Carlo MOMBELLI
Photo by Jonothan Rees
Bassist - Composer - Educator
Disconcertingly beautiful. THE JAZZ TIMES (USA)
‘Once in a while an artist comes along who produces music unlike anything you've heard. Avant-garde bass-focused jazz composition has rarely sounded so gorgeous.
Bass Player Magazine (USA)
‘His music is unusually and unexpectedly fresh.’ - Paris Jazz Man Magazine, (FRANCE)
Carlo Mombelli’s music is that of a quintessential Prisoner of Strange. It’s visionary, emotional and experimental, in a society that doesn’t applaud artistry and integrity. His music sits on the cusp of sanity, where madness and brilliance share space, where true art resides. Mombelli has found in his music the expressive soul of the developing world mixed with the technical profundity of the classical world.
The Sunday Independent
Mombelli, now in his early 50’s, is still very much in rude creative health. He is still pushing the limits of sound and writing challenging, beautiful work. As an educator, he is molding and mentoring the next generation of South African musicians. Carlo Mombelli is nothing short of a national treasure – you cannot argue with the depth, passion and inventiveness of his music.
The Mail and Guardian.
Hauntingly beautiful
BBC radio - London
I Pressed my Spine to the Ground, Mombellis’ recording was chosen by the BBC 3 late junction as one of their top 12 picks for 2016 played on the BBC late junction evening radio, London
Bassist Carlo Mombelli is something of a sage figure. As he approaches his 60th birthday, a time when many a musician has found their comfort zone and settled into it, he remains one of the most restlessly creative forces in South African jazz.
By Dan Bilawsky (New York) All about JAZZ
February 20, 2019
BIOGRAPHY
In his 40-year career as a bass player, band leader and composer, the South African Carlo Mombelli currently living in Johannesburg has bridged gaps between genres, musicians and the audiences.
Concerts
A self-taught musician, he has recorded and performed at many respected festivals, including the Roma Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival, the Stockholm Jazz Festival, the German Moers Festival, the ‘On the Edge of Wrong’ festival in Norway and the Banlieues Bleues festival in Paris, Festival Mundial in the Netherlands and the JazzWerkstadt in Bern to name a few, with amongst others, Mick Goodrick, Charlie Mariano, Jeroen van Vliet, Malcolm Braff, Jorge Rossy, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Dejan Terzic, Wolfgang Haffner, Samual Blaser and Adrian Mears. He has also recorded for Enja Records with Egberto Gismonti as well as with Lee Konitz, and has contributed music and played on the 1989 tribute for Jaco Pastorius, ‘Basstorius’, that also features the bassists Mathew Garrison and Carles Benavent. Back home in South Africa he can be heard as a bassist on many recordings with amongst others, Marcus Wyatt, Zim Ngqawana, Simphiwe Dana, Sibongile Khumalo, and Miriam Makeba.
In 2018 the Swiss/Italian 15 piece ‘Euregio’ Large Ensemble spent the year performing Carlo’s music at festivals around Europe.
In 2021 the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York presented Carlo performing his music together with the Grammy award-winning New York String Quartet ‘Ethel’.
Commissions
In addition to his over 100 recorded works and performances with his own projects, his composition commissions include more than 14 films/ documentaries and animations, music for a mobile game for the London gaming company ‘The Secret Police’, commissions for Zim Ngqawana’s Zimphony Ourchestra, (which Mombelli also conducted with Zim), commissions for the ‘Stockholm Saxophone Quartet’, and his piano music for the art film Exquisite Corps by Jonah Sack presented at the New York Jewish Museum.
Books
Pulses in the Centre of Silence – Composition Scores and Artistry Concepts’ is published by Real African Publishing.
Mombelli’s Intergallactic Bass Book is published by Real African Publishers and Internationally by Hal Leonard.
Teaching
Carlo, a self-taught musician, has been involved in music education for many years. Starting in 1998 he held a teaching post at the Richard-Strauss Conservatoire in Munich, Germany. Since then he has taught and run ensembles at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and bi-annually at the Jazz Musik Akademie in Basel, Switzerland. In 2015, he led the DKSJ-all-star-project with 13 Masters students studying jazz in Switzerland.
