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Ernesto Cervini

Drummer Ernesto Cervini is making a name for himself as a consummate bandleader and in-demand sideman. Time Out New York encapsulated Cervini as “a buoyant drummer as well as a sharp composer,” while the jazz bible, Downbeat, described his fluid style as one that “exemplifies `float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’.” The drummer released Abundance, his sixth album as a leader in October, 2018. Modern Drummer magazine said: “Cervini recalls such old-schoolers as Art Blakey and Billy Higgins. . . It’s his robust, magnetic personality that fascinates consistently.”

Born in Toronto in 1982, Cervini graduated from Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music with degrees in classical piano and clarinet performance before focusing his energies behind the drum kit. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, Cervini laid claim to a diverse musicianship, one that has taken him to some of the hippest, most prestigious stages across the globe. Along with Abundance (Anzic Records), Cervini has released 2 previous sextet albums (JUNO-nominated Rev in 2017 and the eponymous Turboprop in 2015) and three quartet albums; There (Anzic Records), Little Black Bird (Orange Grove, 2009) and Here (self-released, 2006). Cervini also co-leads the Juno-nominated trio Myriad3, with pianist Chris Donnelly and bassist Dan Fortin as well as TuneTown with Kelly Jefferson and Artie Roth. As a sideman, Cervini’s studio experience includes JUNO-nominated albums with the Tara Davidson Quintet and Carn Davidson Nine as well as a recent date as a member of the Joel Frahm Trio, and many others. Cervini began his work as a publicist by launching Orange Grove Publicity in 2014 and has quickly become one of the most sought after jazz publicists in Canada.

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Radio & Podcasts

New Releases From Ernesto Cervini, Gary Urwin, Charles Pillow, And More

Read "New Releases From Ernesto Cervini, Gary Urwin, Charles Pillow, And More" reviewed by Bob Osborne


On this show we present new releases from Ernesto Cervini, Gary Urwin, Charles Pillow, Last Oak Out, Ayumi Ishito, Doug MacDonald, Joe Webb, Gui Duvignau, Ivo Perelman with Barry Guy & Ramon Lopez, Jason Stein with Marilyn Crispell Damon Smith & Adam Shead, Klaus Kugel & Pavel Hruby, Recabarren Menares Vazquez, Bobby Wellins, and, Yes! Trio. Playlist Show Intro 00:00 Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop “Skeletons" from A Canadian Songbook (TPR Records) 01:02 The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra “Day in ...

11
Album Review

Teri Parker: Shaping the Invisible

Read "Shaping the Invisible" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Here is how to take an artistic vision to the next level: Find a room with a lock on the door. Step inside. Engage the lock. Examine the work of those who came before you. Then begin the process of your own creativity. This worked for pianist/composer Parker--so says her sophomore recording, Shaping The Invisible. Parker is a Toronto-based musician. Her debut album, 2017's self-produced In The Past (review here) is a highly engaging and beautifully ...

5
Album Review

The Schwager/Oliver Quintet: Senza Reza

Read "Senza Reza" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Canada became the first country beyond the USA to have developed its own vibrant jazz scene. What do major jazz artists like Oscar Peterson, Maynard Ferguson, Gil Evans, Rob McConnell and Diana Krall have in common? They're all Canadians, like the players of The Schwagger/Oliver Quintet presenting their debut on Senza Resa, an Italian phrase meaning “No Surrender," which conveys the approach to the music from five of Canada's most exciting award-winning jazz musicians. The album represents the ...

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Album Review

Nicky Schrire: Nowhere Girl

Read "Nowhere Girl" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The search for identity is a sine qua non of any artist's experience and development. But for a musician like Nicky Schrire, it goes much deeper than most. Born in London, raised in South Africa, studying and entering the professional ranks in New York and working back through her initial points of origin before relocating to Toronto in 2020, this noted vocalist-composer has established herself as a globetrotter of the first order. Stylistically, as with geography, Schrire hits multiple points ...

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Album Review

Willliam Carn: Choices

Read "Choices" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The short tune “Breathe" opens Choices, sounding like something holy, in a futuristic, science-fiction way. This is how Canadian trombonist William Carn introduces his album. It is a “do it from home," mostly remotely recorded set, reminiscent—to go back over half a century— of Paul McCartney's first solo album McCartney (Apple Records, 1970). McCartney's impetus for recording his “do it yourself" project was the crumbling of the Beatles. Carn's “do it yourself" Choices came about due to the isolation and ...

5
Album Review

Dan McCarthy: Songs of the Doomed: Some Jaded, Atavistic Freakout

Read "Songs of the Doomed: Some Jaded, Atavistic Freakout" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Songs of the Doomed is, in essence, the love child of self-stylized journalism and outré composition methodologies. Drawing inspiration from the work of Hunter S. Thompson, vibraphonist Dan McCarthy created the gonzo cypher to help translate some of the maverick's writer's lines into tone rows. The rules of serialism then cemented certain things in place while setting the leader and his bandmates on a course to another universe. Working with a two-guitar quintet, à la mallet great ...

