Convergence Mezza / Ginsburg Ensemble
Album info
Album-Release:
2018
HRA-Release:
10.10.2018
Album including Album cover Booklet (PDF)
- 1Afa-Extended Intro 01:03
- 2Afa05:47
- 3Seismi dell'Anima 05:59
- 4Nostalgia 05:06
- 5Affezioni 05:03
- 6Big Sea 04:41
- 7Enantiosemia a due02:25
- 8Melopea 03:02
- 9For You 06:22
- 10Mimesis 05:16
- 11Common Purpose 04:29
- 12Solipsismo a Strati 05:39
- 13Paeninsula Tribale 04:20
- 14Schizzi di Senso 03:27
Info for Convergence
No Fear of Differences: "The shortest distance between two points", Archimedes wrote, "is a straight line". Music, however, is rarely about finding the shortest distance. The curved and winding trajectories of Vittorio Mezza and Mark Ginsburg's collaboration would certainly prove to be far more exciting and fruitful than any straight line ever could have been. For them, making music is about allowing contrasts to blend into something new, it is akin to two worlds slowly closing in on each other - occasionally clashing, at times overlapping.
After a triumphant tour through South Africa in 2016, Convergence marks the second milestone of the duo. It documents a long exchange between two personalities with highly individual backgrounds: Italian pianist Vittorio Mezza, an accomplished jazz performer with strong classical roots and a love for mediteranean life. And saxophonist Mark Ginsburg, who was exposed to ancient cantorial prayer modes in his youth alongside the rhythms and sounds of South Africa.
These differences were undeniable. But Mezza and Ginsburg simply focused on what united, rather than what separated them: Their musical tastes, shared sense of beauty and the importance of family. Thanks to these ideals, this collection of ballads, slow-burning mood pieces and pulsating ensemble passages has turned out sounding remarkably unified.
For the recording sessions, Mezza and Ginsburg were joined by a rhythm section comprising Luca Bulgarelli on bass, Marcello di Leonardo on drums and Fabian Hevia on percussion. The band recorded live at Tube Studio just outside of Rome, known for its warm, sensual sound and state of the art technology. After the foundation had been laid, the music then travelled to Sydney, where ensemble Bel a capella and singer Justine Bradley added the choral and vocal sections and the album would be mixed and mastered.
"Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold.", author Meghan Daum once wrote. And it certainly took a lot of faith and courage to pursue with the project. It goes without saying, then, that Convergence is much more than just a studio album. It is an ongoing exploration of what is possible in a collaboration and how to grow not just as musicians but human beings as well. This dialogue could potentially go on forever: Like an inspired conversation, the convergence of ideas never stops, becoming deeper and more intimate, forever expanding in scope and diversity.
Vittorio Mezza, piano, keyboards
Mark Ginsburg, tenor and soprano saxophones
Luca Bulgarelli, acoustic and electric bass
Marcello Di Leonardo, drums
Fabian Hevia, percussion
Justine Bradley, vocals
Bel a cappella (Choir)
Judy Campbell, musical direction
Vittorio Mezza
Born in Maddaloni (CE) on the 25th August, 1976 and grown up in Telese Terme (BN), Vittorio Mezza got the Scientific High School Degree, the Secondary School Teaching diploma, the Specialization as Special Needs Educational Assistant and the Teaching Qualification. After having also completed his studies in classical music at the Conservatory of Benevento, he moved to Rome where he got his Diploma and Bachelor “cum laude” in Jazz Music from the ”S. Cecilia Conservatory of Music” in Rome.
He attended various courses and masterclasses held by international musicians: the Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz, the Seminars and the two-year Master of High Improvement for Jazz Trios in Siena, the David Liebman Chromatic Jazz Master Class at East Stroudsbourg University, Pennsylvania – USA, the New York International Jazz Workshop-USA, the Arrangement and Composition Course at the Music University of Rome. He also studied with J. Taylor, F. D’Andrea, D. Sanborn, G. Goldstein and others.
He took part in many international festivals such as the Franco-Italian Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music in Rome with the Jazz Orchestra of S. Cecilia, the Jazz Festival of Roccella Jonica in 2005, where he opened the concert for the Wayne Shorter Quartet, the “Festa della Musica” in Rome and the Jazz Festival of Bitonto, (where he opened the concerts respectively for the Peter Erskine Trio and for the Mike Stern Band in 2007) and the Standard Bank Jazz Festival in Grahamstown (South Africa) in 2016.
He was semi-finalist at the TIM in Marseille (France). Also, he was the only Italian pianist to compete in the Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition 2005.
In Italy, he has collaborated with Paolo Damiani, Massimo Moriconi, Roberto Gatto, Ettore Fioravanti, Francesco Puglisi, Cristiano Micalizzi, Pietro Ciancaglini, Aldo Bassi, the S. Cecilia Jazz Quartet, Diana Torto, Walter Paoli.
In the United States he performed with Dave Liebman, Mike Stephans, Tony Marino, Tony Moreno, Marc Mommaas; in Canada, in trio with Alec Walkington and Dave Laing (McGill University of Music of Montreal) and in trio with George Koller and Davide Di Renzo (Toronto); in Germany with David Milzow and Tarek Husseini; in South Africa with Mark Ginsburg, Romy Brauteseth, Kevin Gibson, Judy Campbell, Justin Binek, Mike Campbell, Micu Narunsky, Maurice Gawronsky, Ian Smith, Sphelelo Mazibuko, Andreas Tschopp, Justin Bellairs.
He also performed at the legendary Deer Head Inn – Pennsylvania (USA), at the Upstairs Jazz Club in Montreal and at Lula Lounge Jazz Club in Toronto (Canada). He took part in the International Festival in Grahamstown (South Africa). He played at Kaleidoscope Jazz Lounge, at Winchester Mansions, at the Jazz Theatre at the Nassau (Cape Town, South Africa).
In Rome he played at Conservatory of S. Cecilia, Casa del Jazz, Basilica S. Agnese in Agone, Villa Giulia, Teatro dei Contrari, Villa Pamphili, Villa Celimontana, Palazzo Farnese. Also, he played at Teatro Vespasiano in Civitavecchia, at the Anfiteatro Romano in Benevento, at Teatro Comunale of Ceglie Messapica, at Teatro Vespasiano in Rieti, at Palazzo Reale of S. Leucio di Caserta, at the Conservatories of L’Aquila and Reggio Calabria, at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Teatro Cilea in Reggio Calabria, at the University of Cosenza, at the Festival ‘Come Back’ in Giubiasco (Switzerland) with the band I Giganti. He also participated in many television shows of Rai and Mediaset. ...
Mark Ginsburg
emerged as a saxophonist of note in Cape Town where he frequently performed at popular jazz venues as well as shows, television programs and on tours, including a two-month tour working with notorious British comedian Spike Milligan.
Completing a Bachelor of Science as his first degree, Mark’s work and life experience has been diverse, including working as an information technology executive in Asia Pacific for a period of fifteen years.
Mark’s focus returned to music, completing a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium in 2003. He then continued with his studies, graduating as a Master of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium. The Mark Ginsburg Band, a quartet, was formed in 2008. Generations, the band’s debut album was nominated for Best 2009 Jazz Album category in the AIR Awards in Australia.
Mark has performed at numerous music festivals including the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, The National Arts Festival (South Africa), The Bellingen Global Carnival and a number of other Australian festivals.
Mark wrote and recorded the score for feature length documentary, A Common Purpose, winner of the Audience Award at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival.
A new recording project entitled Convergence with Italian pianist Vittorio Mezza featuring Bel a cappella, a Sydney based choir is currently in the pipeline.