Nel centenario della nascita di Ella Fitzgerald, bellissimo concerto con l'orchestra del Lincoln Center, e con le grandi performances di Roberta Gambarini, Kenny Washington e Joe Lovano
How is it that I am just discovering Roberta Gambarini? She is, instantly, my favorite contempory Jazz vocalist! I missed her in Denver in December. I will NEVER make that mistake, again. Love her, madly!!
My sixteen-year old son discovered her for me. He was listening to her rendition of La Puerta and I fell in love with her at once. When I realized that she is not Latina or American but just an Italian girl from a middle-class Turin family, not even with a career in the US, you could have knocked me down with a feather.
Set: Lady Be Good (w/Camille Thurman, tenor sax and vocals) My Funny Valentine (w/Audra McDonald, vocals) Johnny Mercer Medley (w/Marilyn Maye, vocals) I’ve Got Your Number (DUET: Cecile McLorin Salvant, vocals & Sullivan Fortner, piano) Almost Like Being in Love (w/Kenny Washington & Roberta Gambarini) Day Dreamn(w/Renee Fleming, vocals) This Time the Dream’s on Me (w/Alison Krauss, vocals) I Was Doing All Right (small group: Diana Krall, piano/vocals; Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; James Chirillo, guitar; Carlos Henriquez, bass & Ali Jackson, drums) I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) (w/Harry Connick, Jr., piano/vocals) Old MacDonald (w/Roberta Gambarini, vocals)
E tanto per chiudere il discorso sul "piattume" e la "scaesa musicalità" di Roberta Gambarini, riporto alcuni giudizi (e alcuni risultati) più eloquenti di ogni chiacchiera: "E tanto per chiudere l'argomento sulle qualità vocali di Gambarini, facciamo parlare chi si intende più di noi, volete? "Gambarini is a true successor to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae." - Kevin Lowenthal, BOSTON GLOBE [...] In 1998 she moved to the United States with a scholarship from the New England Conservatory in Boston. Two weeks later, Roberta stunned many in the jazz world with a third place finish in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition. A dynamic performer with virtuosic vocal chops, she draws rave reviews and enthusiastic fan support wherever she performs. And until her North American debut, Easy to Love (Groovin’ High/Kindred Rhythm), was released on June 6, 2006, she had done so with just word of mouth alone. On Easy to Love, Roberta showed off her instrumental approach and warm timbre, impeccable timing and intonation, incredible technique and scatting and improvisation skills on a set of 12 excellent jazz standards and classic songs from The Great American Songbook. The album also included two bonus tracks and featured special guest James Moody on a scintillating scat duel. Easy to Love was nominated for a GRAMMY® in 2007 in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category (along with albums by Karrin Allyson, Nancy King, Diana Krall, and Nancy Wilson). Roberta’s “formidable talent” (DownBeat Magazine) has also garnered her wins as the 2007 Female Jazz Singer of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) and as the 2007 Talent Deserving Wider Recognition from DownBeat Magazine’s Annual Critics Poll. On February 12, 2008, Roberta made her major label debut with You Are There (Groovin’ High/Emarcy), a collection of 14 hauntingly beautiful melodies, with the legendary pianist, Hank Jones. The music was recorded in one afternoon; Roberta and Hank had no concept for the album- just 25 tunes they liked and thought would be interesting to record. “There were no isolation booths, no headphones, no over dubs,” Gambarini remembers. “The sound would be just what you would hear had you been in someone’s living room playing among friends.” That is the magic of Hank Jones. Roberta Gambarini has performed with Michael Brecker, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Slide Hampton, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Hank Jones, Christian McBride, and Toots Thielemans, among many others, and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Town Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall, and jazz festivals around the world such as Barbados, London, Monterey, North Sea, Toronto, and Umbria: (Aggiungo io: Cape Twn, Riga, Vienna, Lisbona, Colonia, Osaka, Nizza, Honolulu, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Stresa, Milano, de chissà quante non ne conosco...) Roberta was recently voted Rising Star Female Vocalist of the Year in 2008 DownBeat Critics Poll. Roberta will tour internationally with her band in support of her new album, So In Love, which is scheduled for a Summer 2009 release (P.S.: Down Beat, per chi ne ignorasse l'esistenza, è la pià autorevole rivista jazz del mondo, e Hank Jones è stato per più di un decennio il pianista di Ella Fitzgerald) "Amazing stuff...all of it." - Don Heckman, L.A. TIMES "Gambarini is the real deal. - Steve Eddy, OC REGISTER "Number 1 Vocal Jazz Record of 2005 - SWING JOURNAL
I hadn't heard from Roberta in some time, and I missed her music. I had the chance to see her in Chicago in 2010. It's certainly good to have that voice back again.
I completely agree. She is also very giving. Two days ago she had a very "crowded" concert in a small jazz club in Naples ITA), and the day afetr she had a full-day worshop with a class female jazz singers. May daughter was there, and she was enthousiastic about the "smiling" personality if Roberta.
Hi Ran, the pianist is Dan Nimmer. He's one of may favoured. Historical pianist of the Lincoln Center Orchestra created and directed by Winton Marsalis. Ps: What do you think about the female vocalist, my compatriot Roberta Gambarini?. Ciao
L'orchestre JLCO est toujours aussi bonne, malgré l'absence de W. Marsalis, qui est l'âme du groupe, mais franchement qui a eu l'idée d'inviter cette chanteuse, techniquement performante mais sans aucune chaleur, ce qui n'a aucun lien avec Ella. Il me semble qu'il y a assez de bonne chanteuse de jazz aux Etats-Unis, le choix de manque pas!
Hein ? Mais Roberta Gambarini est fabuleuse! Qu'elle ne ressemble pas à Ella, ok, et tant mieux, le but n'est pas de faire un numéro d'imitation... en revanche elle donne autant de chaleur qu'un bon irish coffee
