ABOUT Ernesto Cervini
-
Drummer Ernesto Cervini is making a name for himself as a consummate bandleader and in-demand sideman, repeatedly praised for his deeply musical, infectiously energetic talents. Time Out New York encapsulated Cervini as “a buoyant drummer as well as a sharp composer and bandleader,” while the jazz bible, Downbeat described his fluid style as one that “exemplifies `float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’.” The drummer released There, his third album as leader of the Ernesto Cervini Quartet, in fall 2011. Reviewing the album, Modern Drummer magazine said: “Cervini recalls such old-schoolers as Art Blakey and Billy Higgins. . . It’s his robust, magnetic personality that fascinates consistently.”
Reflecting on his role as a drummer-bandleader, Cervini says it’s “more about being a drummer-composer in many ways for me. With a lot of my tunes, rhythm is the thing, but they aren’t all drum solos and pieces in 13/8. I’m not writing vehicles for my drumming prowess, or rhythm etudes. I’m trying to write engaging, involving music, whether the tune is playful or taps some deeper emotion. The time signature doesn’t define the music; the piece of music determines the rhythm. And with my band, the rhythm and time are elastic. We’re interacting with freedom, so the music flows naturally.”
There − Cervini’s first release via New York-based Anzic Records, following his albums Little Black Bird (2009) and Here (2006)− was recorded live, like some of the greatest albums in jazz history. The Ernesto Cervini Quartet features the drummer alongside saxophonist Joel Frahm, pianist Adrean Farrugia and bassist Dan Loomis. Of the recording, The Ottawa Citizen said: “On There, you can often practically hear the musicians smiling and reveling in their creativity and musical repartee. . . some superb, high-energy, spur-of-the-moment music.” A review in The WholeNote added: “Ernesto Cervini is blazing a path through contemporary jazz with smart new ideas and a burning intensity that shouts to be heard. An album that has be one of 2011’s best.”
About his vision for There, Cervini explains: “My previous album, Little Black Bird, was a studio recording, and when the band toured the material after the record came out, it was amazing to hear how the music came alive − the music was really grooving by the end of that tour. So, for the next album, I wanted to capture that vibe of new material having been honed on the road, and everything came together in Vancouver. The club was packed; so rather than playing to the walls of a studio, we were performing to a lot of people who were totally into it. You can hear us reacting to the crowd and egging each other on. Instead of the usual thing of `Wow, I wish we had recorded that gig,’ we actually got it.”
Cervini was born in Toronto in 1982, studying classical piano and clarinet before focusing his energies behind the drum kit. He graduated with a performance degree in both classical piano and clarinet from Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music, featuring as the piano soloist in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with symphony orchestra and playing numerous shows as a jazz clarinetist, including a tribute to Benny Goodman. Having then graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto (where he now conducts masterclasses) and a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music (during a life-changing sojourn in New York City), Cervini laid claim to a diverse musicianship, one that has taken him to some of the hippest stages in North America. As a drummer, he has been featured as a leader and sideman at the legendary club Birdland, Sweet Rhythm, the Jazz Standard and the 55 Bar in New York City, as well as the Montreal Bistro, Top Of the Senator and the Rex Jazz & Blues Club in Canada. He has performed in such concert halls as Massey Hall, Glenn Gould Theatre and St. Lawrence Center for the Arts, as well as the Sugita Theatre in Yokohama, Japan.
Given the opportunity to share the stage with legendary jazz musicians, Cervini has performed with Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Cleo Laine, Pat LaBarbera, Dick Oatts, Buddy DeFranco, Eddie Daniels, Henry Cuesta, Scott Robinson, Dave Binney, Jim McNeely, Phil Nimmons, Peter Appleyard and Ranee Lee, among others. He has opened for such star headliners as Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, Roy Hargrove, Dave Holland, Roy Haynes and Poncho Sanchez. As a sideman, Cervini continues to play drums for the Amy Cervini Quintet (led by his singer sister), Strange Attractors and the four-part vocal group Monday Off. In the studio, the drummer has recorded albums with the Tara Davidson Quintet (Code Breaking, nominated for a Juno award), as well as saxophonist Hiromi Masuda (Maybe September) and Amy Cervini (Lovefool). As part of MEM3 with pianist Michael Cabe and bassist Mark Lau, Cervini recorded Pennsylvania Grey, described by The WholeNote as a “tour de force.” Cervini also co-leads the trio Myriad, with pianist Chris Donnelly and bassist Dan Fortin.
Reflecting on the ideal of the drummer-leader, Cervini says that being in the rhythm section means that he “approaches music from the inside, which has real advantages.” He adds: “I think the best drummers are sensitive about letting other players shine. My heroes are guys like Art Blakey, who was obviously one of the all-time great drummer-leaders. He was so great at discovering and featuring the incredible players and composers in his band. Tony Williams was another icon as a drummer, but he was also a great leader with his groups, from electric in the ‘70s to acoustic in the ‘80s. And these days, Matt Wilson is a huge inspiration for me as a drummer and bandleader. His music isn’t drum-centric, and it’s obvious that he’s enjoying himself − it’s infectious for everyone on the bandstand and in the audience, too. That’s the way I want to do things − I want everyone to have as much fun as I’m having up there.”
ABOUT ERNESTO CERVINI QUARTET
-
In just a few years, the Ernesto Cervini Quartet has earned a reputation as one of North America’s most exciting modern jazz groups. Featuring drummer-leader Ernesto Cervini, saxophonist Joel Frahm, pianist Adrean Farrugia and bassist Dan Loomis, the Quartet released the live album There in autumn 2011. Of the recording, The Ottawa Citizen said: “On There, you can practically hear the musicians smiling and reveling in their creativity and musical repartee. Some superb, high-energy, spur-of-the-moment music.” A review in The WholeNote added that the band is “blazing a path through contemporary jazz with smart new ideas and a burning intensity that shouts to be heard. An album that has be one of 2011’s best.”
