Bireli Lagrene, Joe Diorio, Jimmy Bruno, Martin Taylor, Bobby Watson, Gene Bertoncini, Gary Willis, David Friesen, Jack Wilkins.
Giuseppe Continenza is jazz guitarist/composer and professor of jazz guitar at Conservatory ” Luisa D’ Annunzio” in Pescara. (He was also a professor of the prestigious UiO – University of Oslo , Norway.)
His interest in jazz music began at the age of seven years. Son of a jazz guitarist and having studied classical music, he moved to California to study at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
He has been described by critics as one of the best European jazz guitarists of the new generation. Giuseppe’s talent and preparation have allowed him to be known and appreciated at the international level, with prestigious collaborations alongside Joe Diorio, Martin Taylor, Jimmy Bruno, Vic Juris, Jack Wilkins, Gene Bertoncini, Gary Willis, Geoff Warren and many others.
In 2000 he toured with the legendary guitarist Biréli Lagrène, followed by another successful tour in 2013.
They played along with Gary Willis (Wayne Shorter, Allan Holdsworth, Tribal Tech) on bass and Michael Baker (Joe Zawinul, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson) on drums at major international jazz festivals and venues like Pescara Jazz Festival, Bologna Jazz Festival, Camerino Jazz Festival, Peperoncino Jazz Festival, BeatOnto Jazz Festival, Auditorium Parco della Musica – Roma and many others.
As an esteemed teacher, following the American experience, he returned to Italy and founded in Pescara the European Musicians Institute ( EMI), considered one of the most advanced schools of music in the European scene. One of the few guitarists in Europe to be published in the American encyclopedia Jazz Guitarist, he also had interviews in the most prestigious international music magazines.
For over a decade he has regularly collaborated with educational columns for Just Jazz Guitar, published columns for 12 years in the magazine Guitar Club and contributed to Chitarra Acustica magazine.
After the success decreed by critics on the album ” Journey” (in duet with Vic Juris), subsequent albums include ” Seven Steps to Heaven ,” with Dominique Di Piazza (John McLaughlin, Michel Petrucciani), Vic Juris (Dave Liebman, Dizzy Gillespie) and Pietro Iodice. The album reached 4th place among the top ten best-selling jazz albums on iTunes for several weeks while the single “Stella by Starlight” was in 2nd place .
” Simply the most beautiful album of jazz heard in recent years …” Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, about the album.
His newly released CD, dedicated to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, was recorded with legendary New York guitarist Gene Bertoncini (Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, Chick Corea, Luis Bonfà), Dominique Di Piazza and Pietro Iodice.
Next project tour in 2014 is with Biréli Lagrène in duo and in quartet with Michael Baker or Dennis Chambers on drums and Gary Willis on bass .
”…he’s got an incredible control and knowledge of the instrument and he is an outstanding guitarist and a real Maestro ..” – Biréli Lagrène (J.Pastorius, J.McLaughlin , Al Di Meola)
“Giuseppe’s music rises above the ordinary. Most of today’s players would give their soul for his gift…” – Pat Hicks (Founder of Musicians Institute, Hollywood, California).
