Just Smile by Matteo Brancaleoni with Renato Sellani

Brancaleoni is accompanied by the 80 year poet of piano Renato Sellani, who has played among the others with Billie Holliday, Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Charles Trenet, Phil Woods, Lee Konits, Tony Scott and many others.

With this record, Matteo Brancaleoni proves that he is not just a great Italian crooner, an heir to Sinatra for our time, but a jazz singer of the first rank. His vocal talent is astonishing.

A charming and beautiful album featuring an All - Star Band composed by first rate musician, Fabrizio Bosso (trumpet), drummer Stefano Bagnoli, Massimo Moriconi (bass), and some of them truly italian jazz legends as sax player Gianni Basso and guitarist Franco Cerri. The heartbreaking voice of Matteo Brancaleoni breathes new life into classic American standards. 15 romantic jazz-pop songs performed with distinctive vocal beauty and elegance. A perfect, new introducing for a crooner that's bound to leave his mark...

"Just Smile is a unique album of pure and exceptional beauty"

Jazz Magazine

“A wonderful, expressive voice and an impressive range.

Brancaleoni touched my tough old heart”

Thomas Conrad (JazzTimes, Stereophile)

“Just Smile: an acoustic delight”

Valerio Venturi, Secolo XIX

“Brancaleoni is the Italian heir of Sinatra”

La Stampa

“This album is wonderful!”

Renzo Arbore

“The best italian crooner ever!”

Guido Michelone, (Musica Jazz, World Music)

“One of the most talented young jazz singer of our country”

JazzItalia.net

"An amazing young talent"

Corriere della Sera

"I'm sure. Matteo will become one of the greatest of our time"

Franco Cerri

ARTIST BIO

Matteo Brancaleoni was born in Milan in 1981. Young artist with versatile and original personality: actor, singer, journalist, musician.

By the time he was 16, he began singing and performing in jazz clubs around Northern Italy.

Finalist for the IMUA "International Massimo Urbani Jazz Music Award" in 2006.

His recordings were also featured in the Radio Festival of Italian Jazz Singers as one of the most talented young italian jazz vocalist.

His performances have also been heard on on Radio Palermo in Buenos Aires, RTSI (Swiss Radio), an Punto Radio FM from Pisa. He studied at State Conservatory Of Cuneo Course of Jazz - Afro American Music, singin technique with Danila Satragno, and Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz Clinics with Donna McElroy.

He is currently attending his last year at Performing Arts University of Turin with theatre specialization. In 2002 he is selected as singer and actor by PromoArt of Montecarlo and takes part in the cast of "Musical Dreams".

He has performed in Italy, USA, France, Australia, Switzerland: Bollate Jazz Fest, Saluzzo Jazz D.O.C., Umbria Jazz, National Museum of Motion Picture, International Book Fair Turin, Not Just Jazz Milano, Italian Jazz SongsFestival Sanremo, Massimo Urbani International Jazz Award, Musicamdo Jazz &Blues, Savona Jazz, New Orleans Cafè, Grand Visconti Hotel Milan, Hyatt Hotel Chicago.

In 2002 he is invited by the President of ISA (Instrumen Society of America), to perform in the prestigious ballroom of the McCormick Center of Chicago.

He had, so far, the honour to perfom with some of the best jazz artists in Europe: Franco Cerri (g), Renato Sellani (p),Fabrizio Bosso (tr), Stefano Bagnoli (dr), Gianni Basso (sax), Massimo Moriconi (b),Lino Patruno (g), Riccardo Zegna (p), Massimo Manzi (d), Claudio Filippini (p), Fulvio Albano (sax), Lino Patruno (g), Roberto Pronzato (p), Danila Satragno (v), Skip Hadden (dr), Aldo Zunino (b), Wally Allifranchini (s), Clive Richie(v), Luca Velotti (s), Dino Cerruti (b), Jimmy Villotti (g), Pinuccio Calì (b), John Ramsey (dr), John Melnick (p).

He also duetted with the Canadian famous vocalist Michael Bublè for his Italian fan club web site in 2004.

In 2004 he is awarded with the first prize at Burguè Festival, organised by the Fossano city council. In August 2004 he is invited, in Alassio, to open one evening of 51st edition of Miss Muretto. He is a regular guest at "Broadway, Hollywood, Las Vegas", a radio program broadcasted by the first Italian Swiss Radio Channel, RTSI, conducted by the leading anchorman and journalist Giuliano Fournier. In 2002 he attends the Dramatic Art Academy "Sergio Tofano" of Turin, where he studies acting and diction and follows a course of television dubbing. In 1996 he begins to study at a drama school, under Director Leonardo Gazzola, at Milan Theater Laboratory. He remains, with this Group, for 5 years and he directs and acts in a number of theatre works like "The little Prince" of A. de Saint-Exupery, "Othello" of W. Shakspeare, "St. John's smile" of R. Cappuccio. In 2000 he plays, at Verga Theater in Milan, "Murder without reason" of E. Ionesco.

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