New York Nights: Performing, Producing and Writing in Gotham

Nick Catalano
iUniverse (2008)
ISBN 9780595485963
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/09)


Growing up in New Jersey in the 70s and 80s, I was exactly sixty-three miles from New York City.  My father took a commuter bus from the end of our street into the city during the week.  I always wished that I could be on it.  There is something about New York City that has always given me a huge sense of excitement.  I could never define it; I just wanted to be there. 

Reading Nick Catalano’s “New York Nights,” filled in the blanks for me about what has happened in the city to give it that special energy that I felt drawn to.  Beginning work as a jazz musician in his teens, he got an early start into being a part of the music scene in the city.  He writes about his experiences playing in the clubs and his opportunities to be around famous musical legends.  He also was there to experience the evolution of rock and roll.  Of course from a jazz musician’s standpoint, he seems to have viewed it more as de-evolution. 

Later on, he got involved with the comedy end of entertainment.  He was there to help promote and to witness the works of great comedic legends.  The humorous stories that he reminisces about brought many smiles to my face.  Enjoying the comedy of many of these people today made me really appreciate the stories of their early beginnings. 

While the memoirs of his music and comedy experiences play a huge role in this book, he also delves into other areas such as sports, sailing and politics.  I found his memoirs to be riveting.  It is amazing how many people that are still famous today, got started in New York City.  I really enjoyed reading “New York Nights” by Nick Catalano.  I highly recommend it to others who appreciate the entertainment world.  I also think that it would make a great text book for a music appreciation class.  Even though the subject matter goes beyond music, I feel that students will really appreciate Dr. Catalano’s writings about this industry.  This book is written in an incredibly articulate manner that also allows the reader to see New York City through the author’s eyes. 

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