MICHÉLE RAMO (pronounced: Me-KEL-ay) was born: Michele Pugliese-Ramo in Mazara Del Vallo (Sicily)-Italy. Ramo is an 8 string nylon fingerstyle guitarist, violinist, mandolinist, composer and educator who specializes in bringing American Swing, Brazilian, Gypsy and Latin rhythms together in his playing, as well as composing and arranging for the guitar.
A classical-jazz crossover artist in the truest sense of the word, Ramo has a unique and sought-after ability for blending his classical and jazz worlds into his writing, teaching and performance.
Michéle Ramo
Ramo is a self-taught guitarist whose formal training and higher education is in violin studies. Ramo always maintained his guitar playing alongside the violin and while working in orchestras. He attended guitar master classes in Italy with Aliro Diaz, and in the United States with Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Charlie Byrd and Joe Pass.
RAMO grew up in the small Sicilian village of ‘Costiera’, located on the southwest coast of Sicily near the fishing port of Mazara del Vallo.
He began violin studies at 13 and at the age of seventeen received his first professional contract with the Italian State Symphony opera orchestra “Orchestra Del Teatro Massimo in Palermo. He earned a Master's degree in violin from the music conservatory of Caltanissetta. Ramo toured Europe with the International Mediterranean Youth Orchestra –“Le Juness Du Mediterranee”. In 1985 he was contracted with “Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana” and worked as Concert Master with “Orchestra Filarmonica Del Tirrreno touring Italy.
After five years in various Italian State Orchestras, Ramo left the orchestra job and moved to the United States in 1987 to pursue his work as a composer and instrumentalist in Jazz.
Ramo’s jazz festival performances include: The North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Molde Jazz (Norway), Fano Jazz (Italy) Montreal Jazz (Canada) Ottava Jazz (Canada), Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Freiburg (Germany), Paris, Ile Del Re, Souillac, (France), Montreux-Detroit Jazz (USA), Cork Jazz (Ireland), Barcelona, Madrid (Spain), Republica de Andorra, Burlington Jazz, Arkansas Jazz (USA) Athens, Corfu, Corintos, and Patras (Greece).
He began violin studies at 13 and at the age of seventeen received his first professional contract with the Italian State Symphony opera orchestra “Orchestra Del Teatro Massimo in Palermo. He earned a Master's degree in violin from the music conservatory of Caltanissetta. Ramo toured Europe with the International Mediterranean Youth Orchestra –“Le Juness Du Mediterranee”. In 1985 he was contracted with “Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana” and worked as Concert Master with “Orchestra Filarmonica Del Tirrreno touring Italy.
After five years in various Italian State Orchestras, Ramo left the orchestra job and moved to the United States in 1987 to pursue his work as a composer and instrumentalist in Jazz.
Ramo’s jazz festival performances include: The North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Molde Jazz (Norway), Fano Jazz (Italy) Montreal Jazz (Canada) Ottava Jazz (Canada), Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Freiburg (Germany), Paris, Ile Del Re, Souillac, (France), Montreux-Detroit Jazz (USA), Cork Jazz (Ireland), Barcelona, Madrid (Spain), Republica de Andorra, Burlington Jazz, Arkansas Jazz (USA) Athens, Corfu, Corintos, and Patras (Greece).
Ramo has performed/toured or recorded with guitarists:
Bucky Pizzarelli, Mundell Lowe, Martin Taylor (U.K.), Howard Alden, Al Caiola, Les Paul, Gary Potter (U.K.), Trefor Owen (U.K.), John Etheridge (U.K.), Andy MacKenzie (U.K.), Tony DeCaprio, Gene Bertoncini, Jorge Morel, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Wayne Wright, Jack Wilkins, Vic Juris, Jimmy Bruno, Frank Vignola, Vinney D'Arrigo, Mark Marino, Joe Carbone,...
