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Michele Ramo

8 String Fingerstyle Nylon Jazz Guitarist,
Jazz Violinist,
Mandolinist,
Composer,
Teacher,
Recording Artist,

Endorser of:
DiCarlo Guitars
LaBella Strings
Benedetto Violins
MarkAcoustic Amps

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Hometown	Forest Hills, NY
Genres	Guitar Solo, Jazz
Band Members
Achievements
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:
# Years Experience Performing Live:	30
# Live Perfomances Past Six-months:	126
Venue History:	Piazza Mokarta - Mazara Del Vallo (Italy), IT Sauris Di Sotto - Sauris Di Sotto (Italy), IT Bacco - Southfield, MI Hepburns - Shelby Twsp, MI Hilton Hotel - Short Hills , NJ Bistro Cassis - Plainview, NY Bistro Citron - Roslyn, NY La Coquille - Manhasset, NY Smoke Jazz Club - New York, NY Simphony Space - New York, NY Birdland Jazz Club - New York, NY Vino Di Vino - Astoria, NY Uvarara - Middle Village, NY Performing Arts Center at Five Towns College - Dix Hills, NY Oberlin Conservatory of Music - Oberlin, OH Kerrytown Concert House - Ann Arbor, MI
Opener Experience:	Tuck & Patti; Carlos Montoya
Similar Artists:	Charlie Byrd; Joe Pass; Baden Powell
Performing Rights Society:	BMI
Discography:	RAMO Italian Tapestry LP—2008; The Song Is You LP—2008; Oh Lady Be Good LP—2006; Mick & Mundy LP—2005; RAMO "Solo" LP—2004; Felicita' LP—2002; Full Moon Above New York City LP—2002; Kiss My Head LP—1995; Live at Kerrytown LP—1993; Jalousie LP—1992; Earth & Sun LP—1992; Essence Of Romance LP—1990; Tina LP—1988

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About the Artist

Italian born, American citizen,

8 String Classical/Brazilian/Latin/Jazz
"Crossover" Guitarist.

Jazz Festivals: USA, Canada and Europe: The North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Molde Jazz (Norway), Fano Jazz (Italy), Montreal Jazz, Ottawa Jazz (Canada),...

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KASBAH & FANTASIA FLAMENCO

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Achievements

Top 10 in Pro Performance Video , April 2011

Top 10 in Pro Performance Video , March 2011

Top 10 in Pro Performance Video , February 2011

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Press Coverage

Oh Lady Be Good by All About Jazz
With a swinging program that recalls the spirit of Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, this contemporary trio of veteran jazzmen delivers straight from the heart. The cohesive program jumps in a lively fashion as the acoustic group delves into material steeped in tradition and mellowed with age. Uptempo romps like “Have You Met Miss Jones” and “Oh Lady Be Good” find the trio pulling out all the stops in a celebration of syncopation, swing and sunshine. Slower pieces, like “Autumn Nocturne” and “Nuages,” allow the trio’s lyrical melodies to flow gently and settle in comfortably as each artist reaches back for inspiration. This music flows like a meandering country stream through a meadow of colorful wildflowers. All three gentlemen display a deep respect for melody. Violinist Michele Ramo leads with a superb touch, garnering every ounce of flavor from each piece. His version of “Stardust” brings tears to the eyes. Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli steps forward with lucid solo spots that belie a sincere love for these classic songs, while Jerry Bruno provides a strong bottom foundation. His lovely bass solo on “Have You Met Miss Jones” dances around the familiar melody with a resonance that evokes heartfelt spirit. Ramo applies a variety of techniques in his portrayal, employing seamless, flowing legato when desired and jumping off with a sprightly pizzicato when the mood calls for it. He interprets the music with the emotional strength of gypsy soul and American swing, combined with the universal appeal of song. The ballad is putty in his hands. Oh Lady Be Good represents a deep love for the essence that can only be found in beautiful songs. It takes two to tango. One side writes the songs, and the other side interprets them with love. The songs of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Burton Lane, Johnny Mandel, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli do a special dance when performed by Michele Ramo, Bucky Pizzarelli and Jerry Bruno.

Mick & Mundy by All About Jazz
Lyrical stuff happens when you find two veteran artists such as Mick and Mundy together as a guitar duo. They know intuitively what to say with their instruments. The guitar has provided a similar framework for melodic excursion over many centuries. As Mick Ramo and Mundy Lowe blend their distinctive timbres together for a satisfying session of familiar standards, the melody is never far from their fingertips. Both artists prefer a kinder, gentler approach that entices. They both take great satisfaction in exploring familiar melodies and improvising on a theme. “Satin Doll” swings passionately, “When Sunny Gets Blue” saunters gaily through casual surroundings, and “Moonglow” calls out with a sensuous cry. With each interpretation, Ramo and Lowe share the grace of a beautiful melody and explore its possibilities for embellishment. “Manha de Carnaval” sizzles with passion. From the left and from the right, you can feel Lowe and Ramo giving it a convincing treatment. This timeless theme provides an opportunity for soulful outpouring. Lowe offers cool tones in a clear environment. His crystal clear articulation makes the song float gently around your shoulders. “There's a Small Hotel” swings lightly, with a graceful air, as Ramo gives it a bubbly redress. His seamless phrases carry the tune fluidly with emphasis toward the lyrical nature of the piece. You'd think that the words were jumping up alongside the duo's performance, as their guitars express these ideas convincingly. Vocalist Heidi Hepler, Ramos' wife, joins the duo for “Sicily,” a beautiful original that recalls the couple's impressions of this Mediterranean land. As with the duo's earlier themes, this one provides soothing melodies that float gently around the room. Ramos uses an eight-string model that allows him to add depth to the program. Together, he and Lowe provide a loving caress to this program of familiar songs. Their timeless interpretation brings a smile to the face of audiences everywhere.

