Italians have been a force in jazz almost since the music was born. The backbone of the first recorded jazz group, the Original Dixieland Jass Band, was cornetist and trumpeter Dominick (Nick) LaRocca, the New Orleans-born son of Sicilian immigrants. In 1917, the members wrote Tiger Rag, a perfect crystallization of the freewheeling thrill of early jazz. Ever since then, Italy has given jazz one influential figure after another: Joe Venuti, Louis Prima, Morgana King, Lennie Tristano, Bucky Pizzarelli, Chick Corea, Stefano di Battista, and many more. Jazz singer Vanessa Racci is an ambassador for that heritage. Vanessa grew up in Westchester County amid an Italian-American family that steeped her in Italian song, theater music, and jazz. Vanessa developed a vocal style drawn from all three; it combines a tart, brassy, catch-in-the-throat sound with Italianate ardor, dramatic flair, and swing. On her ZOHO debut, Jazzy Italian, Vanessa revisits songs associated with many of the Italians and Italian-Americans who have left their mark on jazz. By her side are a pair of gifted and accomplished pianist/arrangers, Steven Feifke and Glafkos Kontemeniotis. Both men's creative horn writing and harmonic and metric alterations bring even century-old songs into the present. At the Jazz Band Ball is another of Nick LaRocca and the Original Dixieland Jass Band's first set of compositions from 1917. Feifke's arrangement alternates between traditional and modern; Vanessa's slinky vocal intertwines with the bass trombone of Alex Jeun. Clarinetist Leon Roppolo, of Sicilian descent, cowrote the 1923 smash, Tin Roof Blues. In 1954, that tune formed the basis of the Jo Stafford hit Make Love to Me, here given a Latin pulse. I love the fact that it was kind of ahead of its time in promoting female sex appeal and power, says Vanessa. A bump-and-grind beat spices up Coquette, a 1928 Guy Lombardo hit, coauthored by his brother Carmen. -- James Gavin
Release date:
August 11, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Nagaoka MP-110H Cartridge
Features a high-quality elliptical stylus that provides excellent tracking and minimizes distortion, delivering a detailed sound reproduction with an output voltage of 5.0 mV
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Waylon Jennings Songbird
Son of Jessi
October 3, 2025 -
Ebba Åsman When You Know
Dorado
August 29, 2025 -
Maruja Pain To Power
Sony International Network
September 12, 2025 -
Patrick Shiroishi Forgetting is Violent
American Dreams Records
September 19, 2025 -
The Fall Seminal Live
Beggars Banquet
September 5, 2025 -
Sinsaenum IN DEVASTATION
Earmusic
August 8, 2025 -
Craig David Commitment [2xLP]
Believe Recordings
August 8, 2025 -
Whitney Small Talk
Whitney, Inc.
November 7, 2025 -
Cardiacs LSD [2xLP]
Cardiacs /The Alphabet Business Concern
September 19, 2025 -
Sabaton Legends
Better Noise Music
October 17, 2025 -
Teyana Taylor Escape Room (Translucent Light Blue) [2xLP]
Def Jam
August 22, 2025 -
Skylar Spence Prom King 10 Year Anniversary (Deluxe Edition, Yellow) [2xLP]
Carpark Records
September 19, 2025 -
Greywind Severed Heart City
Frontiers New Recordings Physical Only
September 19, 2025 -
Buckingham Nicks Buckingham Nicks
Rhino Records
September 19, 2025