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Album Review

Ernesto Cervini: Joy

Read "Joy" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


Joy. That's how Canadian drummer Ernesto Cervini rolls. All of his musical undertakings--and there are many--strut along the sunny side of the street with smiles on their faces, carnations in their lapels. Indeed, in his side gig as the boss of Orange Grove Publicity--representing some of Canada's finest jazz artists-- joy, positivity and general all around good vibes pervade. For his album Joy, Cervini brings in three of his regular working groups, Turboprop, Tetrahedron and TuneTown, to help ...

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Recording

Drummer/Composer Ernesto Cervini Flies High With His New CD Turboprop

Drummer/Composer Ernesto Cervini Flies High With His New CD Turboprop

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

Available On Anzic Records - February 3, 2015 On February 3, 2015, Anzic Records proudly releases the much-anticipated fourth recording from drummer/composer Ernesto Cervini, titled Turboprop. On the heels of his third album, There, which featured his quartet recorded live at the Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver, BC, Cervini added two incredible musicians to the fold to create an exciting new sextet he calls Turboprop. The band is comprised of his working quartet with Joel Frahm (tenor saxophone), Adrean Farrugia ...

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Radio

The Jazz Session #312: Ernesto Cervini

The Jazz Session #312: Ernesto Cervini

Source: AAJ Staff


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Recording

Anzic Records To Release "There" From Drummer/Composer Ernesto Cervini

Anzic Records To Release "There" From Drummer/Composer Ernesto Cervini

Source: Jason Byrne, Red Cat Publicity

Featuring Joel Frahm, Adrean Farrugia & Dan Loomis Available September 27, 2011 On September 27, 2011 Anzic Records proudly releases the much-anticipated new recording from drummer/composer Ernesto Cervini, There. Recorded live at the end of November, 2010, at Cory Weed's Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver, There, features Joel Frahm (saxophones), Adrean Farrugia (piano) and Dan Loomis (bass) and Cervini (drums.) The album follows up Cervini's previous recording distributed by Anzic Records, Little Black Bird (2009),which received heaps of ...

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Performance / Tour

Jeremy Steig Trio (Fri) Rez Abbasi's Bazaar (Sat) Ernesto Cervini Quartet (Sun) at the Cornelia Street Cafe

Jeremy Steig Trio (Fri) Rez Abbasi's Bazaar (Sat) Ernesto Cervini Quartet (Sun) at the Cornelia Street Cafe

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

CORNELIA STREET CAFE 29 Cornelia Street, NYC, New York 212-989-9319 between West 4th and Bleecker Sts, Greenwich Village 1 Subway to Sheridan Square; A, C, E, B, D, V, F to West 4th St. This Weekend At The Cornelia Street Cafe Fri Mar 09 9:00PM & 10:30PM JEREMY STEIG TRIO (Jeremy Steig, flute;Cameron Brown, bass;Anthony Pinciotti, drums) Come and hear the HOTTEST jazz flutist playing in NY. Jeremy Steig has played with Bill Evans, Art Blakey, ...

"a young musician to be watched, listened to, savoured and reckoned with"  Raul DaGama "Bold Canadian drummer Ernesto Cervini exemplifies 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'"  **** 4 stars - Downbeat Magazine
Primary Instrument

Drums

Location

Toronto

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Teaching Experience Private Piano, and Drum Students (New York, NY) 2005-Present Numerous Masterclasses and Clinics (New York and Toronto) 2003-Present Musical coaching for members of Nickelodeon’s Naked Brothers Band (New York, NY) 2005 - Present The Manhattan School of Music (New York, NY) 2004 - Present Jazz appreciation presentations to students around the U.S. via live internet broadcasting The Lucy Moses School (New York, NY) 2005-2006 Private clarinet lessons PS 290 (The Manhattan New School) (New York, NY) 2003 - 2005 Group clarinet lessons to students in grades 4 and 5. Toronto Faculty of Music (Toronto, ON) 1999 - 2003 Private lessons on piano, clarinet and drums as well as group theory lessons

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

A Canadian Songbook

TBR Records
2025

buy

Magpie

TPR Records
2024

buy

Choices

Self Produced
2023

buy

Nowhere Girl

Anzic Records
2023

buy

Senza Reza

Celler Live
2023

buy

Shaping the Invisible

Self Produced
2023

buy

Skeletons

From: A Canadian Songbook
By Ernesto Cervini

Segment

From: Shaping the Invisible
By Ernesto Cervini

Traveler

From: Nowhere Girl
By Ernesto Cervini

Love Is For The Birds

From: Nowhere Girl
By Ernesto Cervini

Get Up

From: Choices
By Ernesto Cervini

Hell's Angels

From: Songs of the Doomed: Some...
By Ernesto Cervini

Surprised By Joy

From: Joy
By Ernesto Cervini

Omer's World

From: The Bright Side
By Ernesto Cervini

Blue Gardenia

From: Entering Utopia
By Ernesto Cervini

Stro

From: Tetrahedron
By Ernesto Cervini

The Monks of Oka

From: There From Here
By Ernesto Cervini

My Shining Hour

From: Abundance
By Ernesto Cervini

Granada Bus

From: Rev
By Ernesto Cervini

The Windup

From: Turboprop
By Ernesto Cervini

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