ZZ Quartet with Ratko Zjaca & Simone Zanchini
Biography ZZ Quartet with Ratko Zjaca & Simone Zanchini
ZZ Quartet
This group has a unique musical vision that absorbs and reflects all manner of music while retaining an enviable individualism and high quality craftsmanship that can span from quiet intimacy to searing intensity. Diverse musical backgrounds, which include jazz, modern classical, world music, and free improvisation. They have been working on original compositions as well as crafting beautiful and haunting improvisations. Their music blurs the boundaries between notated music and free improvisation; the unique sonic landscapes that result are grounded in history, while pushing at the boundaries of modern improvised music.
Simone Zanchini
Considered one of the most interesting and innovative accordion player on the international scene, his research moves between the boundaries of contemporary music, acoustic and electronic sound experimentation, mixing together experiences and super-refined influences issuing in an absolutely personal approach to improvisation materials. Eclectic musician, performs an intense concert activity with groups of diverse musical backgrounds (improvisation, contemporary music, jazz, classical). Graduated with honors in classical accordion at the Conservatory G. Rossini in Pesaro, with the Master Sergio Scappini.
He has performed in several Festivals in Italy (Clusone Jazz, Umbria Jazz, Tivoli Jazz, Jazz in the Time-Berchidda, Sant’Anna Arresi, Barga Jazz, Mara Jazz, Jazz-in’it, Ravenna Festival, Rossini Opera Festival, Siena Jazz, Roccella Jonica etc.) and in the mainly international Festivals (France, Austria, Germany, England, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Spain, England, Norway, Russia, Tunisia, Lebanon, India, Venezuela, Japan, etc.).
He has collaborated with many internationally renowned musicians from different musical backgrounds such as: Thomas Clausen, Gianluigi Trovesi, Javier Girotto, Marco Tamburini, Massimo Manzi, Tamara Obrovac, Krunoslav Levacic, Vasko Atanasovski, Paul Fresu, Antonello Salis, Han Bennink, Art Van Damme, Bruno Tommaso, Ettore Fioravanti, Mario Marzi, Michele Rabbia, Andrea Dulbecco, Giovanni Tommaso, Gabriele Mirabassi, Frank Marocco, Bill Evans, Adam Nussbaum, Jim Black. Since 1999 he collaborates with the Soloists of the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, with this group he toured regularly.
Aside from musical performances and reasearch, Zanchini leads also accordion’s workshops and collective impro.
In 2006 he published Be-bop Buffet (Wide Sound) a duet with Frank Marocco, a model of the Bebop language expressed with the accordion. In 2009 Better Alone…! (Silta Records) a solo project where prove all tone colours of his instrument through the use of a particular midi accordion, live electronics and laptop, in the same year he published also Fuga per Art Jazz 5et (DodiciLune Records), the unique tribute work of Zanchini, a tribute to his great Master and one of the greatest exponents of the jazz accordion: Art Van Damme.
In 2010 he published a new Project with Ratko Zjaca (guitar), Martin Gjakonovski (bass) and Adam Nussbaum (drums): The Way We Talk (In + Out Records).
In May 2012 has been released the latest Zanchini project: MY ACCORDION’S CONCEPT (Silta Records) a project built up on radical improvisation with the acoustic accordion and live electronics, a brave attempt to subvert the common code of expression through the accordion.
In December 2012 he recorded a new album with the ZZ Quartet (Zjaca, Zanchini, Nussbaum, Gjakonovski).
