“Espresso. The ultimate symbol of all things Italian. Dark. Rich. Earthy. Complex yet effortless. Elegant yet primal. Hot. When made in the right way, the only way, it is like nothing you have ever known. This is Italy to me. If one person embodies all these elements, it’s Paolo Conte. His music, his lyrics, the experience: as Italian as Espresso. This is my manifesto, my Espresso Manifesto: to create works that proudly display the wonders of those earthy, complex, elegant, primal people, my people – the Italian people.” 

-Daniela Nardi 


Although Daniela Nardi is already established as one of Canada's most celebrated homegrown artists, the self- produced Espresso Manifesto - The Songs of Paolo Conte and launch of her new world music project, marks a musical as well as personal, milestone for the award winning multi-talented singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. 


The heartfelt set is a tribute to the legendary Italian composer/performer Paolo Conte, with Nardi exploring a dozen of Conte's classic songs. The singer's distinctive readings capture Conte's passionate essence, while unearthing new layers of emotional content and putting her own unmistakable mark on the material. Nardi matches her sublimely expressive vocals with spare, earthy jazzy instrumental arrangements, offering an evocative meeting of old-world romanticism and modernist cool. 


Nardi's deeply felt reworkings of such stirring vintage numbers as the plaintive, haunting tango inspired"Gioco D'Azzardo," the beautifully bittersweet "Nina," the punchy, playful "Via Con Me" and the breezy, swinging "Gelato al Limon" offer powerful testimony to Conte's enduring genius and Nardi's singular interpretive skills. The resulting merge of composer and performer, and of cultures and sensibilities, makes for a memorable musical experience whose timeless eloquence transcends the songs' Italian lyrics. 

Espresso Manifesto finds Nardi, the Toronto-born daughter of Italian immigrants, stepping outside of her prior musical comfort zone to explore some adventurous new creative territory. She and her husband, renowned jazz pianist/composer Ron Davis, traveled to Italy to record the album with a studio band comprised of some of that country's most respected jazz and prestigious musicians. 

The album was recorded at Elettra Studios in Italy's Umbria region, was produced by Nardi, with co production from husband/pianist Davis and legendary producer/engineer Pasquale Minieri (Elisa, Vinicio Capossela, Gianmaria Testa, Francesco DeGregori). 

Instrumentation

Daniela Nardi - Piano, Kazoo, voice 
Ron Davis - Piano. 
Fabrizio Bosso - Trumpet 
Gabriele Mirabassi - Clarinet 
Michele Rabbia - Percussion 
Luciano Biondini - Accordion 
Fausto Mesolella - guitars 
Dario Roscglione - Bass 
Marcello DiLeonardo - Drums

Honorable Mention 
Billboard Magazine World Song Contest 

Reader's Pick for Best Female Vocalist 
2009 "Best of Toronto" Now Magazine 

Female Vocalist of the Year 
2009 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards 

Best Group Nominee 
2006 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards 

"...Daniela Nardi's Espresso Manifesto turns out to be a brilliant homage to legendary singer/songwriter Paolo Conte...." Stanley Pean, Quand le Jazz Est La'/EspaceMusique 

"...let the album wash over you like a seductive Mediterranean wave...Nardi rises to the challenge of covering work by a singer with such a strong male presence...." The WholeNote 

“Powerful yet intimate, outstanding, an arresting voice" 
eJazznews.com 

"...Daniela is a successful icon for the new generation of Italian-Canadians" 
PanoramItalia Magazine 

"This musically evocative and deeply emotional work reflects life lessons learned, and fuses passion, poetic power, and musical and vocal skill, to striking effect." 
Tandem/Corriere Canadese 

"[Nardi’s] musical world is fine, smooth, filled with light and human depth." 
Radio France 



DONNA GREENBERG Vocalist/Songwriter


Donna Greenberg is a unique and stylistically versatile vocalist and songwriter. Her warm voice, musicality and dramatic flair are always evident in her heartfelt performances. Whether singing her own extraordinary original songs or the great popular standards, Donna’s deep love of music is always evident. 
 
A vocalist, songwriter, lyricist, choreographer, dance teacher and dance filmmaker, Donna’s eclectic musical influences include studies in jazz, opera, musical theatre, and liturgical music. After graduating in English Lit from U of T, Donna completed extensive studies in voice, piano, harmony, and counterpoint, and performed solo classical recitals in French, Italian, Spanish, and German. She also composed and wrote lyrics for a number of vocal and choral compositions. 
 
Donna’s first serious foray into jazz began with her one-woman show, A Tribute to Gershwin, Porter and Rodgers, which she wrote, sang, and danced. Her decision to study and perform jazz began with an introduction to jazz/cabaret performer Adi Braun in 2008. 

Since then, Donna has worked with music director Jordan Klapman on more than two dozen of her original songs, culminating in the 2011 release of their first multi-language song album, Mav’rik. Mav’rik crosses boundaries by boldly jumping genres — jazz, swing bossa nova, tango, salsa, lullaby, and Celtic folk, all in one album.
Mav’rik showcases Greenberg’s heartfelt, yet powerful lyrics in four languages with haunting melodies, brought to richness with consummate musicians, producer and musical director, Jordan Klapman’ s arrangements and the orchestrations of Tony Quarrington. In the tradition of the 20th century popular songwriters, Greenberg, the songwriter brings this musical craft full-circle for the new millennium. 
                  
The release of Donna’s even more ambitious second album of             multi-language originals Song in the Wind is in its final production stages and will be released in Fall 2012. 

www.donnagreenberg.com

ronsheldrick is following