From its earliest editions, the Isola Jazz festival, first held in 2005, has hosted innumerable exponents of international jazz, including the great drummer Bobby Durham, to whom the festival has been dedicated since 2009. This beautiful live performance — recorded in Italy, but by a group of musicians who record for Japan's Venus Records label — easily one of the classiest jazz imprints of the past decade or two! And as a further twist, a number of the artists here are American — which makes the whole thing a great trans-national performance, handled with energy to match.

Steve Nelson is an American vibraphonist, and has been a member of Dave Holland's Quintet and Big Band for more than a decade. He graduated from Rutgers University with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees in music, and his teaching activities have included a position at Princeton University. He has appeared at concerts and festivals worldwide and has made recordings as the leader of his own group. This release for Japanese Venus Records features Massimo Farao’ on piano behind the others.

Steve Nelson is an American vibraphonist, and has been a member of Dave Holland's Quintet and Big Band for over a decade. He graduated from Rutgers University with both Master's and Bachelor's degrees in music, and his teaching activities have included a position at Princeton University. He has appeared at concerts and festivals worldwide and has made recordings as the leader of his own group. As a resident of the New York City area he has performed and recorded with many musicians, including Kenny Barron, Bobby Watson, Mulgrew Miller, David "Fathead" Newman, Johnny Griffin, and Jackie McLean.

Denise King is a singer whose naturally beautiful voice, vibrato and phrasing please musicians as well as fans. In the past 25 years, Ms King has sung at almost all of the top venues in Philadelphia, several in New York, Paris, Turkey, Brazil, Africa, Germany and Japan. This album for Venus Records was recorded in Italy with Massimo Farao' Trio. "Denise King sings pop and jazz standards with touches of the blues, soul and even gospel in a voice steeped in a sophisticated, swinging, sometimes soulful, satin style much like one of her idols, Sarah Vaughan".

Jessica Young is a powerful and talented singer from Melbourne, Australia who has recorded and is working with Ronnie Scott's Artistic Director, James Pearson. She worked previously in New York on tracks with jazz legends George Coleman, Russell Malone, and Harold Mabern. Truly unique and versatile, Jess draws on her diverse background of opera, jazz, neo-soul and blues to offer a fresh contemporary style that has played well to audiences and garnered strong critical response.

Saxophonist Scott Hamiton, pianist Paolo Birro, bassist Aldo Zunino and Alfred Kramer, drums, combine on an audiophile ballads program that includes such timeless favorites as "Moon River," "The Shadow Of Your Smile," "All or Nothing At All", "This Is All I Ask", "The Gypsy" and more. Recorded at the Hotel II Castello - Palazzo di Scoto di Semifonte in Stereo DSD on the Pyramix Recorder using dCS A/D and D/A converters.

Massimo Farao is a wonderful Italian pianist who has played and recorded with Red Holloway, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Tony Scott, Franco Ambrosetti, Nat Adderley, Jeff Tain Watts, Jack DeJohnette and Chris Potter, among others. Venus Records' producer Tetsuo Hara must have really fallen in love with Farao's music because in less than a year he has released no less than five of the Italian pianist's albums. The debut CD by his trio Luiza was followed by Bohemia After Dark which featured his bassist Aldo Zunino in a duo setting. Now we have three new albums (Autumn Leaves, My Funny Valentine and I Left My Heart In San Francisco) that were all recorded in a three-day session in February, 2014.

Francesco Cafiso surprised the jazz world with his blazing chops in his early teens during a stunning duo concert with veteran pianist Franco D'Andrea. Several years afterward, he is working on developing a distinctive style of his own, which is a challenge for any young musician. These 2006 sessions mix well-known jazz compositions of the 1940s and 1950s with timeless standards, with the alto saxophonist backed by a solid rhythm section consisting of pianist Andrea Pozza, bassist Aldo Zunino, and drummer Nicola Angelucci.

Massimo Faraò, who is from Italy, first visited the United States in 1983 when he played with Red Holloway. In Europe he has since worked with many top performers including Tony Scott, Jesse Davis, Franco Ambrosetti, Nat Adderley, Jack DeJohnette and a notable tour in 2007 with organist Joey DeFrancesco. Even with all of that, it is as the leader of his own trio that he really shines. Lovers of the classic jazz piano trio will find much to enjoy on Massimo Faraò's Autumn Leaves.

Born and raised in the East Harlem section of New York City, Joyce Elaine Yuille is a multi-faceted vocalist, performing in all genres and styles. But Gospel, Jazz, Soul and Blues are the backgrounds of Joyce Yuille. Starting her venture into the world as a runway model she eventually found her true path…The union between her soul, love of music and God-given talent as a singer. Her admiration for divas such as Sarah Vaughn, Nina Simone, Etta James, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald and all time favorite, Phyllis Hyman, have influenced her to create a personal style that is respectfully appreciated and admired by her audience. Joyce Yuille has this style that's very classic, and very groovy – jazz-based, with a nice rasp in her voice that really brings out some of the more soulful qualities in the music.

Massimo Farao is a wonderful Italian pianist who has played and recorded with Red Holloway, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Tony Scott, Franco Ambrosetti, Nat Adderley, Jeff Tain Watts, Jack DeJohnette and Chris Potter, among others. His highly anticipated debut CD from Venus Records does not disappoint. His passionate style and stoic romanticism are very attractive along with rich harmonies he creates.

Massimo Faraò is a wonderful Italian pianist who has played and recorded with Red Holloway, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Tony Scott, Franco Ambrosetti, Nat Adderley, Jeff Tain Watts, Jack DeJohnette and Chris Potter, among others. Venus Records' producer Tetsuo Hara must have really fallen in love with Farao's music because in less than a year he has released no less than five of the Italian pianist's albums. On this album Massimo Farao' and his piano join together with Aldo Zunino on bass and Marco Tolotti on drums to complile an 11-track SACD full of jazz's favorite staples from Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and many more!

Massimo Farao' is a wonderful Italian pianist who has played and recorded with Red Holloway, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Tony Scott, Franco Ambrosetti, Nat Adderley, Jeff Tain Watts, Jack DeJohnette and Chris Potter, among others. Farao's passionate style and stoic romanticism are very attractive along with the rich harmonies he creates.

Italian pianist Massimo Farao's popularity in Japan and elsewhere has been elevated since he started recording for the independent label Venus Records. Following his successful trio album Luiza comes an interesting piano-bass duo album with his musical partner, Aldo Zunino who has performed and recorded with Andrea Pozza, Francesco Cafiso, Tony Scott and Joey DeFrancesco.

For this Fonè Records release, pianist Paolo Birro, bassist Aldo Zunino and Alfred Kramer on drums, combines an audiophile program that includes such favorites as "Round About Midnight," "I Can't Get Started," "On A Misty Night" and more. Recorded in stereo DSD on the Pyramix Recorder using dCS A/D and D/A converters.