will Lee, veteran bassist, vocalist, producer (Oh, The Fab Faux, Late show with David Letterman,), and arranger Rob Mounsey (Dave Koz At the Movies, Aaron Neville, Natalie Cole, Ivan Lins, Michael Franks, Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Flying Monkey) and rounded up a virtual who's who of the contemporary jazz and jazz industry as guests and musicians Ivan Lins, Bob ...
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