| Chanson Jazz |
For her new album, set to be released on November 8, Grazzia Giu fully opens up, being a child of abuse, which she speaks about in these words: “Raised in an environment of terrifying strictness by an Italian father and a Flemish mother, as a child, she hardly had the right to express herself. Of Italian, she only knew her father’s harsh reprimands; of Flemish, the absence of dialogue with her mother, as if, in a family torn apart by violence, she was not welcome. English, spoken by her grandmother living in New York, became her refuge. This wonderful woman, who came from America each year, would flood a dark everyday life with sunshine and music. The records from across the Atlantic—by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tom Jones—became precious outlets. French would later become the language of love and her adopted country.”
Reflecting her life, reflecting her soul, with unadorned poetry and a sharp style reminiscent of a Leo Ferré from the “Beau Saxo” era, supported simply by artists who perfectly framed her voice, Grazzia’s voice, fragile and raw, liberates her from her nightmares and anxieties. She continues: “It’s to finally make her voice, long confined to silence, heard that Grazzia Giu turned to music, giving us precious keys to understand this ageless voice, which never seems to worry about pleasing but sings because it must; an artistic necessity that touches us deeply.” This is, after all, the main foundation of all art that works through this sensation of needing to create.
There is also the encounter with artistic director Daniel Yvinec. Grazzia Giu, convinced that she had recorded her last opus with *Fragments*, felt the need to speak again and returned to the studio.
Naturally, on this album, the French, Italian, and English languages intermingle, giving the songs a depth that feels like a cry from within, the ultimate means of expressing this suffering, which one can only partially heal from. Helped in this by studio sessions with Nico Morelli to lay the foundation of this project, there is inevitably a strong imprint of nostalgia on the album, along with a beautiful share of dreams. The album is a “truth”; there’s even fun with this lovely cover of Jacques Brel’s *La Chanson des Vieux Amants*. Who other than Grazzia Giu can interpret Brel without ridiculing herself? For it requires experience, life, and art deeply embedded within to succeed—qualities that Grazzia possesses!
I’ve always believed that for vocal artists, what matters most is being aware of the project they’re part of. Reaching such a strong and successful proposal is never a matter of chance. There’s a balance and fragility that never leaves the album. Without a doubt, this is the album that most resembles Grazzia Giu, an album that you discover, then listen to again and again, returning to it to make sure you haven’t missed anything. You admire the subtle but effective arrangements, the beautifully chosen lyrics, and Grazzia Giu, who transcends the role of a singer to become a true interpreter, capable of embodying the scenes and characters she presents. This album is overwhelmingly convincing and joins our pile of “essential” albums.”
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, September 30th 2024
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En concert:
2 octobre 2024 • avec Lionel Melot • La grange à Gieres (38)
31 octobre 2024 • avec Nico Morelli • Jazz Club de Grenoble (38)
29 novembre 2024 • avec Lionel Melot • Altrium, Le Fontanil-Cornillon (38)
18 décembre 2024 • RELEASE PARTY avec Nico Morelli • Sunside, Paris (75)
31 janvier 2025 • avec Lionel Melot • Le Hüb, Grenoble (38)
9 février 2025 • avec Lionel Melot • Le Louis XI, Saillans (38)
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