Biography
Francesca Sortino An outstanding talent, recognized by eminent critics and musicians in the jazz world. 2002 Young Peoples Oscar Award from European Institute for Sports, Culture and Performing Arts.
She is almost totally self-taugh and has worked alongside numerous italian and american musicians, such as Eliot Zigmund, Jim McNeely, Enrico Pieranunzi, Sandro Gibellini, Robert Bonisolo, Maurizio Giammarco, Pierre Michelot, Maurice Vander, Irio De Paula, Rodrigo Botter Maio, Harvie Swartz, Rick Margitza, Eddie Henderson, Romano Mussolini, Gianni Basso, Emanuele Cisi, Dario Rosciglione, Giorgio Rosciglione, Massimo Manzi, Renato Sellani, Marcello di Leonardo, Tony Pancella, Alessandro Minetto, Alessandro Maiorino, Eddy Palermo, Dino Piana, Andrea Pozza, Riccardo Fioravanti, Amedeo Ariano, Nicola Angelucci, Paolo Recchia, Pierpaolo Bisogno, Franco Piana, Stefano Lestini, Francesco Berzatti, Mauro Beggio, Gianni Basso, Andy Gravich, Stefano Bagnoli, Claudio Filippini, Lello Panico, Riccardo Zegna, Rosario Giuliani, Stefano Di Battista, Paolo Fresu, Stefano Sabatini, Fabrizio Sferra, Valery Ponomarev, Charlie Antolini, Renato Chicco, Pietro Ciancaglini, Lorenzo Tucci, Pietro Lussu, Paolo Birro, , Sandro Deidda, Dario Deidda, Fabrizio Bosso, Roberto Rossi, Pietro Tonolo, Luca Bulgarelli, Francesco Lento, Pasquale Bardaro etc.
She has taken part in many Festivals and concert series.
Francesca Sortinohas appeared on the following Radio and Television Shows: “Radiouno serata Jazz”, “Omnibus”, “A tutto Jazz”, “500 ma non li dimostra”, “Mille lire al Mese” , “Telethon”, “Oltremoda”, “Extra Jazz Rai Sat”, “Radio Montecarlo Night” “Al Top sat 2000″, “Viva radio 2”, “Radio Città Futura”, Radio Centro Suono”, Radio Italia anni ’60, “Radio Radio”, “Radio Vaticana”, Radio Dimensione Suono”, Radio Italia”, “TV Capodistria”, “Ketch a vibe show”, “Radio Fujiko”, “Battiti” Rai 3, “Suoni Inauditi” Radio Venetouno, “Rodon 95fm”, “BBC radio2” “Radio Sherwood”, “Solarradio”, “LuxuriaMusic internet radio”, etc.
She has been reviewed by Jazz Magazine, Audio Review, Musica Jazz, Manifesto, Raro, Dischi & Musica, Buddha Style, Rockit, Rockol, Livecity, Jazz Italia, Amica, Vitality, Gufetto, Glamour, Beat, Rockstar, Vogue, Remix, Acid Jazz, Trend, Rockerilla, XL, Hot, Jay Mag, Blow up,All about Jazz, Tokyo Jazz Notes, Jazz Times, Soulchoonz, Discopiù, Sentireascoltare, Jazzit, Lds Magazine, A Proposito di Jazz (Gerlando Gatto), etc..
Her debut album “With My Heart In A Song”, recorded in New York for Soul Note Records in 1997 with Jim McNeely, Eliot Zigmund, Harvie Swartz, Rick Margitza, has been well reviewed by music magazines and press. Her voice has become popular worldwide with Gabin’s hit song “Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap” (Virgin, 2002)
Also, Francesca Sortino lends a classy interpretation to the new “Comedy of Life” release called “I don’t know you” (BMG 2003), which is currently being broadcast on all the major Italian networks. The Italian movie “Tre Metri Sopra Il Cielo” includes the soundtrack “Aqui Otra Vez” (Comedy of Life).
