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Gianfranco Continenza

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

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Gianfranco Continenza
Born (1968-02-01) February 1, 1968 (age 56)
Turin, Italy
Genres
Occupation(s)musician, composer, author
Instrumentsguitar
Years active1986-present
LabelsESC Records, Videoradio, Never Sleeping Records
Associated actsMichael Manring, Bill Evans, Bob Mintzer, Scott Kinsey, Mark Egan, Tetsuo Sakurai
Websitegianfrancocontinenza.com

Gianfranco Continenza (born February 1, 1968) is an Italian guitarist from Pescara, Abruzzo.[1][2][3]

Biography[edit]

He approached the study of the guitar at the age of 8, learning the basics from his father Nino, jazz guitarist, and listening to Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, as well as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Van Halen.[4][5]

He moved with his family from Turin, where he was born, to Pescara, he played in several local bands and in 1986 he recorded the guitar in two songs, "At the End of the Last Chapter" and "Lucy Cruel", respectively third track of side A and first track of side B of the LP Hard Incursion by the Unreal Terror, considered one of the most promising Italian heavy metal bands of that years.[6][7][8]

In September 1992 he graduated with honors from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California, specializing in different musical styles, from jazz and jazz-fusion to rock, from blues and funk to Latin music.[9][10]

His teachers Joe Diorio, Scott Henderson, Don Mock, Jeff Berlin, Jennifer Batten, Gary Willis, Howard Roberts, Jamie Findlay, Jeff Richman, Mike Miller, Peter Sprague, Ron Eschéte, Steve Trovato and Tommy Tedesco, particularly influenced his musical style,[11][12] which is characterized by the use of complex rhythmic, harmonic and melodic textures, such as odd and mixed time signature, quartal harmonies and modal scales, as well as for the application of techniques such as the dispersion of the octave, the chromatic passages, the extended intervals, the superimposed scales, the string skipping and other.[13][14][15]

Back in Italy, he joined his career as a composer with that of teacher at the P.M.I. (Professional Musicians Institute), the C.M.A. (Contemporary Music Academy), the conservatory of music "Luisa D'Annunzio" in Pescara and in masterclass, performing live and studio music, and gained acclaim as a fusion guitar wizard.[16][17][18][19][20][21]

In 2008 he participated in the Bratislava Jazz Days, considered one of the most important festivals of European jazz music, in which it was also filmed in Italy as part of a special by Rai 3 dedicated to him.[22]

In 2016 he performed in concert in Tirana, Albania, and was a guest of the television programs Top Show and Wake Up broadcast by Top Channel.[23]

In Italy he has participated in various jazz festivals, including the Fiorenza Jazz '03 of Fermo and the Jazz sotto la torre of Palena of 2008.[24][25]

In 2000 he performed with the Cuban percussionist Ernesto Rodríguez Guzmán, known as Ernesttico, and the Neapolitan bassist Pippo Matino at the historic Kabala Jazz Club in Pescara, where was recorded the bootleg CD Live At Kabala Jazz Club.[26]

Together with the bassist Francis Hylton and the drummer Rick Latham, he founded the trio HCL Funk Reaction (the acronym HCL consists of the initials of the surnames of the three members, Hylton, Continenza, Latham).[27][28]

His first solo album, The Past Inside The Present, featuring Dante Melena, Maurizio Rolli, Angelo Trabucco, Scott Kinsey, and Bill Evans, reached number one in ranks among the top 100 albums in the jazz-fusion category of Tower Records, and was the second best-selling album by ESC Records in 2008.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35]

Dusting The Time, his second album, to which collaborated Dino D'Autorio, Lorenzo Feliciati, Mark Egan, Michael Manring, Tetsuo Sakurai, Adriano Brunelli, Federico Righi, Walter Martino, Don Mock, Sergey Boykov, Alessandro Centofanti, Ernesttico, John Beasley, Bob Mintzer, Enrico Corli, Nicolo Pasello, Emanuele Marchi and Paolo Marchi, was highly appreciated by critics and in 2014 was also reviewed in USA as one of the best jazz-fusion records of the year.[36][37][38][39][40][41][42]

