Teo (Attilio) Macero was born October 30, 1925 in Glens Falls, New York. Teo's father Daniel and mother Angeline owned a nightclub (Macero's Tavern) in the 30's where Teo first was introduced to musicians who played there, many of whom were black. Teo states that he can remember one of the musicians teaching him the saxophone when he was only 7 or 8 and that hye began writing music at that early age. By age 13, Teo formed his own dance band, and after garduating high school, he enlisted and played in the Navy band. Upon his discharge, Teo enrolled at Julliard where he won the BMI Student Composers Award. Sponsored by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, Teo won two Guggenheim Fellowships in the 50's. He also formed the first jazz group at Jilliard to participate in official Julliard activity. Upon receiving his Master's from Julliard, he taught at the New York Institute for the Blind, while also composing and presenting concerts of his original work at Carngeie Hall. Also at this time, he began playing alto sax with (and composing for) bassist Charles Mingus.

During 1957, he was hired at Columbia Records (working for Mitch Miller) as a music editor and later music producer. Thus began a long and especially fruitful partnership. While at Columbia, Macero was directly in charge of the first 200 long playing recordings released by the company, and produced over 3,000 albums. Teo produced Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Leonard Bernstein, Andre Kostelantez, Dave Brubeck (including the landmark "Time Out"), Count Basie, Paul Horn, Tony Bennett, Mahalia Jackson, Simon and Garfunkel, Gato Barbieri, Ramsey Lewis, Robert Palmer and hundreds more. But it may be for his long and fruitful association with Miles Davis that he may be best know. He produced such Davis classics as Sketches of Spain, Someday My Prince Will Come, Seven Steps to Heaven and '58 Sessions, as well as Davis's later forays into electric fusion, such as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, which were highlighted by Macero's innovative mixing and editing techniques. These were inspired partially by Macero's association with influential avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse, one of the innovators of taped electronic music. Macero has often been compared to Beatles producer Sir George Martin in his influence on the history of jazz music recording.

In addition to being a producer of considerable importance, Teo is a composer of note. He has written numerous compositions for the concert halls, over 50 films, and many television productions. He has written at least one opera, and over 50 ballets. Teo continues to write stellar music to this day - NYU Jazz Orchestra released a recording of new Teo Macero big band compositions in 2006, and a follow up is in the works. Teo recently worked with DJ Logic and Vernon Reid on new recordings, and he has his own music company "TeoMusic" which has released a number of albums of an interesting and varied nature.