Vince Lateano is an American jazz drummer. He was born in Sacramento, California in 1942. He became familiar with music after being introduced to it by a family of musicians who lived close to him.
Vince has worked and toured with a great number of jazz musicians.
Vince Lateano’s Profile
Full Name: Vince Lateano
Date of Birth: 1942.
Place of Birth: Sacramento, California, USA.
Nationality: American.
Known for: Music.
Marital Status: Married
Genre: Jazz.
Instruments Played: Drums and Percussion.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vince Lateano
1. Vince Lateano Had an Early Start with Music
Vince was introduced to music by his music inclined neighbors who happened to be well immersed in music at the time and Vince used to love watching the family rehearse.
He was also inspired by ‘California State Fair’ which used to take place close to his house every summer and this exposed him to a lot of ‘live music’.
He began his musical career by playing the trumpet but eventually ditched it for drums when he was in high school.
2. Vince Did Not Attend College
Vince started college and one month into it, he dropped out as he couldn’t stand it. He made a living from all he learned in public school in the ’50s.
Although he ditched school and took up a gig with Carmen Cavallaro which took him around the country, his blue-collared parents understood and supported him through it. They even warned him about pitfalls and encouraged him when need be.
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3. Vince’s Musical Career began after his service with the US Army
Vince was drafted to go for service with the US Army on the 8th of August 1963. After serving with the US Army, Vince moved to San Francisco in 1966. He actually did not plan on staying in San Francisco as he was on his way to Los Angeles.
Vince said he was only visiting friends in San Francisco after serving the army and then decided to remain there after being mesmerized by the city and its ambiance.
4. He Played and Toured with Famous Jazz Musicians
Immediately after leaving the army and settling in San Francisco, Vince Lateano started playing with Vince Guaraldi, who is a great musician. He also played with Woody Herman for a short while but they always got to play whenever they found themselves in the same environment.
He joined Cal Tjader’s band in 1978 and remained there until Cal died in 1982 and he drummed on 6 of Cal Tjader’s albums.
He is also associated with other big names like Carmen Cavallaro, Benny Carter, and the likes of them. He also played with a lot of big bands including Pearls where he worked at.
5. Vince Lateano Got Guidance From Milt Hinton
When Vince was still 18 years old and with Carmen Cavallaro for about a year he had an encounter with Milt Hinton 6 months into his stay in New York. Carmen was recording for Decca at the time and Vince was going to be on the recording with other instrumentalists.
Milt was on Vince’s very first recording while with Carmen and when Vince got to the studio and discovered that the bass tag had Milt Hinton’s name on it, he became petrified.
However, Milt guided Vince through the recording as he realized he was dealing with an 18-year-old frightened kid. Vince kept his eyes on Milt and he was guided through the whole process.
Vince described Milt as a ‘very classy guy’.
6. He Currently Hosts an Open Mic Jazz Jam
Presently, Vince is the host of an open mic jazz jam in San Francisco. This open mic jazz jam takes place every Tuesday at the Pier 23 Café from 5 pm to 8 pm.
7. Vince Lateano Shares His Talent As A Drummer
He teaches ‘percussion’ at the Monterey Jazz Festival education program during the summer. Although he never considered himself as a teacher, he took up the challenge when he was first called upon to teach a couple of kids at the start of the program.
He basically tutors kids and mid-school children and whenever he’s at a gathering of jazz lessons or rehearsals, he also gives a few pointers and even goes ahead to give a visual representation.
8. Vince’s Recognition as An Awesome Jazz Drummer
Vince is placed among the list of most popular jazz musicians.
Although jazz players don’t get the necessary attention nor enough credit given, Vince has left a mark on the jazz scene. Most of the ratings and acclamations are given to the singers and those behind on the instruments basically take home their pays for the job done.
Vince’s basic source of income is gotten mostly from being an amazing jazz drummer.
9. Vince was part of a Jazz club
In addition to playing jazz, Vince admitted that he needed to do something different and this prompted him to join a local club called ‘Jazz at Pearls’. ‘Jazz at Pearl’ used to feature mostly local musicians and players.
He used to work for Sonny Buxton at a club called ‘Milestones’ before the owner collaborated with Pearl Wong and opened ‘Jazz at Pearls’. ‘Jazz at Pearls’ happened to be right down the street from his house and so it was basically the neighborhood’s jazz club.
10. Vince Got Married to a Singer
Vince Lateano married a musician named Madeline Eastman who happens to be a very good singer. They work together from time to time but they don’t do it often as they’re not that typical couple who work together a lot.
