NOJO, the Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra, has been pretty quiet the last decade but the JUNO winning group called “A Canadian Treasure” and compared to the Mingus Big Band for its distinctive approach to music, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary on March 15th.  tickets at www.hughsroomlive.com 

The Kitchener-Waterloo Guitar Orchestra premiered Michael Occhipinti's commissioned composition “ERASER” on December 9th.  Check out the video below!

ES:MO will be finishing its 2nd album in January, and we're building summer tour dates now.  Look for new gigs to be posted soon and a release date, but we'll be in western Canada in May.  Want us to come to you?  We love festivals and clubs, but house concerts are also among our favourite things to do, so get in touch with us!

Welcome to the home of Michael Occhipinti, guitarist, composer, and versatile collaborator.  Michael won a JUNO Award (Canada's Grammy) in 2022 with Avataar, for Jazz Group of the Year, and was nominated  for Jazz Vocal Album of the Year with Elizabeth Shepherd for ES:MO's The Weight of Hope.   Both were part of the CBC Music Juno Awards Jazz Showcase, which you can see HERE.  Michael has worked and recorded with artists as diverse as Don Byron, Bruce Cockburn, and classical pianist Stewart Goodyear, and is the leader of numerous projects including The Sicilian Jazz Project, ES:MO (Elizabeth Shepherd & Michael Occhipinti), Shine On: The Universe Of John Lennon, In Orbit (featuring Jeff Coffin & Felix Pastorius), NOJO (Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra), and The Triodes.   Moving between jazz, global music, funk, pop, blues, r&b, and Chamber Music, and performing everywhere from worldwide festivals to your living room, please click on the various pages to discover Michael Occhipinti's many musical identities.

Previous events

Mar15

30 years ago, also on the Ides of March, the Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra made its debut before going on to win a JUNO Award, and a JUNO nomination for each of its five albums of original music. The group has been dormant for almost a decade aside from a few shows, but is reuniting for this very special celebration of their innovative and critically acclaimed music.

Jan26

Girls Sing Bowie, Guys Sing Dolly

Hugh's Room Live, 296 Broadview, Torontto

In the spirit of the late Michael Wryfcraft, who often presented these kinds of themed shows, Michael Occhipinti will serve as Artistic Director for a night celebrating the January birthdays of David Bowie and Dolly Parton. Michael Dunston, Sharkus S'Aida, Elizabeth Shepherd and others will mix up the Bowie and Parton songbooks for a unique night of music.

PROJECTS and Groups

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