| Chanson Jazz |
What emerges here is, above all, an intellectual undertaking, one that draws as much from the trials of lived experience as from the wellspring of mythology. The album Driade presents a collection of original compositions and arrangements that arose from moments of creative surprise, when melodies and harmonies seemed to reveal themselves insistently within contemporary, jazz-influenced songs. In those moments, a deeper impulse surfaced: the need to strip away pretense and confront life in its fullness, accepting both its tenderness and its scars.
At the heart of Driade lies a symbolic framework that merges two distinct yet intertwined images. The first is the dyadic union of mother and son, a philosophical notion of inseparable connection suggesting a primal unity between mother and child, an archetypal bond in which the two form a shared identity. The second draws from classical mythology: the dryad, the woodland nymph traditionally associated with beech trees, whose life is inseparable from the tree she inhabits. In ancient lore, the dryad embodies resilience, vitality, and the quiet force of natural flourishing. Within this conceptual landscape, the album’s compositions evoke a profound sense of belonging and a deep respect for origins and roots.
Born in Rome, Italian vocalist Sonia Ziccardi stands somewhat apart from the mainstream of the Italian jazz albums released each year. In fact, Driade resists easy geographical categorization: its intricate vocal lines and carefully constructed sonic universe could just as easily have emerged from Germany, France, or elsewhere in Europe’s experimental jazz scene. At times recalling the atmospheric minimalism of contemporary European vocal jazz, the music balances lyric intimacy with harmonic sophistication. Throughout the record, Ziccardi carries the full poetic and emotional weight of the music with striking elegance, her voice moving between delicate phrasing and exploratory improvisation.
Her passion for music and the voice dates back to childhood, and she began formal musical studies at the age of fourteen. In 2022, she further enriched her artistic formation by attending the summer workshops of Siena Jazz, where she studied with internationally recognized artists including Michael Mayo, Jo Lawry, Theo Bleckmann, Sara Serpa, Gerald Clayton, Nir Felder, Maurizio Giammarco and Achille Succi.
The influence of vocalist Sara Serpa, in particular, seems likely to have played a decisive role in shaping Ziccardi’s approach to composition and interpretation. Like Serpa’s work, Driade is not necessarily an album designed for casual listening. Its musical and lyrical density calls for a discerning audience, one attentive not only to the subtleties of jazz language but also to the layers of meaning embedded within the texts. For years, Ziccardi’s artistic work has been rooted in precisely this kind of exploratory and reflective practice.
The project Driade was first presented at the Novara Jazz festival at Mare Culturale Urbano in Milan. Earlier, in 2018, Ziccardi distinguished herself at the Paolo Randazzo Music Prize, where she won second place in the “Jazz Voice” category, awarded by a panel of musicians chaired by the acclaimed trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso.
Her work frequently crosses artistic boundaries, integrating multiple expressive languages. This interdisciplinary impulse can be seen in the choreographic and musical performance created for the exhibition Abbracciami, as well as in the project Onomatopea, developed in collaboration with dancer Erica Bravini and presented at several performing arts festivals. Beyond the stage, Ziccardi has also earned recognition for her literary pursuits, further underscoring the breadth of her creative interests.
In this sense, Driade belongs to a growing intellectual current increasingly visible in contemporary jazz scenes across the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, where conceptual depth, poetic text and musical experimentation converge. For A.MA Records, the album marks a notable moment: the label’s first debut vocal project built around such an explicitly conceptual vision.
Yet those familiar with producer Antonio Martino will not be surprised. Time and again, Martino has demonstrated a remarkable instinct for identifying some of Europe’s most compelling emerging artists. Once again, the result is a welcome discovery: a recording whose artistic depth and production quality rival some of the most accomplished jazz releases of recent years.
Each track on Driade is inseparable from the album’s overall architecture; the work unfolds as a unified artistic statement rather than a collection of standalone songs. For listeners drawn to evolving contemporary jazz, to adventurous vocal artistry, thoughtful texts and music that ventures beyond the ordinary, Driade may well become a reference albu,one that rewards attentive listening and reveals new layers with each return.
In an era when jazz vocals often favor immediacy and accessibility, Driade instead invites patience and reflection,an album that grows deeper the longer one lingers within its world.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 6th 2026
Follow PARIS-MOVE on X
::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::
Musicians :
Sonia Ziccardi Vocals
Vittorio Solimene Piano / Electric Piano (Track 2)
Alessandro Bintzions Double Bass (Except Track 3)
Federico Chiarofonte Drums (Except Tracce 3 e 9)
Gabriel Marciano Alto Saxophone (Track 1/4)
All Music composed by Sonia Ziccardi except #7 by Sonia Ziccardi and Vittorio Solimene ©&℗
A.MA Edizioni and Track #9 by Gudmundsdottir Bjork/ Sigworthguy ℗ Copyright Controll
All Lyrics by Sonia Ziccardi except for track 9
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Extrabeat Recording Studio, Rome, by Clive Simpson, July 6/7 and september 9/10 2025