Metropole by Mike Barone Big Band

In 1962, Mike recorded Lalo Shifrin's "New Continent," which was performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival with Dizzy Gillespie's Quintet. The next few years were spent performing and recording with Dick Grove, Pete Jolly, Gabor Szabo, Oliver Nelson and many others. During this time, Mike also played with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and many of his arrangements were recorded by Gerald and other artists.

In 1964, Mike started his own big band which was featured at Donte's Jazz Club from 1966 to 1969. After hearing some of Mike's charts, Doc Severinsen asked Mike to send some charts to New York for the NBC Tonight Show band. This started a twenty-three year relationship with Doc and the Tonight Show Band, for which he wrote over 300 original compositions and arrangements. Two of these, "Peachy" and "Superslick," were used as ending themes of the show for years. Other work in Los Angeles included and arranging and composing for television and movies, such as "Dynasty," "Falcon Crest," "Rocky Three" and the Academy Awards Show.

Mike moved to Colorado in 1987, where he released an album on TBA Records featuring Ernie Watts. After spending six years in Colorado, he moved to Vancouver, Washington in 1993.

Mike moved back to the LA area in 1997 and formed a new big band, which has performed at the Jazz Bakery, Clancey's, Ken Poston Big Band Party and the Big Band Jazz Party in Palm Springs. Meanwhile Mike's old big band recording, "Live at Donte's 1968," was released around 2000 by VSOP Records.

Mike wrote for the Academy Awards Show in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Mike also has a song on "Lost Treasures," Herb Alpert's new CD, called "Happy Hour." Mike will have 3 charts [2 originals] on the new Bud Shank Big Band CD to be released Feb 2006 on the Jazzed Media label. The "Mike Barone Big Band Live 2005" is the second CD released on Mikes new label "Rhubarb Recordings". "You Name It" is Rubarb's third release and "Metropole" The Mike Barone Big Band is the latest in 2006.

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