21/07/2018 | |
FORTEmente ESTATE | |
FIRENZE (Toscana/Italy) | |
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L’ EMPOLI JAZZ chooses a July 21st slot in the datebook at Florence’s Belvedere Fort to include the show “COOL ROMANTICS” by the eMPathia Jazz Duo as part of the FORTEmente ESTATE concert series for a cultural event on the splendid panoramic terraces of the fort overlooking Florence.
will present their “COOL ROMANTICS TOUR 2018”
Made up of vocalist MAFALDA MINNOZZI and New York guitarist PAUL RICCI, the duo has recently returned from a 3 month tour in the United States playing to packed houses in some of the world’s most important jazz clubs!
Minnozzi and Ricci are returning from an extended tour in the United States which began in January with a sold-out audience at NYC’s legendary Birdland followed by other sold-out performances in jazz venues such as the Mezzrow, the Jazz Forum and Trumpets in New Jersey. The Cool Romantics Tour moves to Europe where a calendar of concerts organized by Marco Bisconti’s MBM Management is underway. After the Milanese debut, the duo will premiere the show in Bremen, Germany, participating in the prestigious Jazzahead Clubnight on April 21st and Blue Note Rio de Janeiro, Bourbon Street in Sao Paulo and Clube do Choro in Brasilia/Brazil.
“Cool Romantics” (Mpi-2018) is the title of the album that will be distributed in Italy and will complete a trilogy that began with “eMPathia Jazz Duo” (Mpi / Egea 2015) and was followed by “Inside” (Mpi / Onerpm 2016).
In “Cool Romantics” the duo’s style has evolved to achieve a perfect balance of elements in their search for the musical essence of their refined arrangements that exploit the unique fingerpicking style of internationally renowned guitarist Paul Ricci and the expressive aesthetic of Mafalda’s strongly theatrical approach that invents, transforms to translates rhythms, timbres and gestures which all combine to create the personal and distinctive language of eMPathia.
In a repertoire that hovers between samba, bossa nova, swing, and blues in unmistakable interpretations of the great composers ranging from the poignant reading of “Insensatez”, by Antonio Carlos Jobim, to the sly musical swing created in “Triste Sera” by Luigi Tenco and a spirit charged version of “Metti Una Sera” by Ennio Morricone.
Mafalda, multi faceted interpreter of international stature, sings in her native Italian, in English (“Dindi”, “My Shining Hour”), in French (in a bluesy rendition of “Nuages” by Django Reinhardt) and in Portuguese (“É Preciso Perdoar”, “Desafinado”, “Só Tinha de Ser Com Você”, “A Felicidade”, “Inútil Paisagem”, “Morro Dois Irmãos”) although the true language eMPathia is the one created by the dialogue between her voice and the guitar of Paul.
Vocalist Mafalda Minnozzi’s over 22 year career in Brazil has earned her the title of ambassador of Italian music as well as celebrity status there where she began working together with Ricci in 1996. Since then, many artistic collaborations between them began resulting in their current project. The vocalist has collaborated with Martinho da Vila, Milton Nascimento, Toquinho, Gene Bertoncini, Art Hirahara, Helio Alves, Rogerio Boccato, Lucio Dalla, Paulo Moura and Nico Assumpção, while Ricci has played with Roy Haynes, Kenny Barron, Bebel Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, Mino Cinelu, Randy Brecker, Sonny Fortune, Manolo Badrena and the legendary Harry Belafonte.
Referring to Minnozzi, the music critic Gerlando Gatto wrote: “… Mafalda is a truly cosmopolitan artist who sings in different languages with full mastery of them and extreme ease … She brings to mind Caterina Valente …”