Enzo Zirilli’s ZiroBop: Ten Past Never (UBU0128)

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the upcoming release of Ten Past Never, from the dynamic Italian drummer, Enzo Zirilli and his quartet, Enzo Zirilli’s ZiroBop, on 3rd February 2023.

Enzo is considered one of the most creative and versatile drummers/percussionists of the last generation, within the international world of contemporary music. Since 1990, when he began as a professional, his collaborations have been considerable in the fields of Jazz, Pop and World Music.

In 2004, Enzo moved to London where he immediately established himself as one of the most in-demand musicians on the London scene. He has collaborated with a broad range of artists, including Dado Moroni, Enrico Pieranunzi, Jim Mullen, George Garzone, Tom Harrell, Bob Mintzer, Ian Shaw, Omar Lye Fook, Gloria Gaynor, Hamish Stuart, Liane Carroll, Flavio Boltro, Nico Di Battista, James Moody, Gary Bartz, Peter Bernstein, Marco Pereira, Antonio Forcione, Gilad Atzmon, Brandon Allen, Tony Kofi, Quentin Collins, Stan Sulzmann, John Etheridge and Jason Rebello.

Enzo formed ZiroBop, his own band, in 2013 with rising star guitarists Rob Luft and Alessandro Chiappetta, along with the gifted bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado. Enzo returned to Italy and Turin (his home town) in 2020, following his appointment as professor of Jazz Drums and Percussion Chair at the Conservatory G.Verdi. In Bruino, Italy, Ten Past Never was recorded on 9th April 2023.

Enzo describes the project: “ZiroBop was born in 2013 in London, when I met the very talented Rob Luft, Alessandro Chiappetta and Misha Mullov-Abbado. The music we play on this album, like in the previous two, mirrors my idea and our collective idea of playing music at 360 degrees, getting deep inside all the jazz languages, from the very early days through the modal and post avant-garde mood, mixed with influences from Indian, South American and eastern world music.”

Rob Luft is an award-winning 28-year-old jazz guitarist from London whose virtuosity has been compared to that of six-string legends John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola & Paco De Lucia. Italian guitarist Alessandro Chiappetta is a sought-after musician in his country, while London-based multiple prize-winning bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado rounds out the quartet.

Enzo continues: “Apart from our own original compositions, you can find songs by Steve Swallow, Keith Jarrett, Charlie Mariano, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Hermeto Pascoal, Charlie Parker, as well as Enrico Pieranunzi, with whom I have been collaborating for more than 20 years, and the late Italian songwriter Pino Daniele. I love combining energy and power with just pure, beautiful melody.”

The accolades for this ZiroBop music partnership have been considerable:

"I love this music! Enzo and his great band approach a wide range of material

with such creativity, taste and soulfulness. A beautiful album."

--LARRY GOLDINGS

"Great music from drum maestro Enzo Zirilli's band, Zirobop"

--JIM MULLEN

"These four artists really play, breathe and fly together, bringing their personal experiences into the notes, but combining them into a fantastic mix of influences."

--DADO MORONI

"This is a great recording by four exceptional musicians! A unique and varied repertoire beautifully rendered by this special group. Fantastic guitar playing by Rob Luft and Alessandro Chiappetta and an amazing foundation of different grooves laid down by Misha Mullov-Abbado on bass and the leader Enzo Zirilli on drums. Everyone here is playing on the highest level. This is a recording that shows the maturity and adventurousness of all involved! "

--PETER BERNSTEIN

"I enjoyed ZiroBop immensely. I liked the fact that you were willing to play so many ballads. Love the texture of the two guitars and there's so much you can achieve sonically with all the pedals available.”

--HAMISH STUART

Concerning his new-found partnership with Ubuntu Music, Enzo explains: “I’m very delighted to collaborate, for the first time as a leader, with Ubuntu Music, a few years after I appeared on the label as a sideman with QCBA, featuring Quentin Collins (trumpet), Brandon Allen (sax) and Ross Stanley (Hammond organ). Label boss Martin Hummel is a real jazz lover and he created many beautiful productions over the last five years, with loads of talented musicians involved. It’s a great label and we are in good company!”

Martin Hummel, Director of Ubuntu Music, concludes: “I always believed it was simply a matter of time before we would have the opportunity to work with Enzo and his dynamic project. I’ve been an admirer of his talent for quite a while and Enzo has appeared on three previous Ubuntu releases. Guitarist Rob Luft makes his fourth Ubuntu appearance, and it will be bassist’s Misha Mullov-Abbado’s second appearance on the label. Guitarist Alessandro Chiappetta is the new kid on the block for us and we welcome him with open arms. ‘Ten Past Never’ is one to savour and we are so happy they are with the Ubuntu Music family!”