German jazz virtuoso Till Brönner is set to transport listeners to the vibrant soundscape of Italy from the 1960s through the early 1980s with his forthcoming album, ITALIA, released via earMUSIC on September 5, 2025. This album marks Brönner’s first collaboration with earMUSIC/Edel, and pre-orders are available starting today.
Accompanying the album announcement is the first single, Viva la Felicità, a reimagined version of the beloved Signor Rossi theme from the iconic 1970s Italian cartoon series. The song captures the adventures of a small man in a red hat, wandering the world in search of happiness and discovery.
ITALIA was recorded in Bari and Rome and produced by Till Brönner alongside Nicola Conte, a celebrated DJ, jazz musician, and sound aesthete from Apulia. Conte is internationally recognized for his refined, genre-blending approach that fuses jazz, bossa nova, and club culture. Their collaboration promises an album that is both elegant and deeply rooted in the spirit of Italian musical heritage.
The album’s repertoire primarily draws from the 1970s and early 1980s, a period Brönner describes as a golden era of European musical exchange. Italian songs traveled across borders, filling French radio airwaves and German record stores, shaping a continental cultural mood.
"Italy created a kind of pan-European sound," Brönner explains. "It was an atmosphere that was formative for an entire generation."
Conte adds, "We focused on a moment in Italian cultural history that is still, to this day, one of the most engaging, artistically relevant and colourful."
The music of that era mirrored a collective optimism, balancing lighthearted pop with deeper explorations of life’s complexities. Brönner sees parallels with today’s world: "There is a lot of hope now that things might shift toward something more human and down to earth again – and that’s exactly the kind of feeling you could literally sense in the ’70s and ’80s."
ITALIA combines well-known classics with rarities from Italian pop culture that never gained recognition beyond Italy. The album features works by legendary artists such as Lucio Battisti, Paolo Conte, and Tony Renis, alongside iconic film scores by Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, and Franco Micalizzi. Brönner also contributes an original composition that blends seamlessly with the vintage repertoire.
"The album contains many songs that are well-known – at least from a non-Italian perspective. But there are also surprises. Nothing is more boring than a record where you know exactly how it will sound from the first note," Brönner says.
For the first time on a studio album, Brönner lends his voice, singing in Italian on both the lead single Viva la Felicità and the melancholic hit L’Appuntamento, originally popularized by Ornella Vanoni. Brönner shares, "When I translated the lyrics into German, I thought: That could have been my story."
The album alternates between instrumental tracks, highlighting Brönner’s signature trumpet and flugelhorn, and vocal performances by a star-studded roster including Chiara Civello, Sera Kalo, Mario Biondi, Mandy Capristo, and Giovanni Zarrella.
The inspiration for ITALIA is deeply personal. Brönner spent part of his childhood in Rome, a formative period that shaped his sensibilities and instilled a profound connection to the Italian spirit. "Some records come from a feeling. This one came from pure love," he reflects.
Featured Musicians
-
Till Brönner – flugelhorn, trumpet, vocals, synthesizers, brass, background vocals
-
Roberto Di Gioia – piano, electric piano, synthesizers, mellotron, organ, keyboards, synth arrangements
-
Nicola Conte – guitar
-
Bruno Müller – guitar
-
Pietro Lussu – piano, electric piano
-
Alberto Parmegiani – guitar
-
Magnus Lindgren – flutes, saxophones, reeds & woodwinds, woodwind arrangements
-
Christian von Kaphengst – double bass, electric bass
-
Ameen Saleem – double bass, electric bass
-
Teppo Mäkynen – drums
-
Gabriel Prado – percussion, background vocals
-
Arne Schumann – programming, recording, mixing
-
Katrin Mickiewicz – background vocals
Guest vocalists:
-
Mario Biondi – vocals on Via Con Me
-
Chiara Civello – vocals on Parole Parole
-
Giovanni Zarrella – vocals on Quando, Quando, Quando
-
Mandy Capristo – vocals on In Alto Mare
-
Sera Kalo – vocals on L’Unica Chance
Till Brönner is one of Europe’s most acclaimed jazz musicians. Since releasing his debut album at age 22, he has sold over one million records in Germany alone and earned multiple Gold and Platinum awards. He has been nominated for a Grammy, received several ECHO Awards, and performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, and the White House.
Beyond music, Brönner is an accomplished photographer, author, and educator, teaching jazz trumpet at the University of Music in Dresden.
ITALIA promises to be a heartfelt homage to Italy’s rich musical legacy and a personal journey for Brönner, blending nostalgia, innovation, and the timeless beauty of Italian song.
No comments:
Post a Comment