Mitchell Long

I am a band leader and freelance side man playing acoustic or electric guitars and singing in English, Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. My specialty is in Jazz and Brazilian music but work also in blues, R&B, African, Latin, pop, rock and other world music styles.

I am available for concert performances, recording studio, arranging, producing or any private, corporate and wedding event. I have repertoire for solo, duo, trio, quartet and quintet. I have 30 years experience in providing entertainment!

I have mp3's available for demonstration and you can listen to some samples of my work as arranger, music director and composer here at Mitchell Long Music.

In concert!

I am music director for The Mitchell Long Group, Cabo Verde Cretcheu, Café Atlantico, Bagunça & Tropics. Many of my projects feature my own original music, lyrics and arrangements.

Recent experience includes 8 years touring and recording as principal guitarist for the popular award winning Cape Verdean singer Maria de Barros, recording on the CD "Classics of my Soul" with Angolan legend Waldemar Bastos, concert tours with British pop-star Julia Fordham, performances with the extraordinary singer-songwriter Vinx, shows with cabaret singers Joanne Tatham, Gloria Calomee and 8 years as guitarist with Katia Moraes & Sambaguru,

Recent credits include recording and performances with Rique Pantoja, Munyungo Jackson, Bill Brendle, Randy Tico, Carol Bach y Rita & Robert Kyle, Sandra Booker, Samba Society, Ron Meza & Planet Afro-beat, LA Choro Ensemble, Marcele Berger, Andy Sanesi, Rufus Philpot, The Latin Project, DJ NuMark, Jon Gilutin, Elizabeth Lammers, Jessica Vautor, Ritchie Garcia, Otmaro Ruiz, Billy Kent, Ana Robles and Adam James.

Perfoming with Julia Fordham on the Craig Fergusson show.

Playing electric and acoustic guitars in recent gigs with the incomparable composer/pianist RIQUE PANTOJA's Brazilian jazz group in Los Angeles. Working in Rique's band has gave me the honor to work with Latin and jazz legends; Ernie Watts, Alex Acuna, Abraham Laboriel, Justo Almario, Walter Rodriguez, Tony Dumas and John Pena.

Recent appearances with the extraordinary percussionist MUNYUNGO JACKSON and his ensemble (w/ Keith Jones or Karen Briggs) featuring my singing in Portuguese or Creole and guitar playing in African jazz styles. 

The great honor of playing guitar and singing with one of dearest and most talented mentors; BILLY TOLLES (an astounding bandleader - entertainer and veteran of Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, and Louis Jordan’s bands) Billy passed away recently at 83 years old. Playing with him was indeed like getting a paid education in straight ahead jazz, blues and r&b. In the years we worked together the schedual was constant with sometimes as many as 25 gigs a month. Recordings with Billy include three tracks on CD releases by KUVO jazz radio station in Denver and a trio cut with Lannie Garret, Billy Tolles and myself.

A childhood dream come true was working with Innerscope record’s THE LOW AND SWEET ORCHESTRA, formed by Zander Shloss who is one of my biggest early musical influences and friend since high school. Zander became a punk rock icon  working with Joe Strummer Band, Circle Jerks, The Weirdos, and Two Free Stooges. I completed four tours with Low and Sweet Orchestra, playing Mandolin, Dobro, Guitar, and singing. This twelve piece Celtic rock group also featured actor Dermott Mulroney, and James Fearley of The Pogues.

An ongoing highlight in my career is working closely with world class vocalist - percussionist VINX. In the past 15 years I toured in his various groups to promote I.R.S Releases; Rooms in my Fathers House, I Love My Job (produced by Sting), and Storybook etc. We performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, playing at prestigious events like the Aspen Jazz Festival, Du Marier Jazz Festival, Brussels Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and at venues The House of Blues, SOB’s, The Troubadour, Lisner Auditorium, and Whiskey Ago-go. Band members include Bill Summers, Andrew Daniels, Greg Poree, Mark E. Smith and special guests live or in recordings featured George Howard, Stuart Copeland, Brenda Russell, Stevie Wonder, Munyungo Jackson, Cassandra Wilson, Harvey Mason, and Zapp Mama…

Other career highlight include Performing as an opening act, sharing the stage with many world class acts including Dave Brubeck, Mcoy Tyner, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Manhattan Transfer, Joe Zawinul, Los Hombres Calientes, BB King, Jackson Brown, Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, The Meters, Stanely Clark, The Yellowjackets, Le Tete Brulees, Olodum, and Airto & Flora etc.

Playing my Fender Stratocaster at the Ford Ampitheatre in Hollywood

“BANDA” A Brazilian jazz quintet formed by myself and the late Claudio Slon; the legendary drummer of Astrud Gilberto, Walter Wanderley, Sergio Mendes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Sinatra. We were the house band at Vartan's Jazz Club in Denver Colorado for a few years. “Banda” featured my arrangements and many of Denver’s finest jazz musicians: Eduardo Bijoux Barbosa on bass, Jeff Jenkins or Eric Gunnison on piano, and Bob Rebholz or Peter Sommer on woodwinds. We backed up national touring jazz artists such as Claudio Roditi and Herbie Mann and were featured in many concert series including the prestigious Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, and Denver jazz festivals. We recorded live on KUVO radio and released a seven-song studio demo.

