Winner of the 2002 National Jazz Award for Guitarist of the Year, and a six-time Juno Award nominee for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, guitarist/composer Michael Occhipinti’s modern and eclectic approach to jazz and creative music of all kinds has earned him a broad array of listeners and the respect of critics and musicians alike. He continues to enjoy especially great praise for his recording Creation Dream - The Songs of Bruce Cockburn (True North/Universal/Rounder). Michael received international acclaim for his ambitious arrangements of music by one of Canada's best-loved songwriters, presenting the songs in a fresh and creative setting. Performers on the CD include renowned clarinetist Don Byron, and Michael’s quintet featuring trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, violinist Hugh Marsh, drummer Barry Romberg, bassist Andrew Downing. The disc also featured a guest appearance by Bruce Cockburn himself on guitar.

Michael’s as yet untitled follow-up to Creation Dream is now finished and will be released this summer. Featuring the same stellar quintet of musicians heard on Creation Dream, plus Michael’s brother Roberto as a guest on bass, this new recording differentiates itself by showcasing Michael’s melodic and memorable original compositions and by showing off a broad palette of guitar sounds.

“Anyone who has seen me play live or heard my work with NOJO knows that I love to experiment with different guitar sounds and effects. There are a lot of different influences and moods on this recording, and I wanted to draw on the many guitar sounds I use to compliment that variety.”

Much of the new disc features music that was worked out by Michael’s quintet over the course of three tours of Canada and a trip to India, and while Michael alternates between electric and acoustic guitars and a diversity of tonal colours, the writing and the strong personalities of the musicians on the disc give the record a cohesive sound.

“Much of my reputation has been built on my work with NOJO, where we freely incorporate different styles and approaches, but that band has always had its own sound because of the character of the writing and arranging. I’ve tried to do the same with this recording, referencing folk, world music, and blues, but with an adventurous and modern jazz focus.”

Formed in 1994 with pianist/composer Paul Neufeld, NOJO boldly draws on an array of influences, including African music, early blues, modern concert music, funk, reggae, and a century of jazz, yet the group’s recordings reveal an original and distinct sound. The Los Angeles Times calls NOJO “one of the most imaginative large ensembles on the current jazz scene,” and the band’s music has intrigued its many guest soloists including sax great Joe Lovano, trombonist Ray Anderson, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, and most notably clarinetist Don Byron and saxophone giant Sam Rivers, both of whom have recorded and toured with the ensemble. NOJO and Don Byron have performed at the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival in Orvieto, Italy, at the Stranger Than Paranoia Festival in the Netherlands, and at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, and NOJO toured Canada with Sam Rivers in 2003.

Michael Occhipinti has been profiled on Bravo!'s Arts and Minds, CBC television's On The Arts, CBC radio's This Morning and JazzBeat and TV Ontario's Studio 2. Michael's talents as a guitarist and composer extend well outside of the jazz world. Michael has just completed a concert with the esteemed Gryphon Trio, for which he wrote and arranged some new music for string trio and guitar, and in May 2006 he will perform with the National Ballet of Canada, performing Gavin Bryars' After The Requiem. His newest undertaking is The Sicilian Jazz Project, for which Michael is taking Sicilian folk music, often from field recordings done by musicologist Alan Lomax in the 1950’s, and arranging it for his new sextet. This group will be entering the studio to record later in 2006.

Quotes

“It’s ultimately Occhipinti’s keen sense of marrying the familiar with the unfamiliar that ultimately guides the songs into a new sonic space. Both with his own and with group NOJO, the guitarist’s greatest strength is striking a balance between the accessible and the adventurous, often embracing big band jazz or classic blues sounds in the same breath as catchy funk and/or sprawling avant-garde sounds.”

“The record is, by any standard, an unmitigated success. Cockburn’s tunes, with their arcing melodies and wide-open chord structures , retain their airy clarity in Occhipinti’s hands; they’re strong enough to flourish in their new, jazzified environment. Occhipinti himself adopts some of his songwriting inspiration’s delicacy, especially when playing acoustic guitar on “Lovers in a Dangerous Time”, but also spins out some forceful and tricky electric work.”

“Occhipinti was also earcatching thanks to the arsenal of electronic effects that he put to smart use. He bent notes and distorted them with a rock musicians’ glee and a jazz musician’s love of the new.”

“I didn’t have to worry about whether someone got the lyrics right or appeared not to understand them. One whole area of concern, a big one for me, was removed. Then it was just wonderful to realize this guy made such incredibly beautiful music out of the bits and pieces that were left for him to work with.”

“Michael Occhipinti will be remembered for the electrifying concert he gave here with his Creation Dream project based on the songs of Bruce Cockburn. The Plaza Heritage performance two years ago is considered one of the top shows in the life of the short history of the jazz society.”