| Mike Mosiello | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Michele Alphonso Mosiello |
| Birth Date: | 2 December 1896 |
| Origin: | Frasso Telesino, Italy |
| Instrument: | trumpet |
| Genre: | Jazz, popular music |
| Associated Acts: | Nat Shilkret, Vincent Lopez, Andy Sannella, Charles Magnante |
Mike Mosiello (full name Michele Alfonso Mosiello) (December 2, 1896 – June 3, 1953) was an Italian-born American trumpet player.
Michele "Mike" Mosiello was born in Frasso Telesino in Italy into a musical family. His father, Tobia Rocco Mosiello, a tailor, played the clarinet and his godfather was a trumpet player and bandleader. At the age of two, Tobia Rocco and his family migrated to the United States, settling in New York City. Here young Mike took up trumpet playing around the age of six.
During World War I Mike Mosiello enlisted as a military musician in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Europe. Back in New York after the war he seriously began a career as a professional musician.
Mosiello played with the orchestras of several famous bandleaders, among them Vincent Lopez. He was however one of the most prolific studio musicians of the 1920s, appearing on hundreds of records, often adding a jazz flavor to many contemporary Tin Pan Alley hits. His most important recordings as a "hot" soloist were probably those made for Victor under the direction of Nathaniel Shilkret, and his countless sides made for the cut-rate Grey Gull company (Grey Gull, Radiex, Van Dyke, Madison, etc.). Mosiello seems to have been something of the leader of the latter company's studio band and recorded several compositions of his own with this group (see below). Among his most frequent co-musicians on these recordings (and on many made for other labels and bandleaders as well) were reedman and guitarist Andy Sannella and accordionist Charles Magnante. Sannella, in an interview shortly before his death, spoke very highly of Mosiello's skills as a musician.
From the 1930s onwards, Mosiello was mainly active in radio and in the pit orchestras of various theatres. During the 1940s he toured with pianist and comedian Victor Borge but also led a band of his own at the "Top Hat" Club in New Jersey.
Since 1922 Mosiello was married to Antoinette Greco, to whom he dedicated his composition Antoinette, I Love You. They had a son and a daughter.
Mike Mosiello died of pancreatic cancer in Asbury Park, New Jersey; he was only 56.
Since none of Mosiello's many compositions seem to have been published the only source for these are the credits on the original records issued. Below is a list of known such Mosiello compositions and issues:
A few of these records have been reissued on the CD Grey Gull Rarities from Jazz Oracle https://web.archive.org/web/20070413135855/http://www.jazzoracle.com/catalogue/BDW_8038.asp.
This article is based on the corresponding article in the Swedish Wikipedia.