The album “Kiss me” released on May 28th 2004 with the Sugar label is a jazz interpretation, in English language, of the most famous and loved songs from the Italian musical repertoire. She appeared in Pupi Avati’s movie “Quando Arrivano Le Ragazze” with her “kiss Me”.
On October 28 2005, The label Sugar released Francesca’s new album called “Cantando Con Le Lacrime Agli Occhi”(Singing with tears in my eyes), whose title track of the same name is on the soundtrack of the latest film of Pupi Avati “La Seconda Notte Di Nozze” (The second night of marriage), and also in an intense videoclip, featuring the notorious trumpet player Paolo Fresu and Francesca, and alternating footage from the studio recording with scenes from the film.
“Stepping out”(2007) released by Dejavu-Commodo Depot is a beautiful second album from “Idea 6” included Francesca Sortino on vocals recommended by some of the most important Japanese music stores as “the best album of the year”. The new album “The Music I Play” (Family Affair) released on june 2008 discovering her also as a composer.This project is aimed for the large public, experimenting sophisticated atmospheres of jazz mixed with the accessible fields of pop. “The Music I Play,” was very well reviewed by some of the best music magazines, the single became a hit in the summer,”Namorada”. Fiorello(well known italian showman) fell in love with it and soon was one of the most played songs on his radio program, “Viva Radio 2”, Vanzina(director) would then put it in the soundtrack of his latest movie, “Un estate al mare”, l’Espresso(Magazine) in their Compilation of the summer Chill out, “Two way Glance”. Radio’s have kept on passing it all summer…. Rockstar” Magazine votes her as the best talent in the Critics’ Award 2008 M & D. 2009’s “The World We Love In” has completed the trilogy entirely dedicated to the Italian songs.
2009’s “Looking At The Sea” released in Japan with PonyCanyon shows the jazz talent in her breezy style and includes some lovely duets with british singer Alan Farrington. In June 2010 the Dj and producer Gerardo Frisina presents his new album titled “Join The Dance” and the set, full of big names such as british jazz singer Norma Winstone, features guest vocals by Francesca on the superb track “Gonna Go Fishing” .
In may 2014 comes out her new cd entitled “Francy’s Kicks”. A super production made in Italy. Out of all the wonderful voice of Francesca Sortino, who is also a composer and lyricist. The arrangiaments, manicures, are made for the most part by trombonist Roberto Rossi, with an ensemble of wellknown musicians, with great brass sections and strings quintet. Outstanding solos by Fabrizio Bosso, Pietro Tonolo and Robert Bonisolo. The rhythmic section, Bulgarelli and Angelucci, is one of the best performing of the moment. The music and atmosphere are quite varied, ranging from jazz ballad to songs in which you can feel the influence of electronic sound, in search of a sound very current…not to mention the original structure of the songs. Texts speak of deep love: for lovers, for people, for nature, for others, for themselves, for their children, for art. Themes like loneliness, “dissatisfaction”, anger, the search for serenity in a life not so easy, sometimes. Francy’s Kicks is recommended by Juno download and Jazz Syndicate (London) indicates it as one of the best album of the year.
Francesca Sortinofeatures two songs in the new works by Gerardo Frisina . She appears in the lovely “Zagara” with The Motion Collective, “Burak” (A.MA Record july 2014) and the Ep “Space in Time” (Schema Records, August 2014 ) also includes some hypnotic, hazy vocals by Francesca. She also appears in Frisina new album “Movement” (Schema records September 2014).
In april 2016 EFFE Production Music is pleased to present two original and unreleased tracks, “You’re my Sorrow” and “For Tomorrow and Today” , written and recorded in 2006 by Francesca, that capture juvenile Francesca’s insipirations from Burt Bacharach to Joni Mitchell in a rich bland of jazz influences
with a fine ensemble of musicians: Lello Panico on guitar, Pietro Lussu on hammond, Dario Rosciglione on bass and Lorenzo Tucci on drums.
In April 2017 she’s going to publish the new album “Be Free” on A.MA Records. Since 2010 she has been teaching at the Salerno “G. Martucci” and at the Latina “O. Respighi” Conservatory Of Music.