Chitarrista
GIANFRANCO CONTINENZA
(guitarist, composer, arranger and guitar instructor) has justifiably gained acclaim as a Jazz/Fusion guitar wizard, racking up credits with the likes of Billy Cobham, Joe Diorio, Jimmy Bruno, Phil Upchurch, Vic Juris, Don Mock, Bob Mintzer, Bill Evans, Dean Brown, John Beasley, Mark Egan, John Stowell, Carl Verheyen, etc. He begun to play guitar at 8 years old thanks to his father (jazz guitarist) Nino. At the beginning he studied classical guitar for 5 years after that he concentrated his studies towards modern and Jazz guitar.
In 1991 he moved to California to attend Musicians Institute (Hollywood – CA) where he graduated with 100% score at G.I.T. (Guitar Institute of Technology) in september 1992, studying with great masters like Joe Diorio, Don Mock, Scott Henderson, Ron Eschéte, Howard Roberts, Peter Sprague, Gary Willis, Jennifer Batten, Steve Trovato, Jeff Berlin, Tommy Tedesco, Mike Miller and many others.
He performed and recorded with many world famous artists like Bill Evans, Joe Diorio, Mark Egan, Don Mock, Bob Mintzer, John Beasley, Michael Manring, Tetsuo Sakurai, Jeff Richman, Scott Kinsey, Jamie Findlay, Barrett Tagliarino, Richard Smith, John Stowell, Marco Minnemann, ect.
On 2014 he founded the band “HCL Funk Reaction” in trio with Francis Hylton (from the UK band Incognito) on bass and Rick Latham (B.B.King, Pat Travers) on drums, performing a tour in Europe.
Gianfranco was the first professor of “Jazz Guitar” at the Conservatory of Pescara (Italy) where he also taught Music Theory.
In 1998 he founded the Contemporary Music Academy in Pescara, one of the most advanced european modern school where he teaches Jazz & Fusion guitar.
He produced three solo albums:
-“The Past Inside The Present” (ESC Records 2008) feat. Bill Evans (Miles Davis, John McLaughlin) and Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech, Joe Zawinul) that on 2008 was the n°1 at the top list of the best 100 Jazz Guitar albums for Tower Records USA and it was the 2nd bestseller album for the label ESC Records.
- “Dusting The Time” (Videoradio 2013) feat. Don Mock, Bob Mintzer (Jaco Pastorius, Yellowjackets), John Beasley (Steely Dan, John Patitucci, Lee Ritenour), Mark Egan (Elements, Pat Metheny Group, Sting, Gil Evans), Michael Manring, Tetsuo Sakurai (Casiopea), Walter Martino, Alessandro Centofanti, Dino D’Autorio and many others. This record, on the March 2014 issue of the famous american magazine "GUITAR PLAYER", has been considered one of the best Jazz/Fusion album of the 2014 and it was for many months on the Top Chart of i-Tunes.
- “Vertical Horizons" (Never Sleeping Records 2019) just released feat. the american bassist Michael Manring.
Also for ESC Records he appeared, as a leader, on two albums tribute to Mahavishnu Orchestra: “Mahavishnu Re-Defined Vol.1 & Vol.2” and on an album tribute to Jeff Beck “The Loner Vol.2” with All-Star musicians like Mark Egan, Michael Manring, John Patitucci, Billy Cobham, Dennis Chambers, Gary Husband, Vinnie Colaiuta, Mitchel Forman, Steve Vai and many others.
He performed, as a leader, at the “Bratislava Jazz Days 2008”, one of the most important International Jazz Festival of Europe.
From 2010 to 2015 he wrote lessons on the famous american magazine “Just Jazz Guitar” where he has been interviewed on the May 2009 issue. He also has a Jazz column on two main italian guitar magazines: “Chitarre” and “Guitar Club”.
On May 2016 he was guest (interview + performance) on the TV show named “Top Show” on Top Channel, the main national channel of Albania. He also made a masterclass at the “University of Arts” of Albania.
On May 2019 he released his method book “The Jazz/Fusion guitarist and the creative modal improvisation Vol.1” for the Masciulli Edizioni.
There’s a whole chapter of Gianfranco on the American book "Originality is everything - a life and a near-death tale of an independent record label" written by John McGlasson.
For info: www.gianfrancocontinenza.com
