Born in New York City, son of a saxophonist, Mike was exposed to music from an early age. After playing in clubs throughout high school, it was an audition for John Cale that made him start his touring and recording career, through wich he became an accomplished rock, pop, and jazz musician.

Apart from playing and recording for Suzanne Vega, Mike Visceglia was bassist and musical director for Curtis Stigers, and has been playing and/or recording for (among others): John Cale, Jorma Kaukonen, Flo & Eddie, Mark Cohn, Phil Collins, Phoebe Snow, Joe Jackson, Al Green, Curtis Stigers, Mitchell Froom, Bette Midler, Richie Havens, Scottie Moore and DJ Fontana.

Mike's latest production is the book "A View From The Side", which is, according to the author, an attempt "to give the reader a window in which to view the lives, aspirations, adventures and misadventures, phenomenal successes and tragic failures of some of the leading practitioners of an art that I'm intimately familiar with, playing the bass. Through stories of my own experiences, their experiences, interviews and profiles, I believe I've written more of a 'why' as opposed to a 'how to' book on the nature of the pursuit of the artistic life." Please follow the link (or the book's cover) to know how to order it.

Mike Visceglia joined the Suzanne Vega band in the Spring of 1985 for the promotion of the debut album "Suzanne Vega" (1985). He was first featured on the video "Left Of Center" (1986) and on the album "Solitude Standing" (1987). From then onwards Mike has been playing with Suzanne until the present, being the musician accompanying Suzanne Vega for a longer time.

Mike was featured in every Suzanne Vega album except "Nine Objects of Desire" (1996), and participated in every tour except for the second half of the "99.9°F°" tour (1993), and some other occasional concerts. Mike Visceglia became familiar to the Suzanne Vega fans, also for the acoustic duo tours where he was the only musician accompanying Suzanne Vega. Since 2001 Mike Visceglia became also the musical director of the Suzanne Vega band.

How did it happen that you joined the Suzanne Vega band?

I had been hearing about Suzanne through the singer-songwriter community as early as 1984. When she finished her first record, "Suzanne Vega" the guitarist on that record, Jon Gordon recommended me as the bass player for the touring band that was being put together. I went down to audition with Jon, and then-producer Steve Addabbo, and got the gig. I've been there now for almost 20 years.

What, according to you, did your way of playing bring to the live performance of Suzanne's songs?

I feel that my combination of playing rhythmically and melodically complements Suzanne's music perfectly. I have also developed a great sense of knowing how she is feeling her music from night to night and being there dynamically with her.

As Suzanne Vega's musical director what are your major concerns and goals in the creation of the band's live sound?

My major concern and goal in being Suzanne's musical director is to make sure that her musical needs and aesthetic choices are realized by the musicians that she is working with. Also by giving proper attention to the night to night details of setting up, sound checking, and directing the flow of the show, from the musicians end, I try to keep the consistency level of the performance high.

What are the characteristics of Suzanne's music that attract you the most, both as a musician and as a listener?

As a bass player I've grown to be attracted to working with great singers of great songs. I feel privileged to be associated with one of the best in the business, Suzanne. I still get an emotional charge listening to her voice and her words. I'm also still learning more and more nuances about the songs that still affect the way I play them and challenge me to find better ways to express myself on my instrument.

As a musician who's been playing with Suzanne almost from the beginning, how have seen the evolution in her sound, and what are the periods who please you the most?

Suzanne has journeyed a lot in her quest for self-expression. She started out singing songs in a simpler more intimate production environment and expanded that with her second and third record into more lush, atmospheric sounds, then to a more industrial and edgy sound through the Mitchell Froom period, to the more organic sound of Rupert Hine's production. I think that the organic and intimate productions please me the most. To my ears it is a great place for Suzanne's voice to be.

What are your main music influences, and musicians you look up to?

My influences are many. I love the expansive sound of Aaron Copland and John Coltrane. I love the plaintive sound of Miles Davis. Mostly I relate to the sound of the human voice. All great singers thrill me, from Billie Holiday to Elvis Costello.

Apart from playing with Suzanne, which are the other projects, you have been participating in, that you're more proud of?

I've been fortunate to have worked a lot with the great drummer Jerry Marotta this year. We've recorded a couple of soon to be released CD's that I really like. One is for the Irish art-rocker Pierce Turner. The other is for ex-Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends keyboardist Rob Boracco. Any chance to play with Jerry is an honor. He makes me play better bass.

What are the projects you will be involved with in the near future?

I recently started a new project with Doug Yowell, Suzanne's drummer, Jack Petrozelli, the guitarist in Rufus Wainright's band and a great singer-songwriter named Leslie Mendelson. The project is called "Emma Peel." We're having our premier performance Thursday, 12/23 at the C Note in New York City, with more shows to come. I also have another project called "Goat" led by a great male singer-songwriter who calls himself that. That band has Goat on vocals and keys, Ben Butler (Jonatha Brooke, Jane Siberry) on guitar, Van Romaine (Steve Morse, Bernie Worrell) on drums, and myself on bass. We're in the studio presently recording a couple of new tracks for the soon to be released CD "All Of My Friends".

I'm also partners in a recording studio called "Red Zone" in Spanish Harlem. My partner, Israeli guitarist Zak Soulam, and I have just finished our first co-production and are intent on becoming a busy production team.

My main project right now is the completion and imminent release of my book "A View From The Side". It is a collection of road stories, mostly with Suzanne, observations on the music business, profiles of other bass players, human interest stories, and interviews with some of the world's great bassists. It also has a special unpublished piece written by Sting that he graciously gave to me for the book. There will be links from Suzanne's site and my site (www.mikevisceglia.com) to my store page. It should be available just after Christmas. Sorry I couldn't make it by Christmas, there was a hitch in the printing.