In 2019 was released his third album Vertical Horizons with the collaboration of the bassist Michael Manring and the drummer Oreste Sbarra.[43][44]

His interpretation of John McLaughlin's "One Word" was included in the 2008 collection Mahavishnu Re-Defined - A Tribute To John McLaughlin, a double album of 24 tracks written or inspired by the British guitarist, conceived by guitarist Jeff Richman who recruited famous guitarists to rework the classical material of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.[45][46][47][48]

His original song "Mahavishnology" was included in the 2010 collection Mahavishnu Re-Defined II - A Tribute To John McLaughlin, the second volume in double album of the musical project Mahavishnu Re-Defined, in which Gianfranco Continenza participated, among others, with Surinder Sandhu, Steve Vai, David Torn, Allen Hinds, George Colligan, Kai Eckhardt and Michael Manring.[49][50]

His original song "Back to Beck"was included in the collection The Loner 2 - A Tribute To Jeff Beck, a double album of 24 tracks dedicated to the iconic British guitarist, released in the 2014 by ESC Records.[51]

He collaborated on the studio recordings of the albums of Adriano Brunelli, Sergey Boykov, Massimo Severino and Nicola Trivarelli.[52][53][54][55]

He collaborates as consultant, endorser and demonstrator with DV Mark, Mama Pickups and Fattoria Mendoza companies.[56][57][58]

He plays Jacoland and APS guitars, for which he designed his own GC signature models.[59][60][61][62]

The Heaven Jazz “Gianfranco Continenza Signature” guitar, meticulously studied together with the Parma luthier Fausto Fiorini,[63] was presented in September 2007, in Milan, at the MEET, the Italian organization that supports digital culture and creative technology.[64]

He edits several jazz guitar columns and publishes jazz-fusion guitar lessons in various magazines, including Chitarre and Guitar Club, in Italy, and Just Jazz Guitar in the US.[65][66][67][68][69]

In 2019 he published a guitar method on the creative use of modal scales in improvisation, with foreword by Mark Egan.[70][71][72]

Discography (partial)[edit]

Soloist[edit]

  • 2008 - The Past Inside The Present (ESC Records, ESC 3725)
  • 2011 - Face The Truth, (ESC Records, ESC 03739-2)
  • 2013 - Dusting The Time (Videoradio, VRCD 000844)
  • 2019 - Vertical Horizons (Never Sleeping Records, NS 001)

Compilations[edit]

  • 2008 - Mahavishnu Re-Defined - A Tribute To John McLaughlin And The Mahavishnu Orchestra (ESC Records, ESC 03723-2)
  • 2010 - Mahavishnu Re-Defined II - A Tribute To John McLaughlin And The Mahavishnu Orchestra (ESC Records, ESC 03735-2)
  • 2014 - The Loner 2 - A Tribute To Jeff Beck (ESC Records, ESC 03749-2)

Collaborations[edit]

  • 1986 - Unreal Terror, Hard Incursion (Action Label Productions ‎– ACT 33005)
  • 2008 - Adriano Brunelli, Art Of B(r)ass (Adriano Brunelli)
  • 2014 - Sergey Boykov, Falling Skies (Power Prog)
  • 2017 - Massimo Severino, The Branched Tree - Jazz Suite in 6 Movements (Hydra Music)
  • 2018 - Nicola Trivarelli Project Organ Trio - Strange Kind Of Blues (Real Illusions)

