Italian jazz singer Mafalda Minnozzi returns to NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimó on Monday, September 30 at 6:30 pm for a multimedia evening of song and cinema centered around the life and art of the legendary luthier John Monteleone. A special director’s cut of John Monteleone – The Chisels Are Calling will make its debut, followed by a panel featuring the film’s director Trevor Laurence, John Monteleone himself and guitarists Steve Cardenas and Paul Ricci who perform in the film along with Mafalda.
The evening will delve into the wonder of Monteleone’s artistry that can be found not only in the hands of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Anthony Wilson, but can be seen in the Smithsonian Institute and in the permanent musical instrument collection of NY’s MET Museum, earning John the reputation of the world’s preeminent archtop guitar builder.
Mafalda’s performance of a sampling of Italian song recalls the origins of the great Italian-American tradition of the archtop jazz guitar from the lineage of John D’Angelico (Naples) to James D’Aquisto and John Monteleone (Sicily). The performance will feature Ricci’s own personal Monteleone archtop guitar. Expect a fine sampling of how the archtop guitar can be applied to the tradition and also to the evolution of jazz guitar in the hands of Ricci and Cardenas, whose solo career places him among one of the finest jazz guitar voices in the world.
The event is free but it will not be streamed live, but recording selections will be made available in the Casa Italiana Video Library.