Ramo "Solo" by All About Jazz
Born in the Italian Mediterranean fishing town of Mazara del Vallo on the west coast of Sicily, guitarist Mick Ramo learned to play music from his earliest childhood years. By age thirteen, he had entered the music conservatory, where he studied violin. Professional engagements with the Italian State Symphony Opera House followed. Then he met jazz. Today, he calls the US home and immerses himself in all kinds of jazz performance activities that employ both his violin and his guitars. Ramo finds the artist alone with his six- and seven-string guitars, interpreting familiar songs and originals. Dedications to Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Laurindo Almeida, Baden Powell, and Charlie Byrd flow gently and with heartfelt passion. “Lush Life” demonstrates Ramo's love for passionate melody. He expresses the tune's lovely theme proudly and with clearly defined articulation. He's equally at home interpreting ballads, blues, early swing, and Brazilian themes. The guitarist's “Brazilian Dream” makes a stirring impression as its classical guitar texture blends with blues and jazz in an improvised spate of emotion. Ramos bends notes, scrapes, and chords with the technique of a vocal choir. In his hands, the guitar lights up like a symphony orchestra.

The Song Is You by All About Jazz
Like the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's flying Thunderbirds, this ensemble has a “hole” in it where Lawrence G. Williams would comfortably fit his drum set into motion. Sadly, Williams has passed on. As a duo tribute to their friend by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and guitarist Michele Ramo, The Song is You carries with it considerable emotion and pure, heartfelt memories. Gentle timbres from both instruments translate into a lovely ballad album based on tradition but complete with original statements. The “Hei-D Mostro” 8-string guitar is Ramo's invention: a guitar and bass combination that allows him to work both functions in tandem. As he interprets by Belgrave's side, the resulting sound cascades gently as if open trumpet were working with electric bass and amplified guitar. Both veterans issue their feelings casually with ease of mind and body. As Belgrave's sensual trumpet melodies roll fragrantly over Ramo's gentle guitar lines like whispers in the wind, both artists wear their hearts on their shirt sleeves. The program's standards fall naturally into place. With “Angel Eyes,” the duo achieves its most dramatic intersection of the program by setting three distinct lines in motion: bass, guitar and trumpet. With a classical Spanish tinge, they approach the subject forcefully and draw upon its lingering melody. It's a haunting tune that shall remain timeless. Ramo's original, “A Song for a True Artist,” rolls gently on a bossa nova wave that honors Williams for both the fluid rhythmic foundation that the drummer used to bring to performances and for the lyrical lines that fill his compositions. Williams' “Number 6” finds both trumpet and guitar fusing a pensive melody that will bring goose bumps to its audience. As veterans, both artists have their say convincingly without any frills. The true meaning of each selection comes forward naturally. Their lost comrade would be proud. Track listing: The Song is You; A Song for a True Artist; Where Are You; East of the Sun (West of the Moon); If You Could See Me Now; Angel Eyes; Number 6; Teach Me Tonight; What a Wonderful World.

The Song Is You by Jazz Review
This recording was the dying wish of drummer, pianist, and composer Lawrence Williams, a close friend of Michele Ramo and Marcus Belgrave. With this higher purpose in mind, the two friends set out to fulfill William’s request, and created this rewarding and passionate album with the rather rare duo of guitar and trumpet. The added emotion behind this album’s creation is evident from the first notes. Opening with Oscar Hammerstein’s “The Song Is You”, Belgrave begins with a light solo and is joined by Ramo’s walking bass line. The breathy trumpet tones float seamlessly over the mellow plucking. The guitar Ramo plays on this recording is one of his own invention, an 8-stringed combination of guitar and bass called the “Hei-D Mostro”. During Ramo’s solo, it’s hard to believe there is only one instrument playing, as the bass notes so often compliment his solo lines. He does a good job of switching up rhythms during Belgrave’s solo as well. Ramo contributes one of his own compositions to the album in “A Song For A True Artist”. Beginning with a soft, Latin line, Ramo takes the background to Belgrave as he comes in with a haunting, lyrical melody. The resolutions in the melody are almost heartbreaking, blending richly with the guitar undertones. Belgrave’s sparing use of vibrato adds to the effect beautifully. Ramo at times sounds as if he were playing a harp rather than a guitar, with several swift scalar lines. Belgrave imitates these lines in his own, creating an effect like a round as the two carry on in true duet fashion. The effect is one of longing, but not of sadness per say. The song is a true lament, a remembrance of something that was lost. This album would be incomplete, however, without a song by the one who inspired its creation. Lawrence William’s “Number 6” (which cleverly enough is track #7 on the album) is a perfect outlet for Ramo and Belgrave’s creativity. Beginning with another beautiful solo trumpet line, the guitar has freedom to compliment and ad-lib as willed. Ramo chooses to add some more harp-like, cascading lines behind the ethereal sound of Belgrave’s flugelhorn. While Belgrave sets the mood and tone of the piece, Ramo adds color and texture. Ramo takes an extended solo in this piece as well that includes some strictly bass work as well as some interesting rhythmic patterns. Belgrave’s solo livens things up a bit as he throws in some bebop licks over Ramo’s smooth Latin patterns. One of the best songs of the album, however, has to be "What A Wonderful World", where Belgrave's vocal solo is reminiscent of the same done by Louis Armgstrong. The ever-popular melody that we hear so often is given a new frame of reference when played with so passionately. While this can be said for the whole album, this selection seems to embody it so very well. From the first note to the last, it’s obvious how much of themselves these two artists have put into this recording. They’ve done much more than realizing a friend’s last wish; they have honored him royally.

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