Mafalda Minnozzi is thrilled to announce the release of Cinema City – Jazz Scenes from Italian Film. On her new album, which is due out on October 1, 2021, the inimitable Minnozzi uncovers a new side as she explores the Italian cinematic songbook in the company of her first-rate band and special invited guests. Joining Minnozzi on this delightful musical journey is Musical Director and guitarist Paul Ricci and Brazilian musicians Tiago Costa on piano, Sidiel Vieira on bass, and Ricardo Mosca on drums. Special guests include Grammy-nominated saxophonist Dave Liebman, Graham Haynes and Luca Aquino on flugelhorn, Art Hirahara on organ, and Brazilian trombonist Jorginho Neto.
Jazz music has long taken cues from the silver screen. Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” and Johnny Mandel’s “The Shadow of Your Smile” are hallmarks in the jazz repertoire, and “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music remains one of John Coltrane’s most enduring performances. On Cinema City, Mafalda Minnozzi sets out to embrace a different songbook than the usual American fare – one from her native Italy with a distinctive flavor that only Morricone, Mancini, Cipriani, Nino Rota, and their compatriots could offer to the jazz language.
Breaking free from the more obvious classical or popular approach these songs are known for, Minnozzi takes full advantage of her dramatic interpretive power, her sublime vocal range, and cosmopolitan perspective to present her singular take on these timeless compositions. “This album is a tribute to how the poetic power of music can change a life. The songs on Cinema City connected me to my memories. Combined with the band’s brilliant playing, I was able to find a freedom that I had never felt before,” Mafalda Minnozzi says. “In discovering that internal voice, I drew from a deep emotional well and experienced a newfound peace looking back at my life.”