Speaking of Dora Keogh’s (re: previous blog) I see Roberto Occhipinti has all but set up shop there for February with Saturday afternoon matinees (Feb. 6, 20 and 27) with a trio that also includes Hilario Duran and Mark Kelso. That’s a pretty high-powered trio. Actually two of the last three CDs put out by Duran both won Juno’s - From the Heart (2006) and New Danzón (2004) - and the third one, Encuentro en La Habana (2005), was nominated for one.
The latter was actually up against Occhipinti’s own Juno nominated album Yemaya, both of which he produced. Both musicians worked extensively on each other’s albums.
Occhipinti, who has a new album out called A Bend in the River, has also played on a ton of other recordings and live gigs - even subbing in with Gorillaz at one point. But in an interview at the time Yemaya was released, he much preferred talking about his own stuff, which also included The Cusp from 2003 and Trinacria from 2000.
Oh, and they're not Occhipinti’s only stops this month at Dora Keogh’s as his Soul Stew - which he termed his “guilty pleasure” (see story below) - is on tap Wednesday, Feb. 24.
I did a story on Occhipinti for our east end papers around the time that Yemaya was up for a Juno in March 2006. As it’s not on our website, I’ll post it below ...
Also, here’s a link to another related story, literally. By Lisa Rainford, it’s about Roberto’s brother Michael on a project that Roberto was also involved in. Link here.
Roberto’s website is at www.robertoocchipinti.com (and actually that has further links to Soul Stew and all above mentioned musicians).
Here are some relevant YouTube videos.
Michael Occhipinti and The Sicilian Jazz Project perform Vitti na crozza live in Modica, Sicilia, August 29, 2009. This concert was an extension of the festivities surrounding the 2009 Ragusani nel mondo award that Michael Occhipinti and Roberto Occhipinti were in Italy to receive. Featuring Michael Occhipinti (guitar), Roberto Occhipinti (bass), Dominic Mancuso (vocals and guitar), Pucci Nicosia (drums), and Rino Cirinna (sax).
And here’s Occhipinti performing The Cusp. Really nice version because it’s TVO studio. It doesn’t list musicians but pretty sure it’s Duran on piano.
And, for a complete change of style, here’s Soul Stew at Lulu Lounge on Sunday, June 7. The Soul Stew line-up included Michael Dunston,vocals; John Johnson, sax; David Gray, guitar; Matt Horner, keyboard; Roberto Occhipinti, bass; Mark Kelso, drums.
East ender up for Juno for best jazz album
(March/06)
Norm Nelson
Roberto Occhipinti will not need many introductions when he’s introduced to fellow nominees in the best contemporary jazz album category at this year’s Juno Awards which are being held in Halifax on April 2.
One of Canada’s premier string bass players, the 51-year-old Occhipinti is nominated for his critically acclaimed third CD, Yemaya.
Born and raised in east Toronto, Occhipinti has lived for more than 20 years, with his wife and son, in a modest home just a short walk north of the Donlands Subway station. Of Italian heritage, he was born in Toronto Beaches, spent his teenage years in Don Mills where he attended Victoria Park Secondary School, and completed his education at the University of Toronto in the music performance program.
His oldest brother Peter is a Scarborough-based rock musician; his younger brother Michael is a noted Juno award winning Toronto guitarist, who used to live in East York but has now settled in the west end of Toronto. He also has two sisters. His cousin David Occhipinti is also a noted Toronto guitarist and Juno nominee.
“My father was a stone mason from Sicily, but he loved to sing, Not a trained musician, but he always had music in the house,” said Roberto.
As kids, he said their love of music was fed by a very good music program in the schools at the time.
“Music was an important part of the curriculum in the schools. It doesn’t seem to be as important now in the government’s priorities. It’s my rant.”
Without such support, he added, “there’s no way that I would have had the opportunity to take up an instrument.”
Not only did Roberto produce the ambitious Yemaya, but he also produced two of the other CDs nominated in the category – for Hilario Duran (Encuentro en la Habana) and for David Buchbinder (Shurum Burum Jazz Circus).
Roberto actually plays in the Hilario Duran trio, although he didn’t play on Encuentro en la Habana which Duran recorded in Cuba with some former bandmates. And Roberto did play on one track for Buchbinder.
Roberto is also no stranger to the other two nominees, having worked extensively in the past with Jane Bunnett (who is nominated for her CD Radio Guantánamo) and with some of the ensemble of musicians on the final nominated CD (One Take: Volume Two).
The category last year was won by the Hilario Duran trio, of which Roberto is a member, for the CD New Danzon (which he also produced). Ironically, one of last year’s other nominees was his brother Michael Occhipinti.
Michael and his long timer collaborator pianist Paul Neufeld and their large ensemble NOJO (which stands for the Neufeld Ochhipinti Jazz Orchestra) were nominated for their CD City of Neighbourhoods (inspired by Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods), featuring saxophone giant Sam Rivers. And Roberto was also the bass player on that one, as well.
Michael Occhipinti’s other projects include Creation Dream, a critically acclaimed jazz CD of Bruce Cockburn’s songs, of which Cockburn himself sits in for a guest appearance.
The two brothers are up for additional honours at this year’s national jazz awards which are being held in Toronto at the Old Mill on Monday, April 10.
NOJO is up for big band of the year; Roberto is up for three awards - producer, arranger and Latin jazz artist of the year. Roberto will also lead the house band for the evening.
“You can vote on-line,” chuckled Roberto, who took home two national jazz awards last year, for best acoustic group and producer of the year.
Michael and Roberto’s paths are slated to cross yet again as they combine their talents on their newest project, the Sicilian Jazz Project, which will take them back to their family’s musical roots.
You can get a sneak preview of this project when the two Juno award winning Occhipinti brothers lead their Sicilian Project ensemble at the Rex, 194 Queen St. West, on Saturday, March 18.
Roberto than switches hats the following week, taking his regular spot with the Hilario Duran trio for a three-night stand March 23-25 at Montreal Bistro, 65 Sherbourne St.
As well, Roberto says he’ll take the rhythm section behind the Juno-nominated Yemaya on an extensive tour across Canada this summer.
Roberto recently got to play a gig really close to home - walking distance, in fact - when he played Dora Keogh (“my favourite pub in Toronto”) on the Danforth with another of his regular but definitely atypical gigs, Soul Stew. Comprised of top drawer T.O. studio musicians and together for more than a dozen years, there’s nothing jazzy about this potent Motown mixture inspired by Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone.
“It’s my guilty pleasure,” said Roberto.
While this may seem like a full plate, Roberto, who actually began his career in symphony, including stints in the Canadian Opera Company and the Winnipeg and Hamilton symphonies, keeps just as busy as a hired gun for other musicians. He serves as producer, arranger, composer and player – or all of the above – depending on the need.
He doesn’t like to tout this aspect too much since his contributions can often be pretty small, but his work ranges from Nelly Furtado’s Grammy award-winning first album (of which he played on one track) to the soundtrack for the Oscar winning Moonstruck. He has toured with teen sensation Gorillaz and has backed world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, including a concert last year at the Air Canada Centre. Currently, he was helping Bruce Cockburn on one of his songs. “I’m contracting a string orchestra for him and playing in it (the string orchestra).”
What readers of this newspaper may know him best for, however, is something not even mentioned yet – and that’s the popular children’s television show, George Shrinks. He wrote the music and assembled the musicians, including himself, that performed all the music.
For more info about any of Roberto’s CDs or upcoming performances check out his website at www.robertoocchipinti. The website also has links to many of his collaborators.