Mike Casano
Mike Casano has been playing drums since the age of three. The son of a professional trumpet player (Joe Casano), Mike was surrounded by great music throughout his early life.
A 2000 graduate of Berklee College of Music, Mike’s versatile style and reliable groove allows him to work as a professional drummer throughout the New England area in a wide range of musical styles and situations. Mike performs with the legendary R&B/soul group The Drifters, playing drums on their 2005 live album Charlie Thomas’ Drifters Live! He has also played with R&B great Ellis Hall and the renowned John Allmark Jazz Orchestra (featuring alumni from the Buddy Rich Band). Mike has recently been working with rapper Grover (best known for his raps on the Howard Stern show) and his new band the CGI. Mike has just released an original neo-soul/hip-hop single called “Play That Game” under the name My Key C (available on iTunes, amazon, cdbaby). Mike wrote the music, produced, mixed and played on the track. Mike plays regularly at all of the major venues for live music in the New England area with groups as diverse as GQ & The Lady, Metro West Thump, Myanna, East Side Horns, Syncopation, Brass Force, singer/songwriters Katrin and Jen Murdza, the New England Philharmonic and numerous musical theater productions in Boston. Mike’s drums have taken him to New York City to perform, as well as Atlanta, GA, and he has played live on WGBH jazz radio in Boston and also live on television in Boston on WBZ-TV channel 4’s Liz Walker Show. Mike has done numerous studio recordings, including recent sessions for guitarist Scott Tarulli’s next album that will feature Steve Lukather and Mindi Abair. Mike appears on albums by Christine Fawson (My Side), Katrin (Soul Wide Open) and Jen Murdza (Good Little Worker Bees). Mike also records drums for songwriter Paula Morin’s Cool Crow publishing company, and he occasionally leads his own original jazz and jazz/fusion projects, collaborating with some of the area’s top jazz musicians, such as George Garzone, Phil Grenadier and Jeff Galindo.