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Benson, Ed (May 2009). "Gianfranco Continenza". Just Jazz Guitar. USA. 59: 127–132.
  2. ↑ Salari, Massimo (2018). Rock progressivo italiano. 1980-2013 (in italiano). Italy: Arcana Edizioni. ISBN 978-8862318617. Search this book on
  3. ↑ "Alcuni personaggi del Piemonte (Alcuni personaggi piemontesi residenti in Nord America)". Italian Directory (in italiano and English). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza in disco: The Past Inside The Present". Il Centro (in italiano). Italy. March 9, 2008. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  5. ↑ Ianniello, Antonino (April 2009). "Crescendo a pane e Jazz". Albatros (in italiano). Italy. p. 77. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ "Unreal Terror - Hard incursion". Discogs. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  7. ↑ "Hard Incursion". Jolly Roger Records. 2014-05-24. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  8. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza - Unreal Terror". Encyclopedia Metallum - The Metal Archives. 2020-11-06. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  9. ↑ Kazuhiro. "Gianfranco Continenza biography". Progarchives.com. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  10. ↑ Mazzolari, Annalisa (2020-09-18). "Gianfranco Continenza: parola all'originalità". RadioAdige (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  11. ↑ Mc Glasson, John; Murphy, Ronan Chris (2011). Originality is everything. A life and near-death tale of an independent record label. o.i.e. Creative. ISBN 9780983502104. Search this book on
  12. ↑ Benson, Ed (May 2009). "Gianfranco Continenza". Just Jazz Guitar. USA. 59: 127–132.
  13. ↑ Continenza, Gianfranco (May 2010). "Quartal Harmony of the Major Scale and its Modes". Just Jazz Guitar. USA. 63: 53–56.
  14. ↑ Continenza, Gianfranco (November 2010). "Quartal Harmony of the Melodic Minor Scale and its Modes". Just Jazz Guitar. USA. 65: 67–70.
  15. ↑ Continenza, Gianfranco (February 2011). "Modern Jazz Lines and Octave Dispersion Concept". Just Jazz Guitar. USA. 66: 37–40.
  16. ↑ "Elenco docenti esterni a. a. 2011 - 2012" (PDF). Conservatorio di musica Luisa D'Annunzio - Pescara (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  17. ↑ Bonini, Alessandro; Tamagnini, Emanuele (2006). Annuario della musica. 2006-2007 (in italiano). Italy: Gremese Editore. p. 71. ISBN 9788884403964. Search this book on
  18. ↑ "Porto Torres: riapre Scuola civica musica". 20 anni (alguer.it) (in italiano). 2010-01-12. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ Pavone, Paolo (May 2014). "Gianfranco Continenza. Dusting the time". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy: 58–61.
  20. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza". ESC Records. 2010-10-06. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ Esposito, Salvatore. "Speciale Videoradio: Lorena Fontana, Gianfranco Continenza". Foolk magazine (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  22. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza Band". Bratislavské Jazzové (in slovenščina). 2008-10-25. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  23. ↑ "DV Mark artist Gianfranco Continenza - Tirana Tour 2016". DV Mark. 2016-05-26. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  24. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza Trio". fiorenzajazz.it (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  25. ↑ Radica, Angelo (2014-07-12). "Jazz sotto la torre. 2' Edizione". Comune di Tollo (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  26. ↑ Dosco, Doc (2008-06-05). "What's Hot With Jazz Guitar: Gianfranco Continenza". Guitar Site. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  27. ↑ Ianniello, Antonino. "Il jazz-rock aggressivo di Gianfranco Continenza lo contraddistingue tra i migliori e talentuosi chitarristi jazz della Nazione". Albatros (in italiano). 186. Italy. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  28. ↑ Geremia, Federica. "Gianfranco Continenza". Unfolding Roma (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  29. ↑ Salvatori, Mauro (May 2008). "Gianfranco Continenza. The past inside the present". Chitarre (in italiano). Italy. 267: 34.
  30. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza". Dogal strings. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  31. ↑ Stürm, Michael (June 2008). "The Past Inside The Present". Jazz Podium (in Deutsch). Germany.
  32. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza. The past inside the present". An Overdose Of Fingal Cocoa. 2014-02-10. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  33. ↑ Buonuomo, Rosa Anna (2014-01-14). ""Dusting the Time", Continenza e il suo fusion con personalità". Il Centro (in italiano). Italy. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  34. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza Trio". Gerli Music Management. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  35. ↑ Celsi, Arturo (May 2019). "Gianfranco Continenza. Vertical horizons" (PDF). Guitar Club (in Italian). Italy. 9.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
