Viviana Zarbo is making very sweet musical waves in many directions. She has been inspired by great divas including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Julie London and Judie Garland, but her style is her own and honed from experience in theaters and venues across Europe as an actress and latterly a singer.
In Italy, she performed in many theaters, and now she is based in London where she has been engaging audiences at venues including the 606 Club, Pizza Express, the Pheasantry and many more, where they have been well received. She is said to deliver energetic yet classy and elegant performances. Take Away is her new release on the enigmatic 33 Jazz Records label.
The album opens with Rodgers and Hart’s “Bewitched,” a song made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and here given a slight change of identity by Viviana Zarbo and the musicians who accompany her. The piano interlude from Renato Chicco is beguiling; the vocals bewitching, indeed; and the gentle sax of Renato D’Aiello bewildering in its beauty.
Matty Malneck and Johnny Mercer’s “If You Were Mine” is sung sweetly and with emotion, recreating a ’50s club feel. Harry M. Woods’ “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” is then delivered with an effervescence enhanced by the absolutely wonderful piano solo from Renato Chicco, who approaches it at breakneck speed – with a trombone humming along in the background, echoing and answering the vocal lines with a humoresque style, deftly delivered by Mark Bassey.
Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Corcovado” is a bossa-infused, swingy number portrayed in sultry tones. Included is a beautifully conceived sax solo from Mr D’Aiello once more, which the vocals use for their pick up and line take. Musically, This is positively flirtatious and cleverly harmonious. Jerome Kern’s “A Fine Romance” is given a great run out, with some tuneful and well-placed vocals backed by tightly toned sounds from the musicians. Viviana Zarbo gets just the right amount of aggression in too, making the listener understand that actually, this romance is maybe not quite so fine.
Fernando Valco’s amusing composition “Un Sassolino” (a version of the Nicola Arigliano-penned song about a pebble in his shoe, “Ho un Sassolino Nella Scarpa”) is delivered in Italian, which adds to the humor – especially in the “ayes.” (Listen, you will understand.) As they are thrown to the gods with aplomb, Viviana Zarbo introduces her sassy side – and how! There’s such imbued humor manifesting in those throw away upper notes. Very entertaining.
Rodgers and Hart’s “Glad to Be Unhappy” sounds like a lesson initially, but develops into a sumptuous, rich number, emotive with the notes spot on. There is a lovely sax solo, a very unimposing yet complex piano line and a lot going on under the voice. Irving Berlin’s ‘After You Get What You Want” is a treat for the ears, while the final track, Gino Paoli’s “Senza Fina” is a lovely way to finish Take Away and an inclusion from one of Italy’s finest song writers, rightly delivered in Italian. It’s swinging finery with a touch of humor sums up the persona and character of this vocalist.
There is something lovely and exceptional about Viviana Zarbo: She has a great voice but also great tone and intonation, which allows an expansion and the use of her voice as an instrument, offering harmony and interest. She can switch from being as sensual as breathing to being as scary as a she-devil in a heartbeat. Her note placement means there are very few slurs; she hits them spot on, which makes Zarbo not just a singer but also a musician who listens to her band – and therein makes the difference between the ordinary and the exceptional.
She is able to introduce changes and subtleties to her velvety delivery which make her standout and engage the listener. Viviana Zarbo definitely hits the exceptional button.
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