Quartetto Trevi feat. Max Ionata - Pressmission - Night Walk (DejaVù Records 2009)

Mario Biondi - If (2009)

Italian jazz-soul vocalist Mario Biondi was born of artistic stock in the Sicilian city of Catania. His great grandfather was a respected painter, his grandmother a singer, and his father a popular songwriter. Biondi sang throughout his childhood, first performing in public at age 12 in church, and soon singing in public squares before hundreds of people. Biondi's musical pursuits earned him the opportunity to perform alongside such Italian vocal greats as Califano, Bongusto, and Fiorello, as well as American legend Ray Charles. As word of his talent and skill got out, Biondi found himself collaborating with groups like the Change, Mario Brothers, and Funky Company on recordings and tours. Given his powerful and unique voice, it was not long before Biondi was encouraged to pursue a solo career. Featuring material inspired by American R&B artists like Lou Rawls, Luther Vandross, and Donny Hathaway, Biondi's debut record was released in 2006 on the boutique label Family Affair. Handful of Soul featured the single "This Is What You Are," which went immediately into heavy rotation throughout Italy and the U.K. A year later Biondi performed the song at the important Sanremo Festival in Italy, bolstering the record's popularity and helping to push it into Billboard's European Top 100 chart.

~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide

His new album IF was released on November 6th and has already gone platinum selling more 75.000 copies in his native country alone!

Official site - MySpace - Be lonely @ RAI Tv

Alessandro Magnanini - Someway Still I Do (2009)

This is the debut album by Alessandro Magnanini which is the songwriter of the most successful songs This Is What You Are and No Mercy For Me appeared on the album "Handful of Soul" by Mario Biondi.....The main sources of inspiration are the great adult pop productions of the past, where the melodies prominently easy listing are here filtered through a jazz approach and a more cultured language. The melodies are identified with the arrangements by excellent artists such as Claus Ogerman, referring in particularly to those ones produced for the performances of Astrud Gilberto, the orchestral atmospheres proper to the Shirley Bassey’s repertory, and the “playful” evocative ability of Henry Mancini.
With the participation of three dreamy voices by Liam McKahey (Cousteau), Jenny B, Stefania Rava and Renata Tosi this album just includes original versions of songs in order to create an imaginary soundtrack.

OUT NOW ON SCHEMA RECORDS

Samples from the record - Alessandro on UTube - Alessandro's MySpace page

Rosalia De Souza - D' Improvviso (2009)

Appeal and magic, sensuality and mysticism. These are just some of the feelings expressed in the new album by the Brazilian artist Rosalia De Souza, who relied upon Luciano Cantone’s artistic production, co-founder of the Schema Records and producer of the multi prize winner album “Handful Of Soul” by Mario Biondi. “D’Improvviso” recalls places and tastes connected to the Brazilian music of the past and in particular to the sixties. A genuine album touched by a singular Afro-Jazz sound, whose compositions show several aspects expressed by the different essences of the huge Brazilian music tradition. Slavery, politics, cultural movements of the 50’s-60’s, shanty-towns and the importance of the mixture rhythm/harmony where the Brazilian music is more intensified than the other ones. Bossa nova, afro, jazz, pop. We are in front of a multiform project where valued instrumentalists like Fabrizio Bosso, Lorenzo Tucci, Pietro Ciancaglini e Luca Mannutza took part.

(Text by SoulSeduction)

Rosalia @ MySpace - Rosalia on UTube -

S-Tone Inc. - Lua e Xangô (feat. Rosalia de Souza, Kal dos Santos, Adi Souza)

S Tone Inc - Moon in Libra (2009)

Great grooves from S-Tone -- the best album so far from Stefano Tirone, thanks to a range of great singers and musicians on the set! There's a warmly acoustic vibe here -- one that's rooted in bossa, but which also has some of the club jazz elements you'd expect from Schema Records -- a mix of live instrumentation and a few rhythm programs -- blended together beautifully with impeccable production that gives the whole record an "instant classic" sort of feel! Horn parts bring in a depth of feeling that we've never heard before on an S-Tone record -- and the singers really open things up too -- adding layers of soul that further expand the warmth at the core of the compositions, taking the music into some really bold territory. Only about half the tracks have vocals -- from singers who include Angie Brown, Rosalia De Souza, Laura Fedele, Daniel Richards, Kai Dos Santos, and Adi Souza -- and titles include "Universe Of Love", "Ponta Da Pedra", "Lua E Xango", "Stormy (bossa mix)", "Copacabana Soul", "Queen Of The Night", "Better Than A Lie", "Dona Lua", and "My Only Man".

© 1996-2010, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Official MySpace Page -

Kira Neris - A Frozen Second (2009)

"Long awaited second album from this french dreamer & following of his beautiful first installation "behind closed doors" which received HUGE feedbacks and worldwide airplays from Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova, Patrick Forge & many others...." 'Beautiful New Jazz album!' Gilles Peterson (BBC One - Worldwide - London) 'GR8 ALBUM !!! KIRA NERIS DELIVERS AGAIN FANTASTIC MUSIC !!!! LOVE DA DFFRNT MOODS, FULL RESPECT 2 THAT CAT'' Simbad (Raw Fusion - Worldwide - London)

My Space Page - Kira Neris on UTube