  36. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza : il nuovo album dal 4 dicembre". Heavy Metal Webzine (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  37. ↑ Mazzarella, Maurizio (January 2014). "Gianfranco Continenza. Dusting the time". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy. 1: 4.
  38. ↑ Tavernese, Stefano (February 2014). "DNA chitarristico". Chitarre (in italiano). 336: 22–23.
  39. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza. Dusting The Time". Grand GTRS (in Deutsch). Germany. March 2014.
  40. ↑ Cleveland, Barry (March 2014). "Editors' faves March 2014". Guitar Player Magazine. USA: 30.
  41. ↑ Pavone, Paolo (May 2014). "Professione chitarrista". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy: 58–59.
  42. ↑ Sakurai, Tetsuo. "Profile". Tetsuo Sakurai. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  43. ↑ Celsi, Arturo (September 2019). "Gianfranco Continenza. Vertical Horizons". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy.
  44. ↑ Ianniello, Antonino (2021-01-19). "Gli orizzonti verticali del sound di Continenza". Il quotidiano del Sud (in italiano). Italy. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  45. ↑ Langella, Mimmo (April 2009). "Mahavishnu Re-Defined - A Tribute To John McLaughlin & The Mahavishnu Orchestra". Axe Magazine (in italiano). Italy.
  46. ↑ Kelman, John (2009-06-18). "Various Artists: Mahavishnu Redefined: A Tribute To John McLaughlin And The Mahavishnu Orchestra". All About Jazz. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  47. ↑ Salvatori, Mauro (August 2009). "Mhavishnu Re-Dedined - A Tribute To John McLaughlin And The Mahavishnu Orchestra". Chitarre (in italiano). Italy. 282: 20.
  48. ↑ "Various – Mahavishnu Re-Defined (A Tribute To John McLaughlin And The Mahavishnu Orchestra)". Discogs. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  49. ↑ "Various Artists - 2010 "Mahavishnu Re-Defined II": A Tribute To John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra". Jazz Rock Fusion Guitar. 2015-09-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  50. ↑ "Various – Mahavishnu Re-Defined II (A Tribute To John McLaughlin And The Mahavishnu Orchestra)". Discogs. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  51. ↑ "Various – The Loner 2 − A Tribute To Jeff Beck". Discogs. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  52. ↑ "Sergey Boykov". Vivaldi Metal Project. 2015-04-24. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  53. ↑ "The branched tree (jazz suite in 6 movements)". Rockit (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  54. ↑ D’Amato, Adam (2016-12-09). "Nicola Trivarelli Project III Organ Trio - Strange Kind of blues". Jazz Convention (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  55. ↑ "Curriculum di Adriano Brunelli". Estense Music Academy (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  56. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza". DV Mark. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  57. ↑ "Artisti". MAMA pickups (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  58. ↑ "Artists". Fattoria Mendoza (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  59. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza Trio". PDP Production (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  60. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza. Chitarrista e compositore". Jazzitalia (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  61. ↑ Ianniello, Antonino. "Gianfranco Continenza, chitarrista creativo e progressivo". 7 Salerno (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  62. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza. Guitarist - Composer - Arranger and Guitar Instructor". Fattoria Mendoza. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  63. ↑ Crescenti, Davide (July 2008). "Gianfranco Continenza". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy.
  64. ↑ "Giornate all'insegna del jazz nel centro storico di Ripatransone". ilQuotidiano.it (in italiano). 2007-07-12. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  65. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza". Jacoland (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  66. ↑ "Gianfranco Continenza. Lezioni di chitarra". Jazzitalia (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  67. ↑ "Intervista a Gianfranco Continenza". Audiofollia (in italiano). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  68. ↑ Continenza, Gianfranco (2015). "Contemporary Jazz 6". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy. 7/2015.
  69. ↑ Continenza, Gianfranco (2016). "Contemporary Guitar Locrian Natural 2". Guitar Club (in italiano). Italy. 2/2016.
  70. ↑ Buonomo, Rosa Anna (2019-07-02). "Gianfranco Continenza a Pescara con l'album "Vertical Horizons"". Il Centro (in italiano). Italy. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  71. ↑ "Fla Pescara, programma eventi, ospiti e orari 8 novembre 2019". Pescara Post (in italiano). 2019-11-07. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  72. ↑ "Il chitarrista Jazz/Fusion e l'improvvisazione modale creativa Vol.1". Masciulli Edizioni (in italiano and English). Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

Bibliography[edit]

  • 2019 - Il chitarrista Jazz/Fusion e l’improvvisazione modale creativa (Masciulli Edizioni).

External links[edit]


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