There is the follow-up to the group’s sophomore album, Little Black Bird, from 2009. That disc got a four-star review in Downbeat (“exemplifies `float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’,” it said), while the praise in All About Jazz went like this: “With talent this big and music this magical, the only thing `little’ about this album is the title. Ernesto Cervini, the quartet’s leader, is a fiery, imaginative drummer and composer, and he matches wits with saxophonist Frahm and the rest of the group through excellent interplay and deep groove.”
About his vision for the live recording of There, Cervini explains: “Little Black Bird was a studio release, and when the band toured the material afterward, it was amazing to hear how the music came alive − the music was really grooving by the end of that tour. So, for the next album, I wanted to capture that vibe of new material having been honed on the road, and everything came together in Vancouver. The club was packed; so rather than playing to the walls of a studio, we were performing to a lot of people who were totally into it. You can hear us reacting to the crowd and egging each other on. Instead of the usual thing of `Wow, I wish we had recorded that gig,’ we actually got it.”
Ernesto Cervini: The Canadian drummer-bandleader, a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Manhattan School of Music, has played some of the hippest stages in North America, from New York City’s Birdland, Jazz Standard and 55 Bar to the Montreal Bistro, Toronto’s Rex Jazz & Blues Club and Massey Hall. Along with fronting his own quartet, Cervini co-leads the trios MEM3 and Myriad, as well as drums for such groups as the Amy Cervini Quintet (led by his singer sister) and vocal group Monday Off. Unlike some drummer-led bands, the Ernesto Cervini Quartet is not about “drum solos and songs in 13/8,” he says. “This is about writing engaging, involving music, whether the tune is playful or taps some deeper emotion. The rhythm and time are elastic and we’re interacting with freedom, so the music flows naturally.”
Joel Frahm: One of the most admired saxophonists on the New York scene, Frahm has made a name for himself with several albums as a leader, including Live at Smalls (2011), We Used to Dance (2007), Don’t Explain (with pianist Brad Mehldau, 2004), The Navigator (2000) and Sorry, No Decaf (1999). The Wisconsin native has also recorded numerous high-profile albums as a sideman with the likes of vocal star Jane Monheit and drummer Matt Wilson. About Frahm, Cervini says: “Joel is an incredibly gifted soloist who plays with a lot of emotion, and he isn’t afraid to take the music further. When I first heard Joel play a tune of mine, I was amazed – he took ownership of it with this combination of confidence and sensitivity that I now know is totally characteristic. Since then, he has become like family to me.”
Adrean Farrugia: Blending subtle dynamism and hard-driving swing, Farrugia has become one of Canada’s most sought-after young jazz musicians. As a leader, he has released the albums Richochet (2010) and V 1.0: Live at the Senator (2007), and he works as a pianist in the Matt Dusk Band, Quinsin Nachoff’s Rhodes Band, Brad Goode Quartet, Bob Brough Quartet, Indo-fusion band Tasa and Darcy Hepner Big Band, among others. He won a Juno Award in 2008 for best traditional jazz recording for his playing on Brandi Disterheft’s Debut. About Farrugia, Cervini notes: “Adrean and I have such sympathetic ideas about music; in fact, he was the first person I called when I put my quartet together. Adrean has an aggressive approach to the music when it’s called for that I dig – he spurs me on.”
Dan Loomis: A prolific presence as a bassist and bandleader, the New York-based Loomis leads his eponymous Quartet and co-leads collaborative projects Spoke and the Wee Trio. As a sideman, he plays with the TS Monk Sextet/Tentet and multiple other bands, appearing at the most prestigious venues across North America and Europe. The St. Louis native has released two albums with the Dan Loomis Quartet, I Love Paris (2007) and Tondos (2004); with the Wee Trio, he has released Capitol Diner, Vol. 1 (2008), Capitol Diner, Vol. 2: Animal Style (2010) and Ashes to Ashes: A David Bowie Intraspective (2011); with Spoke, he has released Spoke (2008) and Succinct (2011). About the bassist, Cervini says: “We met while living in Brooklyn and ended up playing sessions together. Dan has this strong, ideal musicianship, and he’s a really beautiful spirit, too, with the kind of enthusiasm that’s vital.”VIDEOS FOR ERNESTO CERVINI QUARTET
ABOUT MEM3
-
MEM3 is the culmination of 8 years of close musical and personal friendship between three musicians from three different parts of the globe. The trio consists of Michael Cabe on piano from Seattle, Washington, Mark Lau on bass from Sydney, Australia and Ernesto Cervini on drums from Toronto, Canada. Their debut album Pennsylvania Grey is made up of original compositions from all three musicians as well as one traditional hymn. The group’s sound is influenced by the trio sounds of the great Oscar Peterson, Peter Erskine and EST.VIDEOS FOR MEM3
ABOUT Myriad
-
Myriad is a contemporary piano trio from Toronto featuring three young musicians/composers who are in demand as sideman and bandleaders in Toronto and across Canada; Chris Donnelly on piano, Dan Fortin on bass and Ernesto Cervini on drums. The band is a collective in the true sense of the word. Each band member offers his own original compositions to the band repertoire as well as offering his unique voice to the group. Influences include the Keith Jarrett trio, the Brad Mehldau Trio, the Bad Plus and Thelonious Monk.VIDEOS FOR Myriad
