musician and producer. Check out my bands Emong and Mopoke
Michele Bonifati, Bologna 1989, graduated with honors from the Parma Conservatoire “A. Boito” in Jazz Musical Disciplines , after the former graduation from the Ferrara Conservatoire “G. Frescobaldi” in Jazz and Improvised Music. He attended several workshops and classes, as Siena Jazz 2012 and the Stefano Battaglia’s yearly workshop in 2014/15. During those classes and courses he studied with teachers such as Steve Cardenas, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Lionel Loueke, Roberto Cecchetto, Paolino Dalla Porta, Claudio Fasoli, Cameron Brown, Ferenc Nemeth, Gianluigi Trovesi, Giancarlo Schiaffini and more.
In his own projects or as a sideman he exhibited in many national and international venues: EFG London Jazz Festival, Ashkenaz Festival (Toronto, Canada), Young Jazz, Opus Jazz Club (Budapest), Mantova Jazz, Parma Jazz Frontiere, JAZZ(s)RA Festival (Annecy, France), Bergamo Jazz, Torrione Jazz Club, Viterbo JazzUp Festival, Festival Verdi di Parma, Clusone Jazz Festival, Novara Jazz, La Grande Notte del Jazz, Roccella Jazz Festival, Ground Music Festival. He played with musicians like: Dave Douglas, Frank London, Stefano Battaglia, Jvier Girotto, Enrico Fink, Tino Tracanna, Dudù Kouate, Pasquale Mirra, Marcello Allulli.
In october 2016 he recorded his first solo-album “Another Kind of Bob Dylan” for A Simple Luch Productions, an instrumental project about Dylan’s songs and themes.
He is co-leader of the collective Clock’s Pointer Dance, with Paolo Malacarne, Andrea, Jimmy, Catagnoli, Andrea Baronchelli and Filippo Sala, wich published it’s firstself-titled album in june 2017 for UR Records.
With Giulio Stermieri he’s co-leader of the Aprticle project, with Cristiano Arcelli and Ermanno Baron. Aparticle recorded a first album “Bulbs” in 2018 and the second one “The Glamour Action” in February 2020.
Michele is also a component of the trio led by Andrea Grossi, Blend 3, together with Manuel Caliumi. The trio made his discographical debut with Lubok in 2019 and published Songs And Poems in 2022 with the addition of Italian singer Beatrice Arrigoni, both records are published by the label We Insist Records.
In 2023 Michele makes is debut as bandleader with the record Three Knots, published by nusica.org, with his band Michele Bonifati Emong. The quartet is composed of Evita Polidoro on drums, Manuel Caliumi on saxophone, Michele Bonifati on guitar and Federico Pierantoni on trombone. The name of the project derives from a particular model of kite (a passion that Michele has been cultivating for years, while practicing in areas characterized by constant lack of wind) capable of flying in weak, almost absent, wind conditions. With these kites the wind is replaced by the force exerted by the kite flyer on the line. The gestures transmit direction to the kite inducing the movement that will lead him to glide; a slow and calibrated flight made of wavy and circular movements, different from hovering at great heights. A choice therefore, which enhances slow time, the desire to stay close and present, to dive deep rather than distance yourself, but without giving up the gesture of raising your head towards the sky.
During the 2020 lockdown due to COVID-19 epidemic he took part of the UR-Kestra project “When”. In this record the artists of UR Records collective have decided to unite forces to help during the emergency. The this record the tune “Racklad”, composed by Bonifati ad Stermieri, sees the extraordinary participation of Dave Douglas.
In addition to guitar teaching activities, expecially focused on instrument knowledge and improvisation, his major educational activity is in leading the young people orchestra Modena MoltiMondi.
