Ramo's 8 String Guitar

"Michele Ramo's amazing nylon string fingerstyle guitar playing, which takes the place of a full orchestra, provides melody lines, harmony, chords and walking bass lines all at the same time. He has developed a technically dazzling, exciting style that is amazing original, incorporating a broad range of guitar styles, invoking Gypsy caravans, Sicily, Andalusia, Brazil, Harlem and many points in between."
- Piotr Michalowski -
Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association

”Ramo bends notes, scrapes and chords with the technique of a vocal choir. In his hands, the guitar lights up like a symphony orchestra.”
- Jim Santella –
AllAboutJazz.com

Two other Michigan expatriates living in New York have also released recent recordings. The duo of singer Heidi Hepler and guitarist Michéle Ramo perform virtuoso wonders on Felicitá (Ramo 2002-1), an album of original compositions by Ramo set to lyrics by Hepler. It is hard to characterize this recital, which blends southern European and American motifs with jazz and cabaret spices, performed with amazing musicianship. Hepler has an immediately recognizable voice, for she sounds like no one else, and while she would undoubtedly list numerous influences, they have been absorbed and blended into a truly personal style. She has operatic chops and dead-on pitch, without which the blend that she achieves with Ramo would not be possible, and her lively romantic personality comes out in every song. This exuberance is matched perfectly by Michéle's amazing nylon string guitar playing, which takes the place of a full orchestra, providing unison or harmony lines, chords, and walking bass lines all at the same time. He has taken the styles of Baden Powell and Charlie Byrd to another level, and developed a technically dazzling, exciting style that is amazingly original, incorporating a broad range of guitar styles, invoking Gypsy caravans, Sicily, Andalusia, Brazil, Harlem and many points in between.

BY PIOTR MICHALOWSKI, Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association

Michéle RAMO - Jazz Violinist/Composer Michéle Ramo is not only a virtuoso guitarist but also an equally accomplished violinist. Classically trained in his native Italy, where he played in symphony orchestras, he is now making his mark in New York as one of the great fiddlers in jazz. He demonstrates his talents as a soloist and composer on Full Moon Above New York City (Ramo 2002-2), accompanied on all but one track by Tommy James on piano, David Dunaway on bass, and Jimmy Madison on drums. Although the recital includes two Latin swingers, the focus here is on heart-on-your sleeve ballads. This could be dangerous but Ramo's sentimental lush violin walks the fine line between passion and bathos, and the swing is never far away. The proceedings are capped off with a romantic guitar number ("Terra e sole") recorded at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival in 1994 in the company of bayan master Peter Soave, bassist Kurt Krahnke, pianist Ian Smith, drummer Miguel Gutierrez, and percussionist Jamie Rusling.

BY PIOTR MICHALOWSKI, Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association

JAZZ VIOLIN – Ramo's debut violin album recorded live in studio.

A collection of original compositions by Ramo in trio and quartet. Full color 6 panel booklet tells Ramo's history with the violin and a story about each composition.

With Tommy James – piano, David Dunaway – bass and Jimmy Madison – drums.

There is a special bonus track of Ramo on nylon string Spanish guitar with the 'Ramo Group' live at the 1994 Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival. Here is featured our great friend and 5 time world accordion champion Peter Soave on Bayan (concert accordion). Also with Ian Smith - piano, Jamie Rusling - percussion, Miguel Gutierrez - drums, and Kurt Krahnke - bass.