 |
 |
Anthony Mazzella is a professional recording artist, concert guitarist and producer.
BILLBOARD Magazine describes him as "the new generation of guitar hero" and GUITAR ONE magazine voted him "one of the top ten guitarists in the country" Anthony released 4 CD's, has made guest appearances on major artists releases, recieves airplay on national radio and satellite TV, and performs internationally.
Anthony began his performance career as a concert guitarist in New York City. He quickly built up a strong following performing in most every live music club in Manhattann including:The Bitter End, CBGB's, Cat Club, Cafe Wah, Birdland etc. Anthony then landed a headlining spot at the BLUE NOTE NYC just one year after street performing in front of it and spent the following years touring colleges & universities all over the USA . He then went on to performing on stages all over the world as a solo artist and as the concert guitarist for world music master Omar Faruk Tekbilek. Anthony currently performs at the top resorts in Sedona Arizona and performs internatioanlly at corporate and private events for Wynn Las Vegas, Bellagio, The Mirage, Montage, Nike, Puma and many more. Anthony also has a romantic side playing Spanish guitar and spirited music which frequently creates the musical landscape for weddings.
He has opened for headlining artists, James Brown, Tower of Power , The Commodores, and Spyro Gyra. A noteable performance was at The Vatican in Rome Italy where Anthony lived for several years. His original music is composed with a fusion of world influences consisting of acoustic and electric fingerstyle, classical, flamenco, jazz, funk, R&B, celtic, ambient, rock, medieval & near-eastern. He also plays a one-of-a-kind Ten String Guitar that he designed and was built by his father. On this unique instrument, Anthony displays his abilities in fingering bass lines and chords with his left hand while simultaneously playing melodies on the fret board with his right. In 1997 he recorded his debut solo CD titled“Electric Fingerstyle Guitar” which was re-mastered in 2011. In 2001 he recorded "BRIO" with platinum selling recording artist Chris Spheeris and was an awarded “best acoustic instrumental album of 2001" by NAV. In 2002 he recorded his second solo CD titled “Unity” where each song is diverse in genre to showcase all the styles Anthony is capable of playing. In 2006 he collaborated with three time Grammy nominated artist William Eaton, together they composed and recorded a CD for the Electric Harp Guitar Group. In 2009 Anthony recorded 12 new solo guitar compositions rich in spirit and appropriately entitled "Heavenly Guitar". He is currently working on the next solo CD which will be a fusion of Spanish guitar and Near-Eastern music. He has 75% of that recording completed and it will be released in 2012.
Mazzella began studying music on the violin at age five. He then proceeded to learn the rudiments of music on piano until falling in love with the guitar at age thirteen. Throughout his adolescence he studied with several private guitar teachers, but Anthony attributes the greater part of his education to ear training. His influences are many, but none more profound than the music and techniques of guitar masters such as Michael Hedges, Pat Metheny, Carlos Montoya, Eddie Van Halen, Andres Segovia and countless others. In the nineties Anthony shared his musical insights by teaching at Knopf Music (where he once took guitar lessons), as a private instructor, and at the Long Island School for Music and Arts. Anthony was also one of the few chosen understudies of world-renowned guitar master Stanley Jordan.
Anthony is an internationally acclaimed artist who continues his studies by exploring music from cultures all over the world and collaborating with musicians indigenous to those regions. He currently resides between New York City and Sedona Arizona with a mission driven by the desire to "give life to music and music to life."
