ABOUT
Biography
Born and raised in Montreal, winner of the Oscar Peterson Jazz Scholarship Competition, Charles Colizza is a New York based jazz guitarist. Established in the city since 2018, he has recorded alongside jazz saxophone legends Billy Drewes and Dave Pietro and has performed alongside Grammy winning arranger and trombonist Alan Ferber, Grammy winning trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, Chris Hemingway (Sun Ra Arkestra), Duane Eubanks and John Fedchock.
As a leader, Charles’ groups have featured Blue Note artist Takuya Kuroda, Stacy Dillard, Ron McClure, Matt Lavon, Jeff Newell and Billy Drewes. He is the host of the Monday Night Jam Session at Sour Mouse which features some of NYC’s finest jazz musicians on a weekly basis. He has performed in establishments and jazz venues all across North America from Montreal to New York to California, notably at The Blue Note NYC, Ornithology, Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Gene Harris Jazz Festival, The Bitter End, Upstairs, Tomi Jazz, Ginny’s Supper Club, The Williamsburg Music Center and many others.
Charles’ passion for music started at an early age, once acquainted to punk music. He started playing guitar at 12 years old and at 17, he enrolled at Cégep de Saint-Laurent where he studied guitar, harmony and arranging with Montreal’s top musicians (Jean-Nicolas Trottier, Jean-Pierre Zanella, Michel Héroux) before attending Concordia University. During the completion of his bachelor’s degree, he studied with Gary Schwartz and Charles Ellison, Josh Rager, Robin Chemtov and started to develop his original repertoire. Simultaneously, he created his jazz quartet which performed at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and also won the Oscar Peterson Jazz Scholarship Competition.
In 2018, he moved to New York City after being accepted in the Jazz Instrumental Performance Master’s Program at New York University. His time spent studying with jazz legends Alan Broadbent, Alan Ferber, Peter Bernstein and Wayne Krantz greatly influenced his musical tastes and propelled him towards new sonic dimensions. He is now performing regularly all over New York City and teaches private guitar lessons, jazz ensembles and harmony at the Brooklyn Music School.
Charles draws his musical influences from all styles and genres, from Stravinsky to John Coltrane to Lil Uzi Vert. His debut album Hug The Devil, featuring Billy Drewes, has been featured on international radios such as Radio Canada for an interview segment on “Quand le Jazz Est Là” with Stanley Péan as well as in jazz magazines in the USA (Staccatofy, Jazz Weekly, Take Effect, etc.), Russsia (Jazz Quad) and Canada (Sorties Jazz Nights).