Roberta Gambarini

Roberta Gambarini was a virtual unknown outside of Europe before coming to the United States and dazzling both seasoned jazz musicians and critics alike.

Roberta Gambarini was a virtual unknown outside of Europe before coming to the United States and dazzling both seasoned jazz musicians and critics alike.

In 2005 Roberta recorded the present duet album titled 'You Are There' with the legendary pianist Hank Jones. Mr. Jones, who accompanied most of the celebrated vocalists of 20th Century such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and Nat King Cole, declared Roberta Gambarini to be the best singer to emerge in the last 60 years.

In 2005 Roberta recorded the present duet album titled 'You Are There' with the legendary pianist Hank Jones. Mr. Jones, who accompanied most of the celebrated vocalists of 20th Century such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and Nat King Cole, declared Roberta Gambarini to be the best singer to emerge in the last 60 years.

Although she was born and bred in Italy, Gambarini brings a distinctly American jazz flavor to Easy to Love. On the title track, her multi-octave range can be seen as an indication of the "cool school" but when she starts swinging she’s anything but cool! Her scats and melodies breathe beautifully and her melodic lines have a lighter, airier quality that finds her swinging but in a softer, more relaxed manner.

Roberta Gambarini is a breath of fresh air among female jazz vocalists. Gifted with superb clear diction, a warm engaging voice, and an uncanny ability to bring out the best in each song, Gambarini shines throughout this one-afternoon session, recorded without isolation booths, splicing, or overdubs. Her sole accompanist is the masterful pianist Hank Jones, a veteran who knows something about inspiring great vocalists with his inventive piano playing, having recorded with Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Anita O'Day, and Helen Merrill during a career that began over six decades prior to this session. The duo chose a wide-ranging mix of standards, show tunes, and jazz compositions (both familiar and lesser-known), along with some forgotten chestnuts of yesteryear. It is not surprising to learn that Gambarini and Jones entered the studio without a rehearsal or any arrangements, yet completed most of the 14 songs in a single take. "Stardust" is one of the most recorded works of all time, yet Gambarini recognizes the nuances within it and takes her time exploring each chorus, while Jones' elegant backing and delicious solo are flawless. Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" is one of the most demanding jazz compositions, a melancholy ballad with an unusual structure that trips up many vocalists, but Gambarini takes her time with a deliberate interpretation that ranks with any previous vocal recording of it. Their magical rendition of the sentimental ballad "You Are There" (music by Johnny Mandel, lyrics by Dave Frishberg) seems like it would be a natural choice for a film soundtrack. "Deep Purple" may have fallen out of favor in modern jazz, but Gambarini and Jones reveal its timeless quality with a sparkling performance. She's in a playful mood in "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me." This exceptional vocal/piano duo recording is clearly one for the ages. ~ AMG

This CD listed as being by Roberta Gambarini is not at all representative of her work as a jazz vocalist. Despite the top billing she receives on the cover, Gambarini is not the leader, but a vocalist who did a favor by appearing on sessions led by bassist/composer Andrea Donati before she had gained international recognition for her jazz vocals. The outside packaging and lack of liner notes are of little help to explain how this music came about, but it was previously issued under Donati's name (without a co-billing for Gambarini) as two separate CDs in 1995 and 1998: disc 1 as Ape Regina, disc 2 as Le Ciel de Ma Memoire, both on the Amiata label…