Contemporary Music Academy

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ-FUSION GUITAR & ELECTRIC BASS:

GIANFRANCO CONTINENZA, guitarist and composer born in Turin (Italy) on the 1st of february 1968, he started to play guitar when he was 8 years old thanks to his father Nino Continenza, jazz guitar player.
He studied classical music for 5 years, then developping the study of the modern guitar (jazz, fusion, blues, rock...) and playing with local bands.
He is graduated with 100% score at G.I.T. (Guitar Institute of Technology) in Hollywood, California in september 1992 specialized in many music styles (jazz, fusion, blues, R&B, latin, funky, rock…) studing with Joe Diorio, Don Mock, Scott Henderson, Ron Eschéte, Howard Roberts, Peter Sprague, Gary Willis, Jennifer Batten, Steve Trovato, Jeff Berlin, Jamie Findlay, Jeff Richman, Tommy Tedesco, Mike Miller, ecc.
On 1994 he founded the P.M.I. (Professional Musicians Institute) and later on 1998 the C.M.A. (Contemporary Music Academy) in Pescara, with students coming from all the parts of Italy where he’s teaching Jazz/Fusion guitar. Since 2010 he is professor of Music Theory at the Pescara’s Conservatory Luisa D’Annunzio.
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, Cathy Segal-Garcia, ecc.
He produced two solo Albums as a leader for ESC Records (one of the label leader of Jazz/Fusion in the world): “The Past Inside The Present” – 2008 with Bill Evans (Miles Davis, John McLaughlin) on sax and Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech, Joe Zawinul) on keyboards. This Album was the 2nd bestseller Album of ESC Records of the 2008 and it was at the 1st position on the list of the top 100 Cd of jazz guitar album on Tower Records USA in 2008 and the new born CD “Face The Truth” - 2010 with Don Mock, Bob Mintzer (Yellowjackets), John Beasley (Steely Dan, John Patitucci), Michael Manring, Tetsuo Sakurai (Casiopea), Walter Martino, Alessandro Centofanti, Sergey Boykov, Ernesttico, Dino D’Autorio and many others.
Also for ESC Records he appeared as a leader on two Albums tribute to Mahavishnu Orchestra recording his arrangement of the famous John McLaughlin’scomposition“One Word”for the double Cd "MAHAVISHNU RE-DEFINED” with Mark Egan on bass, Alessandro Centofanti on electric piano and organ and Walter Martino on drums and his original track “Mahavishnology” for the double Cd "MAHAVISHNU RE-DEFINED II” with Michael Manring on bass, Alessandro Centofanti electric piano and organ and Walter Martino on drums.
He played in many International Jazz festivals like the Bratislava Jazz Days 2008.
Gianfranco is endorsing Jacoland with the guitar Heaven Jazz “Gianfranco Continenza Signature”, Dean Markley Strings and Wegen Picks.
Since 2010 he is writing Jazz guitar lessons on the famous american magazine Just Jazz Guitar.

VOICE:

CRISTINA CAMELI, was born in Chieti the 24th March 1980, voice of light mezzosoprano clearly with soft soprano’s sounds, much luminosity in the acute and warm in the low registry. Form like jazz singer undertaking itself to the study of ancient, baroque and classical music. Her music is a Modern European Jazz also with the contaminations of others kind of genres as ‘’belcanto’’, contemporary, electronic and popular music. Her artistic way is in a continuous evolution, she’s a lot interested to an instrumental and plastic use of the voice with the improvisation and the research but also to the writing and the composition. Cristina Cameli besides to revisit in personal way standards and originals and writes her songs and her lyrics. Her formation in the jazz, hand in hand to the classical studies of solfege and complementary piano, begins near the Accademia Musicale Pescarese, studying Jazz Singing with Diana Torto, Harmony and Ensemble with Maurizio Rolli, Piano Jazz with Marco di Battista, Ensemble with Gianluca Esposito. She begins the courses of the I Level in Jazz near the conservatory '' G.B. Martini’’ of Bologna where she studied with Roberto Spadoni, Tomaso Lama, Pasquale Morgente, Stefano Zenni, Diana torto. In 2007 takes the Degree of the I LEVEL in JAZZ near conservatory G.B. Martini of Bologna, 110 voting and praie, with an entitled thesis '' VOICE and Emotions: round midnight’’. In the 2008 she Bachelor near University ‘’G.D' Annunzio’’ of Chieti with Quinquennial bachelor in psycology, an entitled thesis '' FENOMENOLOGIA OF HUMAN VOICE’’. She has followed the seminaries of Maria Pia de Vito, Barbara Casini, Otmaro Ruiz, Jim Gailloreto, John Taylor, Uri Caine, Alexander Lonquich, John Abercrombie, David Linx. She has studied jazz Singing with LISA THORSON (Sant'elpio Jazz Festival), jazz singing and interpretation of the Afro-American repertoire with Mike Abene (Estate Musicale Frentana), Jazz singing with Ada Montellanico (Arcevia Jazz Festival), ), Jazz singing with Barry Harrys (Verona Jazz), Jazz Singing with Maria Pia de Vito (Nuoro Jazz), composition with Bruno Tommaso (Chieti in Jazz), composition with Giancarlo Gazzani (Siena Jazz). In the within of the clinics attended always distinguish herself and it has always participated to the activity like singer and like arranger. Cristina Cameli is perfecting Herself studying belcanto with M° Federico Giubilei, in 2008 has had the opportunity to study the VOICE with M° Bruno de Franceschi attended the seminary ‘’ Corpo vocale, voce corporale’’ to Rocca Sinibalda (Rieti), in 2009 participates to the Base Course of method VOICECRAFT E.V.T.S held to Chieti studying with Elisa Turlà. In 2006 she is between the 3 finalists to the international competition of composition BARGA JAZZ, Sez. C, classified to the students of the course of composition of Siena Jazz. In 2006 she wins the scholarship to Nuoro Jazz summer courses assigned from M.P de Vito, in order to participate to the group of the best students like singer, is born so the F.u.t.a. Jazz ensemble, septeth composed from the best ones, she is interpreter, Co-author of music and lyrics and Co-arranger, is recorded a CD produced from Ente Musicale Nuoro and Time in Jazz. In 2007 to ‘’Note di donna’’, Piacenza Jazz Club, is between the 8 finalists to the competition of composition centralized on the discovery and the valorization of the compositive talents of the feminine universe.€ From 2005 to 2007 she’s the voice of the big band of the conservatory G.B.Martini of Bologna€ , directed from the trombonist Roberto Rossi. In 2003 with the A.M.P Chorus, takes to part to the recording of the CD ‘’Archivi sonori’’ of Maurizio Rolli (Wide Sound) recording the vocal parts of the pieces ‘’Singing in the rainbow’’ € and ‘’Dialoghi’’. In 2005 she records the vocalparts of the work of Angelo Canelli, ‘’Angelo Canelli plays the music of Sting’’ € always for the Wide Sound. In 2006 she collaborates with the guitarist and composer Daniele di Diego recording the piece ‘’Ippocampo’’ broadcast on radio delta 1 inside the transmission ‘’Jazid’’. Cristina Cameli has carried out an intense activity in clubs and prestigious musical reviews.