Letizia Gambi is a jazz vocalist, composer, and actress. She was born in Naples, Italy and raised in the northern region of Lake Como. Letizia grew up in an artistic family of opera singers, musicians, actors, and writers. They brought their Neapolitan traditions and music with them to their new home, and Letitia learned the meaning of Nostalgia. For that reason, she returned to Naples whenever possible and she has infused that culture into all of her endeavors.
Letizia began dancing lessons at age eleven, attended art school at thirteen and began showcasing her art and winning awards for her paintings when she was fourteen. At fifteen, she began traveling to London, in the summer, to study musical theater. Continuing to dance, she became a dance instructor and choreographer at a very young age, while continuing to sing and act. She studied acting for 2 years and worked as an actress. Finally, because of her great love and passion for music, she auditioned for the International Jazz Academy in Milan, out of 60 people who auditioned, she was one of only seven who were accepted into the program. She studied for four years and became an assistant to the vocal professor in her fifth, "Master Year.” Letizia graduated with a Masters Degree in Jazz Vocal Performance.
Letizia worked as a singer/songwriter, teaching Jazz and Pop singing at several music schools in Milan, Como, and Switzerland. In Milan, she played Anita in West Side Story, she also acted in several TV shows. She sang with many well known Italian Jazz musicians and was the lead singer for a Jazz Big Band. Her versatility allowed her to sing many types of music, from Gospel (she was soloist in the choir of Civici Corsi di Jazz in Milan) to dance music, classical repertoire, pop and of course, Jazz.
In 2009, Letizia met the legendary drummer and producer Lenny White and expressed to him her desire to fuse her roots and Neapolitan musical influences into a contemporary genre. In 2012 their collaboration resulted in her debut recording, "Introducing Letizia Gambi” which was recorded in New York and included such legendary musicians as Ron Carter, Chick Corea, Gato Barbieri, Wallace Roney, Patrice Rushen, Gil Goldstein, Antonio Faraò and her collaborator and producer, Lenny White.
In 2016 she released her second album "Blue Monday" which includes songs written by Letizia and Lenny White. It was recorded in New York and produced by Lenny White, the musicians who performed were Ron Carter, Gil Goldstein, Donald Vega, Dave Stryker, Helen Sung, John Benitez, Jisoo Ok, Hector Del Curto, and Pete Levin.
Letizia performed as a guest with Lenny White and his band during his last European Tour, her American debut was at the Jazz Standard as a guest with Lenny White & friends, featuring Ron Carter on bass and Patrice Rushen on piano.
Letizia has represented Italy in Japan at the Italian Cultural Institutes in Osaka and Tokyo. In 2017 she performed with a 100 piece orchestra and choir, under the auspices of the Italian Consul General, for the celebration of the Italian Republic's Anniversary in Rosario, Argentina. The following year, she performed under the auspices of the Italian Consul General for the Italian Republic's Anniversary in Capodistria, Slovenia.
She has performed across Europe and throughout Italy including the Blue Note in Milan, Auditorium Parco della Musica and Casa del Jazz in Rome.
Her original song Under the Moon was included in Musica Jazz Magazine’s cd tribute to Frank Sinatra for the centennial of his birth.
The American jazz magazine JAZZIZ
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