eMPathia jazz duo

Mafalda Minnozzi and Paul Ricci were natural born jazz artists: she for her curiosity, her restlessness and her creativity which was fulfilled by the free spirit of that “different” music that she heard and that enchanted her since she was a child in Italy. He by passion, by choice, by natural inclination and also by destiny considering the time and place of birth - 1958 in New York which was dominated by the sound of Jazz. Of different origins and upbringings they shared an irrepressible common need: live for the music and with the music. Studies, rehearsals, concerts on big and small stages, numerous television appearances, international tours, collaborations and experimentations with musicians and artists from around the world…. their lives as well as their careers have travelled on parallel tracks allowing for Mafalda and Paul to each accumulate a rich personal baggage. In 1996 in Rio De Janeiro, their distinct paths inevitably crossed and ever since have overlapped. Their varied projects have generated sophisticated musical productions and hundreds of concerts that have joined the two artists with bands and formations tailor made for each show. Samba, Bossa Nova and their special flavor of Swing and Jazz defined their original sound right from the start which was greatly appreciated by the mainstream media and journalists as well as consecrated artists resulting in important duets with Martinho Da Vila, Paulo Moura, Milton Nascimento, Guinga and Leny Andrade (among others) but above all by the public which has always responded to their performances with a standing ovation. It is live in concert that Mafalda and Paul`s ability to move their audience, thanks to the sensitivity with which they communicate their most profound feelings, provoke and generate such strong emotions and amazing reactions from the public. With this awareness they have created their current and perhaps most audacious project entitled eMPathia Jazz Duo, in which they perform with only voice and guitars (jazz guitar, baritone guitar and resonator guitar) with original arrangements that enhance the irreverence and the sheer talent of Mafalda Minnozzi “framed” by the technical rigor and the architectural style of Paul Ricci. Jazz this time is the absolute protagonist of the project consisting of classics and great composers re interpreted with a freedom that enhances and reveals light, shades and colors in a transparent musical setting. Latin Jazz? Vocal Jazz? Bossa Jazz? Each classification is incomplete in trying to describe this duo.

Two albums have already been made: eMPathia Jazz Duo (MPI-2015) and INSIDE (MPI-2016) with the latter still under negotiation for release and distribution in Europe. INSIDE was recorded and produced in New York by Grammy award winning Jeff Jones “the Jedi Master” also noted for his years in charge of production at Jazz at Lincoln Center in collaboration with Wynton Marsalis

Awards

Nomination for the prestigious "Targa Tenco" award in the best vocal category (2015)