He has performed/toured also with: Paquito D'Rivera, James Carter, Regina Carter, Roy Brooks, Marcus Belgrave, Arturo O'Farrill, Nilson Matta, Chuck Redd, Bandoneon great Peter Soave and Broadway singer Jill O'Hara.
He has shared the stage with: Yo-Yo Ma, James Galway, Eartha Kitt, Barbara Cook and has been invited to perform for: Carlos Montoya, Sherrill Milnes, Jerry Lewis and Tuck and Patti. Michéle and his wife singer/lyricist Heidi Hepler-Ramo perform as a full time duo and live in New York.
Bucky Pizzarelli, Mundell Lowe, Martin Taylor (U.K.), Howard Alden, Al Caiola, Les Paul, Gary Potter (U.K.), Trefor Owen (U.K.), John Etheridge (U.K.), Andy MacKenzie (U.K.), Tony DeCaprio, Gene Bertoncini, Jorge Morel, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Wayne Wright, Jack Wilkins, Vic Juris, Jimmy Bruno, Frank Vignola, Vinney D'Arrigo, Mark Marino, Joe Carbone,...
He has performed/toured also with: Paquito D'Rivera, James Carter, Regina Carter, Roy Brooks, Marcus Belgrave, Arturo O'Farrill, Nilson Matta, Chuck Redd, Bandoneon great Peter Soave and Broadway singer Jill O'Hara.
He has shared the stage with: Yo-Yo Ma, James Galway, Eartha Kitt, Barbara Cook and has been invited to perform for: Carlos Montoya, Sherrill Milnes, Jerry Lewis and Tuck and Patti. Michéle and his wife singer/lyricist Heidi Hepler-Ramo perform as a full time duo and live in New York.
Rich DiCarlo
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Rich DiCarlo and his wife Linda moved to Massapequa Park, Long Island where they raised a beautiful family of two sons Christian and William and daughter Jessica. An accomplished and gifted guitarist – while still only in his teens, Rich was busy performing on the jazz scene throughout the New York area. That however, did not pull at his deepest talents, which were soon to be unearthed. With the coming of his new family, Rich left the late-night freelance world of music and took a steady job with New York Bell. It was after leaving the freelance life that DiCarlo’s innately creative and natural artist abilities shown as he was began to explore guitar making. It is certainly a gift to the guitar world that Rich DiCarlo followed his calling to become one of America’s finest guitar luthiers.
"I started building on a steady basis in the early eighties. I’m basically self taught, although I did confer with Jimmy D’Aquisto on a few occasions when problems would arise. He helped and guided me enormously. I was a player at one time but became totally immersed in building after meeting Jimmy in the early seventies.
Guitar building is my passion. My main instruments are Concert Classicals, Flamencos, and Nylon Jazz models. I build nylon-string instruments exclusively, all in the Spanish tradition with the body joined to neck by slots cut into neck. My instrument models are Classical, Flamenco, and Nylon Jazz in 6, 7, and 8-string versions. I primarily use hand tools except when heavy stock has to be thinned to working dimensions. All of my instruments are French polished. I’ve constructed nylon string instruments for many great musicians.
I met Michele Ramo in 1999 and was totally raptured with his style and approach to the Classical guitar. He would talk about his Ideas and concepts. I thought he was a little bent out of shape, but the more frequent his visits to my shop, the more I began to understand where he was coming from. A true musical madman. Ramo then came to me with his idea for the 8 String. His concept for the “MOSTRO” completely threw off my construction routine. Six months were totally dedicated to this unique instrument. Up until the day it was strung up I sincerely did not know if it was going to work. We had made a pact; “If this thing doesn’t work we’re going to the Jones Beach jetty and hurl it into the Atlantic Ocean.”
Long story short...... IT WORKS!!
Ramo makes it work. I am very blessed to be his personal Luthier.”
Long story short...... IT WORKS!!
Ramo makes it work. I am very blessed to be his personal Luthier.”
