2003 (occdav music)
read about Duologue
read about Syzygy
read about Debut CD
Intersection - about the compositions


1. Élan Vital
 is defined as the the vital force or impulse of life; especially : a creative principle held by Bergson to be immanent in all organisms and responsible for evolution. This song illustrates my musical impression of this life force within all of us. The urgency which lies in the human spirit. I wrote this energised after a vacation by the sea in Sardinia, Italy.
listen to an excerpt of this track

2. Stella
The title comes from the brand-name of a guitar I bought recently which is a 4-string Stella guitar. It is a tenor-guitar which I leave tuned in fifths, one octave below a violin. The quality of the wood and craftsmanship on this instrument is very poor, yet the guitar has personality. This song has a bittersweet quality to it.

3. Homeless (part II)
I wrote Homeless part I in Bologna, Italy in a friend's flat as i was looking for an apartment at the time. Part II starts with the same bass line except in 6/8 time. The opening theme is one I took from a Shostokovich String quartet.

4. Sonnet for Mascia (pronounced - masha)
this song is dedicated to my wife Mascia whose artwork has always inspired me. I love looking at her abstract paintings, drawings and etchings which are in our home. Mascia has done the cover art for all my CD's.

5. You Cannot be Serious
 The title comes from a line tennis great John McEnroe used to shout at chair umpires when he received an unfavourable call. The composition has nothing to do with tennis but was a mere play on words with serial and serious. The song was written using a serial technique based around an atonal 4-note tone row. During the middle section the group uses the 4-note row as the basis for improvisation. Lines are improvised against each other creating counterpoint similar to the written material.
listen to an excerpt of this track

6. Dolce Vita
was written after a tour in Italy and I was thinking about how sometimes I can enjoy the frivolous things in life. The song, which was written very quickly, has a mediterranean feel to it and the title also pays tribute to one of my favourite film directors - Federico Fellini
listen to an excerpt of this track

7. Reason over Passion
This song is dedicated to Canada's most loved Prime-Minister, the late Pierre Elliot Trudeau. I was quite moved when he passed away a couple of years ago. I was taken not only by his political life but even more so by his personal charm, intellect, passion for canoeing, travelling and his love of art and literature. Reason over Passion was the motto for his life and his writings. I think he must have been extremely passionate as people who by nature use reason over passion would have no use for such a motto.

8. Dodecagon
 a dodecagon is a 12 sided figure. This particular one is a 12-tone piece for solo guitar. It is the first part of a serial suite i had composed a few years ago while on a composition work-period grant (thank you Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council!!). I thought the first part of the suite was appropriate enough to use on this recording.

9. Across the Earth and Over the Ocean
 is based on a melodic theme by Puccini in Madame Butterfly. I recorded my song a few years ago for CBC's Jazz Beat program and the producer said i needed to have a title before the show went to air. I went to the CBC library and got the score to Madame Butterfly to find out what she was singing at the entry point of the theme of which i had used (amateurs borrow, professionals steal!). I used the English translation for the title.

10. Parma Parma
 I lived in Parma, Italy for about a year and I still have warm feelings for the city, the people and the culture. I didn't have a car in Italy so I took the train everywhere, including gigs. I quickly learned the computer announcement by heart for when the train was approaching: "Parma Parma, stazione di Parma...treno in arrivo dal binario tre...prosegue per Modena, Reggio Emilia e Bologna....Proviene da....Milano Centrale...Prima classe settore...A!"


Of all the CD's I've made to this point, Intersection is the one I am most proud of. I especially enjoy the interplay within the group on tracks like Homeless (part II) and You Cannot be Serious. The other musicians make the interplay and intersecting ideas happen. Thanks to: Mike Murley, with whom i feel very connected to musically since our duo project began a few years ago; Andrew Downing, who provides perfect counterpoint to my lines and ideas; and Terry Clarke, who, aside from having played on the best jazz guitar trio record ever made (Jim Hall "Live" in 1975), is one of the most supportive drummers I've ever played with.

-David Occhipinti
October 2003

Listen to some excerpts from Intersection