MAC ~ JAZZ DUO NOMINEES 2007 ~ Manhattan Association of Cabaret & Clubs
He grew up in a small Sicilian village near the southwest coastal fishing town of Mazara Del Vallo. Surrounded by olive orchards, vineyards and shephereds herding their sheep - his playgrounds were hillsides and jagged volcanic rocks - the town square was his gathering place - playing guitar with the local barbers. She grew up catching pollywogs, chasing grasshoppers through fields of sky-high grass, shooting marbles, climbing trees and learning softball - oh . . . those lazy Michigan summers... backyard blanket-tents... secret hideaways... winter night snowball fights, angels in the snow and basement plays her young mother directed. Who would ever dream that destiny was to carry these two around the world to find each other? Heidi and Michéle first crossed paths in Detroit, Michigan in 1990 at a backyard barbeque where Detroit musicians jammed and shared music all day. (Introduced by their mutual friend - five-time world accordian champion Peter Soave.) Ramo had just left his job as a violinist with an Italian State Symphony Orchestra and spoke very little English.
Heidi, a former Miss Michigan, was moving to Rome, Italy that very summer for performance and study... fast forward two years... it was a sweltering Roman night - in the summer of 1992 - the two gypsy souls "bumped" into each other in Piazza Navona, shared some espresso and gelato, amazed at their meeting and said "arrivederci"... fast forward two years... They reconnected in Detroit two years later in 1994, began working together, and were married the same year. That's Amore Since that time, the effervescent performing/songwriting Duo has performed throughout Europe and the United States. They moved to New York City in 1999. Their 'Debut Duo' project -- appropriately named "Felicitá," means 'happiness' in Italian. Michéle wrote the piece in 1990 and Heidi put lyrics to the song in 1996. As well as in a Duo with Heidi, Ramo is in demand as a Jazz Violinist and performs with guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, pianist Arturo O'Farrill among others and has toured as guitarist with saxophonist James Carter's Chasin' The Gypsy Band.
The Ramos are publishing their original music as jazz charts for all instruments and voice, as well as arrangements for classical guitar and voice.