“CORNERSTONE” The high-energy jazz project featuring Rippingtons Bassist Kim Stone, extraordinary pianist Jeff Jenkins and formed by Brazilian drumming virtuoso Henrique de Almeida. We carried on a residency at a jazz club in Colorado Springs and were featured in the Breckenridge and Aspen jazz festivals. We played original music by myself and arrangements of jazz, fusion, Latin jazz, and world music.

“HI-FI MO-FO” The exciting and eclectic 7 piece dance band I formed in Boulder, Colorado. I started playing my own original music and developing a multi-cultural genre jumping sound in the very successful two year house gig at Boulder's night club "Round' Midnight" We played often at the Fox Theatre opening for The Meters, Charlie Hunter, and Roots Revolt. The group featured my singing, electric guitar and arrangements of originals and covers with influences from Be-Bop, Hip Hop, African, Brazilian, Folkloric, Latin, Soul, Rock and Roll.

"THE ORGAN GRINDERS" The organ trio led by myself and master of jazz and blues, the late great Gordon Sims. We recorded a live demo CD with some cuts featured here on the website. We were the backing trio for Billy Tolles for many years and formed "The Organ Grinders" to get out and stretch out!

"THE GUITAR QUARTET" This Boulder Colorado based group featured myself and guitarist Mark Klagstad with Mark Diamond and Charles Ayash. We played straight ahead jazz with a focus on Wes Montgomery tunes and a varied and interesting repertoire with two guitar orchestrations and some exciting arrangements of jazz standards.

SOLO GIGS: I have had many residency gigs as a solo guitarist and singer at many music venues, bars, and fine restaurants. Highlights include “Café Mars” for 3 years and “Envie” for a year playing in a concert style setting every week. Currently I am performing solo at Taste of Brazil restaurant in Los Angeles every Friday Night.  I consider performing solo a forte developed over years of solo gigs. Appearences include opening shows for well known jazz, pop and world music artists in world class concert halls.

Tarrafal, Cabo Verde

My 28 years in music as a professional acoustic and electric guitarist, bass payer, singer, percussionist and teacher while living in San Diego, Boulder, NYC, Spain, and Los Angeles has taken me on a musical odyssey working in jazz, world music, blues, funk, pop, rock, country, bluegrass, salsa, bolero, flamenco, classical music.

I was born to an artistic and musical heritage: my Grandmother was a music teacher; my mother Mary Ellen Long is a fine artist who plays classical piano. I began playing the guitar at age eight, playing folk songs, later getting into blues, classic rock, bluegrass, Motown and R&B and Jazz. I am primarily a self taught musician but my serious interest in Jazz took me to Berklee College of Music in Boston: 1981-82’ and Naropa Institute 1983-85’  I continued in private lessons on guitar with my mentor Peter Sprague, Jimmy Ponder, Rene Heredia, Joe Pass and music lessons withFred Hess, Art Lande and Bill Douglas. I studied percussion with Michael Spiro, Meia Noite and Bill Summers. 

A long list of credits include live and studio appearances working with many artists in different genres and touring throughout Europe, Canada, Brazil, Africa the Caribbean and throughout the United States.

JAZZ: Carol Welsman, Claudio Roditi, Herbie Mann, Dr Lonnie Smith, Larry Goldings, Paul Mcandless, Art Lande, Joe Bonner, Phil Urso, Peter Sprague, Ron Miles, Joanne Tatham, The Organ Grinders, Pat Bianci, Brad Upton, Nelson Rangel, Mary Ann Moore, Angela Hagenbach, Rare Silk, Eric Gunnison, Marguerite Juenemann, Chuck Lamb and Theano Anifantakis, Barry Wedgle, Sonya Vallet, Kim Stone, Ray Brown Jr., Billy Tolles, Bill Summers, Zambieland, Kim Stone, Cecily Gardner, Carol Bach-Y-Rita, Mary Ann Moore, Gloria Calomee, Nick Mancini, Cornerstone.

BRAZILIAN AND LATIN ARTISTS: Sergio Mendes, Claudio Slon, Pau Brasil, Sonia Santos, Rique Pantoja, Claudio Roditi, Chekere, Banda, La Choro Ensemble, The Latin Project, Otmaro Ruiz, Sambaguru, Katia Moraes & Pure Samba, Tita Lima, Renni Flores, Fabiana Passoni, Kleber Jorge, Marco Tulio, Pau Brasil & Chico Meira, Marta Santamaria, Roger Espinoza, Andrea Ferraz, Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro, Rojerio Jardim, Braziliando, Banda Constellacao.

POP, ROCK, R&B, BLUES, HIP HOP AND FOLK ARTISTS: Julia Fordham, Vinx, Jurrasic 5, Ozomatli, Rudy Love and the Love Family, Low And Sweet Orchestra, Hazel Miller Band, Khaliah, Lionel Young Band, Paul Soderman & No Mercy, Billy Kent, Hi Fi Mo Fo,

CAPE VERDEAN AND AFRICAN ARTISTS: Maria de Barros, Waldemar Bastos, Diva Barros, Djosinha, Bau, Gardenia, Zerui de Pina.

15 years old living on the Greek island of Samos and feeling the Mediterranean soul...