Mombelli is a N.R.F Rated Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
RECORDINGS
XENO 2020
Jonathan Crossley - guitar, ableton, audio & video
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Jonno Sweetman - drums
CARLO MOMBELLI
Live at the Bird's Eye 2019
Adrian Mears, trombone
Andreas Tschopp, trombone
Jorge Rossy, vibraphone
Jonno Sweetman, drums
Daniel Pezzotti, cello
Dejan Terzic, drums
Siya Makuzeni, voice
Marcus Wyatt, trumpet
Justin Badenhorst, drums
Taster: The Road Past Nieu-Bethesda (Live)
CARLO MOMBELLI
Angels and Demons 2018
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Maria Mombelli, voice & tenor saxophone
Kyle Shepherd, piano
Keenan Chas Ahrends, guitar
Jonno Sweetman, drums
Susan Mouton, cello
Janus van der Merwe, bass clarinet
Peter Cartwright, piano (classical)
Taster: Pulses in the Centre of Silence
Taster: The Children of Aleppo
CARLO MOMBELLI
I Press my Spine to the Ground 2016
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Mbuso Khoza, voice
Kyle Shepherd, piano
Kesivan Naidoo, drums
Brenda Sisane, spoken word
Taster: I Press my Spine to the Ground
Taster: Picasso' Dove
CARLO MOMBELLI
Stories 2014
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Mbuso Khoza, voice
Adrian Mears, trombone
Daniel Pezzotti, cello
Dejan Terzic, drums
Taster: Motian the Explorer - Reprise
Taster: In Between I'll eat Dark Chocolate
CARLO MOMBELLI & the Prisoners of Strange
Theory 2010
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Siya Makuzeni, voice
Marcus Wyatt, trumpet
Justin Badenhorst, drums
Taster: Theory
Taster: Angela's Angels
CARLO MOMBELLI & the Prisoners of Strange
I Stared into my Head 2007
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Siya Makuzeni, voice
Jessica Bailey, cello
Marcus Wyatt, trumpet
Sydney Mnisi, saxophones
Lloyd Martin, drums
Taster: Soi
Taster: Trance by Chance
CARLO MOMBELLI & the Prisoners of Strange
Live at Fort West 2004
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Siya Makuzeni, voice
Jessica Bailey, cello
Marcus Wyatt, trumpet
Sydney Mnisi, saxophones
Lloyd Martin, drums
Taster: Ethical Sam's Cookery Class (Live)
SIMPHIWE DANA
Zandisile 2004
On the track - Troubled Soldier
Simphiwe Dana, voice & composition
Carlo Mombelli, bass, programming and composition
CARLO MOMBELLI & the Prisoners of Strange
When Serious Babies Dance 2002
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Siya Makuzeni, voice
Nonthuthuzelo Puone, voice
Johnny Fourie, guitar
Marcus Wyatt, trumpet
Jo Athur, acoustic guitar
Sydney Mnisi, saxophones
John Davidson, trombone
Lloyd Martin, drums
Taster: Basil, Roses, Lemons, Love
Taster: Observations from the Hideout
Solo, duet, & trio 2002
Johnny Fourie, guitar
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Kevin Gibson, drums
CARLO MOMBELLI
Abstractions Retrospective
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Charlie Mariano, saxophone
Peter O'Mara, guitar
Johnny Fourie, guitar
Jürgen Seelfelder, saxophone
Mick Goodrick, guitar
Jo Runde, guitar
Bill Elgart, drums
Niell Ettridge, drums
ZOLLSOUND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Songs Closer To Silence 2002
Thomas Zoller, composer, baritonesax
Bettina Kosziol, soprano
Merit Ostermann, mezzosoprano
Roger Janotta, sopranosax and flute
Jason Seizer, tenorsax and flute
Hugo Siegmeth, tenorsax, clarinet
Jan Fassbender, analog synthesizer
Geoff Goodman, guitar
Carlo Mombelli, fretless bass
Bill Elgart, drums
Taster: On the Wings of Hope
ZOLLSOUND 4
Open Hearts 1998
Lee Konitz, altosax
Thomas Zoller, baritonesax
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Bill Elgart, drums
Taster: Open Hearts
CARLO MOMBELLI
Bats in the Belfry 1996 (Recorded Live at The Bayerisher Ründfunk - Germany)
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Adrian Mears, trombone
Roberto di Gioia, piano
Wolfgang Hafner, drums
Taster: Requiem (Live)
RAIZ DE PEDRA
Diario de Borda 1996
Egberto Gismonti, piano
Marcio Tubino, saxes & flute
Pedro Tagliani, guitar
Condrado Pecoits, piano
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Fernando do Ó, percussion
Domingos Pereira, percussion
César Audi, drums
Taster: ó Quem Taí
BASSTORIUS
Bass Talk 3 1993
On the track - The Marathon Runner
Carlo Mombelli, bass and composition.
Music for 10 fretless basses
CARLO MOMBELLI
Dancing in a Museum 1992
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Charlie Mariano, alto saxophone
Mick Goodrick, guitar
Bill Elgart, drums
Taster: Dancing in a Museum
CARLO MOMBELLI and CHARLIE MARIANO
Happy Sad 1990
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Charlie Mariano, alto saxophone
Peter O'Mara, guitar
Bill Elgart, drums
Taster: Remember Lucia
Taster: My Friend and I
CARLO MOMBELLI
Abstractions 1989
Carlo Mombelli, bass
Jürgen Seelfelder, saxophones
Peter O'Mara, guitar
Bill Elgart, drums
Taster: It's For You
CARLO MOMBELLI & Abstractions
On the Other Side 1986
Carlo Mombelli, bass & composition
Johnny Fourie, guitar
Jo Runde, guitar
Neill Ethridge, drums
special guest
Duke Makasi, saxophone
Taster: Wailing
