David Occhipinti
Biography
DAVID OCCHIPINTI (guitarist, composer) was born on December 26, 1966 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He attended Humber College in Toronto from 1984 to 1987, attended the Banff School of Fine Arts jazz workshop (under Artistic Director Dave Holland) in 1989, and studied in New York with legendary jazz guitarist Jim Hall during the 1990s. He has led his own groups since 1987, performing extensively in Italy and neighboring countries during the mid ‘90s, and since 1999 has been a member of the Mike Murley/David Occhipinti Duo.
Accomplished as both a guitarist and composer, Occhipinti has released a number of albums featuring his own compositions: Debut (1997), Syzygy (1999), Intersection (2003), and JUNO Award-nominated Forty Revolutions (2007). He also has released two duo albums with saxophonist Mike Murley. The first album, Duologue, was nominated for a Juno Award, a National Jazz Award and a Canadian Music "Indie" Award in 2003. The second album, Duologue, Vol. 2, was released in 2005.
In 2011, David founded the Walrus Quartet with fellow guitarists: Roddy Ellias, Ted Quinlan and Kim Ratcliffe.
He has frequently composed for string quartet and other chamber ensembles including the prestigious Madawaska String Quartet and the Arraymusic Ensemble, and was awarded a Canada Council commission to write for Barry Romberg’s Random Access large ensemble.
In 2012, Occhipinti released Camera, which features his guitar playing with a unique ensemble including clarinet, bassoon, guitar, marimba, violin, viola, cello, and bass. The recording also includes a suite for guitar and string quartet. The Camera Ensemble toured Canada in November of 2013 in support of the recording.cchipinti
Occhipinti released Bristles with a collaborative trio that includes trumpeter Jim Lewis and bassist Andrew Downing in 2014. The album, some of which was recorded live at the Jazz Room in Waterloo, is a collection of jazz standards and collaborative improvisations dedicated to painters including Emily Carr and Cy Twombly.
David Occhipinti has performed in jazz clubs all over Toronto, and on tour across North America, Europe, and Japan. He has been a member of the faculty at Humber College since 2000 instructing in Guitar and Ensemble Performance, and has also taught at the University of Toronto since 2002. The album was nominated for a JUNO in 2015.
Awards:
1996 - one of ten winners in the “Guitars on Fire” Contest held by the international trade publication Jazziz Magazine
2003 - Mike Murley/David Occhipinti CD (Duologue) nominated for a JUNO Award
2003 - Mike Murley/David Occhipinti CD (Duologue) nominated for a National Jazz Award
2003 - Mike Murley/David Occhipinti CD (Duologue) nominated for a Canadian Music “Indie” Award
2007 - JUNO nomination - 'Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year' - Forty Revolutions
2015 - JUNO nomination for 'Jazz Album of the Year, by a Group' for Bristles
