Life Within

MARTA CAPPONI EPK

 
GENRE: Jazz | Vocals
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.martacapponimusic.com
MANAGEMENT: iaia RECORDS ( booking agency ) 
LISTEN on Bandcamp
MUSICIANS
Marta Capponi - vocals,compositions &arrangements
Jo Caleb - guitar & arrangements
Ross Stanley - Hammond organ & piano
Dario di Lecce - double bass
Emiliano Caroselli - drums
TRACK LISTING
1. East of the sun 
2. Save your love for me 
3. Honeysuckle rose
4. I’ll be seeing you 
5. September in the rain 
6. Summer lullaby 
7. Nature boy
8. The nearness of you
9. Bye bye blackbird 






 
Vocalist and composer Marta Capponi releases Life Within, her first album under her own name. The album features the top rhythm section of guitarist Jo Caleb, pianist and Hammond organist Ross Stanley, double bassist Dario di Lecce and drummer Emiliano Caroselli. Life Within offers 8 fresh arrangements of jazz standards and one new original composition by Capponi and Caroselli, Summer Lullaby, which they dedicated to their soon-to-be-born baby. The album title, Life Within, is connected to the fact that Capponi was expecting her first child during the production of the album. Motherhood gave her the motivation to finally record this project that had been in the back of her mind for a few years. The album had to be a selection of jazz standards: songs that Capponi had cherished for years and that became even more meaningful due to her pregnancy.

The music in Life Within is inspired by jazz from the 50’s, with the characteristic sound of the Hammond organ and guitar leading the rhythm section, creating beautiful harmonic landscapes for Capponi’s vocals. Instrumental and vocal improvisation is one of the key elements of this album with Capponi mixing her velvety tones with more strident sounds to deliver melodies and scat solos that create an exciting interaction with the band. The inspiration behind the sound of Life Within comes from legendary jazz musicians and vocalists such as Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae, Billie Holiday, Mingus, Ellington, Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith. Also noticeable in Capponi’s improvisation is the influence of some of the greatest modern jazz vocalists Mark Murphy, Kurt Elling and Dianne Reeves.

 


CREDITS
Marta Capponi (voice, composition 6, lyrics 6), Jo Caleb (guitar), Ross Stanley (Hammond organ and
piano), Dario di Lecce (double bass), Emiliano Caroselli (drums, composition 6, lyrics 6).
Recorded at The Fish Factory, London (UK) in May 2019.
Mixed by Jo Caleb
 and mastered by Technology Works. London
Album cover photography by Cesar Vasquez Altamirano 
Artwork and design by Ilaria C. Teixeira


 
Listen to Life Within on Spotify

"September in the rain" video

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PRESS
Women in jazz Media
Fiona Ross

The warmth of her sumptuous vocals, her technical virtuosity, the emotional intensity of her performances and the overall beauty of her artistry is something to behold. Born and raised in Rome but moving to the UK and embedding herself in the London Jazz scene, Marta has the air of a modern-day Roman Goddess. That undefinable magical quality and sparkle that makes you feel honoured just to hear her.
As a vocalist Marta has been overwhelming audiences with her diverse repertoire and has worked with an incredible range of musicians across the fields of pop, folk, Brazilian music and the jazz standard catalogue but has never actually released an album under her own name, until now.


Rating: ★★★★JAZZWISE
Author: Peter Quinn

View record and artist details What makes this album from the Rome-born, Londonbased vocalist and composer Marta Capponi really take flight is the remarkable rapport she has with her musicians. Capponi's rich, fulsome timbre is rightly centre stage, but there's also plenty of space for Caleb and Stanley to stretch out, while Capponi's husband, drummer Emiliano Caroselli, plus bassist Dario
Di Lecce provide the always buoyant pulse. The album is superbly recorded, too – there's a palpable sense of excitement and spontaneity that you don't usually associate with a studio recording. And hats off to Caleb for excellent work in the mixing department. There's ear-catching detail in every song, from the way in which Stanley's Hammond organ creeps in subliminally during Capponi's introduction to ‘East of the Sun and West of the Moon’ and the incredible dynamic control as band and singer crescendo together to the climactic point of a stunning take on ‘I'll Be
Seeing You, to the joyously swinging pocket of ‘September in the Rain’ and the extended outro of ‘Nature Boy’ in which the texture is stripped down to just voice and drums. If you want to hear an album of standards compellingly sung, backed by a quartet who give their all, then look no further.
Review by Kim Cypher
Instantly I was captivated by the stunning vocal solo introduction of the
opening track, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Browsing through the
album notes and images, I could tell this album had been created with love
and with a raw emotion that would make it a very special album indeed.
Therefore, I was not surprised to read that the album was created together
with husband, drummer and co-producer, Emiliano Caroselli at a time when
Marta was eight months pregnant with son Leonardo, whom the album is
dedicated to. The joy, happiness and love in this collection of jazz standards closest to
Marta’s heart, really shines through every heartfelt lyric and through the
creatively presented album artwork, together with outstanding musicianship throughout.
NOTES
Marta Capponi  is an established artist in the London Jazz scene,  known for her striking vocals and creative and exciting improvisation. Her vocal versatility has allowed her to be involved in a large variety of projects from jazz to pop, folk and Brazilian music. During the last few years, Capponi has led 3 projects herself: "In A Moment" an original songwriter project, "NuCleUs" an experimental duo project with drummer Emiliano Caroselli, and "Life Within" a jazz standards album. Marta is currently working on her next album of original songs called "Shaking The Blue".
 During her student years at the prestigious Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, before moving to London, she had the chance to be mentored and taught by Maria Pia De Vito, Mark Murphy, Shawnn Monteiro, Carl Anderson, John Taylor, Paolo Fresu, John Patitucci, Bob Stoloff and Norma Winstone. She collaborated in numerous projects with other artists such as Giovanni Mazzarino, Massimo Farao, Bobby Durham, Javier Girotto, Fabrizio Bosso and Papik and project such as Saint Louis Big Band and Tribunal Mist Jazz Band. These last two, conducted by Antonio Solimene, led Marta to sing in some of the most prestigious Italian jazz festivals: Umbria Jazz, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi and  Ravello Music Festival. Currently living and working between London and Rome, Marta has made musical connections with well-established artists such as Phillip Achille, Femi Temowo, Ernesto Simpson, Luca Boscagin, Adriano Adewale, Marcelo Andrade (African Tree), Andrew McCormack, Gilad Atzmon and Antonio Forcione, Antonello Salis, and can be seen performing regularly at London’s premier jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s,
Pizza Express Jazz Club and the 606 Club.