Mike Gennaro

Drummer Mike Gennaro burst into improvised music circles in 1999 with the release Port Huron Picnic (Spool), a disc which saw his duo project Wrist Error — featuring guitarist Kurt Newman, joining lauded Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. Then still in his early twenties, Gennaro also made two appearances at the Toronto Jazz Festival, duetting with the great John Butcher. Subsequent concert collaborations have included internationally acclaimed improvisers such as Juini Booth, Wilbert de Joode, Eugene Chadbourne, Kevin Drumm, Jaap Blonk and Tobias Delius.

 

In 2016 Gennaro was awarded funding from Canada Arts Council to perform with an array of prominent UK players including saxophonist Alan Wilkinson, bassist Olie Brice, saxophonist Trevor Watts, and a performance at the Vortex Jazz Club with pianist Veryan Weston’s Rhythm Figures (featuring Hannah Marshall on cello). The fruitful trip also included a recording session with Alex Ward (clarinet/ guitar), which was subsequently released as BRING A BOOK.

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The following year, Gennaro and Ward toured Germany, some of which was later documented on the duo's release RUNNING FOR TRAINS (Confront Recordings, 2018). Gennaro's discography also includes collaborations with revered Canadian players such as multi-instrumentalist Mark Hundevad, the late composer and guitarist Ken Aldcroft and his free jazz quartet The Archives of Eternity.
 

In 2022 a short German tour saw him performing in duo settings with Eric Boeren, Frank Gratkowski, and Matthias Schubert. Later that year, a week of recording sessions in Berlin produced the newly released INITIALS with Brad Henkel on trumpet and a trio recording with bass clarinetist Rudi Mahall and bassist Ben Lehmann entitled SECOND TAKE. In 2025, his trio with clarinetist Alex Ward and bassist John Edwards released ACTIVITY on Copepod Records and embarked on a successful tour of Germany and Poland.

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