biography

Born in Torino, Italy, Roberta Gambarini was born into a very musical oriented family. Her family was very oriented within jazz and her father played the saxophone so she grew up with the music. At the age of twelve she started taking clarinet lessons, and continued to study piano shortly after. Starting at 17, she was singing in Northern Italy at jazz clubs. The year after, she decided to move to Milan to build her jazz career. She sang on the radio and started winning jazz radio competitions, and performing at multiple jazz festivals. In 1986, she started recording here and there but continued performing in Italy until 1997. In 1998, she moved to the United States to attend the New England Conservatory in Boston. Only a few weeks later, she won third place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition. This introduced her to opportunities in New York and recorded the album Easy to Love, which featured Benny Carter and James Moody. After working with James, he became her mentor. She was becoming known for her “instrumental approach, warm timbre, and impeccable timing and intonation.” Her album Easy to Love and So In Love was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. She was also awarded as the 2007 Female Jazz Singer of the Year and as the 2007 Talent Deserving Wider Recognition. She toured with insane musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Hank Jones, and continues to tour and work with jazz greats to this day.