Giovanni Mirabassi
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Mirabassi is a Paris-based Italian jazz pianist, born in Perugia
, Italy.
Self-taught, he learned by listening to Bud Powell
, Art Tatum
, and Oscar Peterson
. He is strongly influenced by Enrico Pieranunzi
. At seventeen, after a few important experiences in Italy (he played with musicians Chet Baker
in 1987 and with Steve Grossman in 1988), he settled in Paris in 1992.
In 1996, he debuted his first album with Pierre-Stéphane Michel on the upright bass and Flavio Boltro on the trumpet, and obtained the “grand prix” and the best soloist prize at the Concours International de Jazz d'Avignon
, presided by Daniel Humair.
In 2001, Giovanni Mirabassi published his first solo album, Avanti!: a collection of songs about revolutions, which he had been thinking of for years. This record was an important milestone in his career (Django d’Or of the best young talent and a Victoires du Jazz in 2002. Mirabassi began touring regularly, as part a trio or alone. He became very popular, especially in Japan.
At the end of 2005, he released a new CD, Prima o poi, as part of a trio and of a quartet, under the Minium label. A year later, he released another record of standards of French “chanson”, Cantopiano, which brought together his two preferred musical universes. Those two CDs, still saluted by public and media, anchored his unusual position in the world of jazz.
Over a period of ten years, Giovanni Mirabassi produced a dozen CDs and DVDs (some of them concerts released only in Japan) and performed all around the world.
In 2008, the pianist released a new CD as part of a piano trio, Terra furiosa.
Alain Gerber - Diapason
Pascal Anquetil - Jazzman
Agnès Bihl
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, Italy.
Self-taught, he learned by listening to Bud Powell
Bud Powell
Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
, Art Tatum
Art Tatum
Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
, and Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
. He is strongly influenced by Enrico Pieranunzi
Enrico Pieranunzi
Enrico Pieranunzi is an Italian jazz pianist. He fuses classical technique with jazz.He has performed with, among others, Frank Rosolino, Sal Nistico, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Joey Baron, Art Farmer, Jim Hall, Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Bill Smith, Charlie Haden, Mads...
. At seventeen, after a few important experiences in Italy (he played with musicians Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
in 1987 and with Steve Grossman in 1988), he settled in Paris in 1992.
In 1996, he debuted his first album with Pierre-Stéphane Michel on the upright bass and Flavio Boltro on the trumpet, and obtained the “grand prix” and the best soloist prize at the Concours International de Jazz d'Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, presided by Daniel Humair.
In 2001, Giovanni Mirabassi published his first solo album, Avanti!: a collection of songs about revolutions, which he had been thinking of for years. This record was an important milestone in his career (Django d’Or of the best young talent and a Victoires du Jazz in 2002. Mirabassi began touring regularly, as part a trio or alone. He became very popular, especially in Japan.
At the end of 2005, he released a new CD, Prima o poi, as part of a trio and of a quartet, under the Minium label. A year later, he released another record of standards of French “chanson”, Cantopiano, which brought together his two preferred musical universes. Those two CDs, still saluted by public and media, anchored his unusual position in the world of jazz.
Over a period of ten years, Giovanni Mirabassi produced a dozen CDs and DVDs (some of them concerts released only in Japan) and performed all around the world.
In 2008, the pianist released a new CD as part of a piano trio, Terra furiosa.
Style
- "Giovanni Mirabassi possesses a marvelous quality…: that of being able to make a melody sing, to make it blossom, thus liberating from it the fullness of its aroma, of its shape and of its chromatic shimmer…(…) Signed by Philippe Ghielmetti, the edition in itself is object of art."
Alain Gerber - Diapason
- Giovanni Mirabassi had the nerve and showed a lot of panache in tackling, so young as he is, such a repertoire… of revolutionary and patriotic songs, songs of resistance, struggle and refusal…As usual, he chooses to stay as close as possible to the original melody…which dictates his chords, imposes by itself its rhythmical logic, its own interior dance…Mirabassi dares to reveal the whole of his lyrical sensibility « à l’italienne », and to develop an already very personal sense of melodic drama and rhythmical staging. Well done!"
Pascal Anquetil - Jazzman
- Giovanni Mirabassi knows all about emotion reaching right out to the tips of his fingers…when he lays them on the keys of his piano, it is not only the melody of a song that he offers to us: the words, the profound meaning, the poetry are expressed with as much sensitiveness and respect as is the music itself. This is rare and precious. As for me, listening two of his songs played on the piano and interpreted by Giovanni Mirabassi, gives me the opportunity to become the very spectator of my own pieces… It’s a beautiful gift ! "
Agnès Bihl
Discography
- 1996, Dyade - En bonne et due forme
- 1997, Cambaluc
- 1998, Architectures — Trio with Daniele Mencarelli (bass) and Louis Moutin (drums)
- 2000,Avanti! — a collection of songs about revolutions.
- 2001, Dal Vivo
- 2002, Giovanni Mirabassi & Andrzej Jagodzinski trio
- 2003, (((air))) — trio with Glenn FerrisGlenn FerrisGlenn Ferris is a jazz trombonist who has also worked in other fields. Outside of jazz he has played for Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Duran Duran, and others....
and Flavio Boltro, won best record of the year at the Académie du jazz. - 2003, DVD Live at Sunside! — Giovanni Mirabassi, Gildas Boclé and Louis Moutin, recorded 27 October 2003 at Sunset-Sunside.
- 2004, More from Sunside
- 2004, Léo en toute liberté (with Nicolas Reggiani singing songs by Léo FerréLéo FerréLéo Ferré was a Franco-Monegasque poet, composer, singer and musician.Born in Monaco, Ferré mixed love and melancholy with moral anarchy, lyricism with slang, rhyming verse with prose monologues...
) - 2005, Prima o poi
- 2005, Live@Mokkiri-Ya
- 2005, DVD Live in Japan
- 2006, Lucky Boys
- 2006, Cantopiano — solo piano album playing songs by Claude NougaroClaude NougaroClaude Nougaro was a French songwriter and singer.Claude Nougaro was born in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and an Italian piano teacher, Liette Tellini. He was raised by his grandparents in Toulouse where he heard Glenn Miller, Édith Piaf and Louis Armstrong on the...
, Agnès Bihl, Serge LamaSerge LamaSerge Lama is a French singer. He was born in Bordeaux.His most famous song is Je suis malade. In 1971 he represented France in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Un jardin sur la terre, which was placed tenth.-Discography:...
, Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, Jeanne CherhalJeanne CherhalJeanne Cherhal is a French singer-songwriter.-Biography:After spending her younger years in Erbray near Châteaubriant, Cherhal studied philosophy before moving to Paris. She started her singing career playing piano – solo, or accompanied by her guitarist Éric Löhrer in small concert venues. At the...
, ... - 2007, Artero Brel — Patrick Artero, Giovanni Mirabassi and their interpretations of Jacques BrelJacques BrelJacques Brel was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following in France initially, and later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson...
. - 2008, Terra furiosa - Trio with Gianluca Renzi (bass) and Leon ParkerLeon ParkerLeon Parker is a jazz percussionist and composer. He studied drums from age 11 and had classical training in his teens. He went on to study jazz under the tutelage of Barry Harris. His recording debut would be with Harvie S, His first wife Lisa is a flautist and he had worked with her musically...
(drums)
External links
- www.mirabassi.com, Official site
- www.discograph.com, Record label
- www.metisse-music.com, Publishing