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In a letter written to us Maestro Mottola writes:
"...Heidi's voice is marvelous and what a tremendous range she has! Michéle, your playing is superb and the sound of your guitar is beautiful!"
In another letter regarding our new CD releases guitar and voice duo 'Felicitá' and jazz violin 'Full Moon Above New York City' Tony wrote to us:
"You are both so talented and perfect together. In this day of mediocrity in the music business it is so refreshing to hear your music. Buona fortuna to you both."
"I have never enjoyed voice and guitar more that when I hear Heidi and Michéle. A delightful combination of a great voice who can sing anything she wants and guitar playing of excellent quality, technique and musicality abound. A real Tour de Force!"
NOTE: We have spent many a bohemian night with our great friend, the wonderful guitarist and composer, Jorge Morel - originally from Argentina (of Italian descent — in fact near Ramo's town in Sicily!). We live in the same building and have passed many a night playing music, cooking and sharing stories. Thanksgiving and Christmas have been with Jorge. Michéle engraved some of Jorge's arrangements and did the book for Mel Bay - Morel's "Two To Tango". Check out the beautiful work!
"Heidi & Michéle...It's the most truthful music I've heard in years."
NOTE: Wayne played with Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett among others in his long career. We met Wayne at Chris Ambadjes' 'The American Guitar Museum' in New Hyde Park, New York in the spring of 2001. We often meet Saturdays at the Guitar Museum on our way to our steady gig at 'Franina' in Syossett, Long Island. We jam, have some laughs and head out to our gig.
"Ramo really moved me with the way he played. He is a great musician with lots of sensitivity and what an incredible right hand! And, Heidi is a tremendous singer - I am a fan!
NOTE: Jack is a wonderful guitarist with many recordings, has an outstanding career and is a great guy!
"Michéle Ramo is a very fine musician and his guitar playing is outstanding. He is also a composer to be reckoned with."
NOTE: Ramo first met Charlie Byrd at a master class with Charlie and the great classical guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima in Royal Oak, Michigan. Ramo had only been in the United States for a couple of years and was starting to speak English. In this class Charlie told Michéle that he had nothing to about say about his playing and composing — except to keep doing what he was doing and that he should move to New York City. A few years later Michéle sent Charlie a solo album (not yet released) - a mix of Ramo originals and some standards....Becky, Charlie's wife called us, left a message on our answering machine and said Charlie wanted to talk with Michéle. Upon returning home, Ramo called Charlie right away....music to a young guitarist's ears....Charlie Byrd spoke about how much he loved this album, Ramo's smooth playing, his composing ability, and wanted to send it to the President of Concord Records.
We visited Charlie and Becky at their home some months later and Charlie again talked about the album, Ramo's playing, composing and our voice/guitar Duo and that we should move to NYC to be heard in a bigger way.....he had sent the CD on to Concord Records President and called him on the phone telling us he said: "You really gotta' hear this guitarist!" (Concord was in court litigations at that time dealing with many other issues.) We loved our visit with Becky and Charlie and we keep doing what we always do...write and play music.
We plan to release that CD on our own as we have our last three albums. It is 'Ramo's Tribute to Charlie Byrd' - just as it should be with the wonderful history behind --- right in Charlie and Becky's living room. We finally got things together and moved to New York in fall 1999 – we called Charlie on the way --- his last words to us were: "You're gonna make it!"
We were saddened when Charlie passed away — but we know he has made the world a richer place for having been here.
"Ramo is a masterful guitarist."
Note: Summer 2001 - The Blue Note Jazz Club is where we
met Baden Powell and his wife Elizabetta. Brazilian guitarist Baden has been
Ramo's guitar idol since his teenage days in Sicily when a friend gave him an
album. When we found out Baden was coming to Blue Note we wrote a letter
explaining the history of Ramo's admiration for many years and how he (Baden)
influenced the young guitarist. Ramo had written a piece called
"Talk of the Waves" and dedicated it to Baden Powell. (It is to be included in
a book of guitar arrangements and each composition dedicated to a Guitar Master -
Baden Powell, of course was one .) We called a friend in Brazil, faxed him
our letter and he translated it and faxed it back just in time for us to
go to Blue Note.
Leo Gandelman was traveling with and doing double bills with Baden...
Baden invited us into his dressing room – we were there for at least 40 minutes. Baden was very moved with our letter and Michéle played his piece to Baden and we sang a duo ....Baden Powell was very warm and intensely watching and sharing in the music of Ramo's guitar .... Baden Powell invited us to come and visit him and perform in Brazil -- giving us his personal contact information. Sadly he passed away shortly after our meeting. We are blessed and so grateful to have had that time together.
"I must say, Ramo is a unique musician on the instrument. Sensitive and concerned with the music. Since I play guitar - I think I can say he's a special player!"
NOTE: For me meeting Joe and taking some classes with him was a real great experience. I came across his name while I was still living in Italy because he was on Stéphane Grappelli's album. When I heard his playing I liked him immediately. In Sicily I did not have any exposure to jazz, so this album for me was a real eye opener and a treasure.
So when I hooked up with Joe in Detroit it was like a dream. I remember I told him that I wanted to play Be Bop, (that is what is hot in Detroit, so it was what I was exposed to) and Joe told me that there are too many doing it already and "just keep what you're doing with guitar because there are not many who are playing nylon fingerstyle jazz like the way you do with your harmony structures."
We became great friends and would talk on the phone from his different concerts....I was not yet speaking much English, so we would speak in Italian. Giuseppe Passalaqua was a true paissano! Whenever he was in Detroit I would pick him up and cook Italian dinner for him and we would hang out at the cigar shop — since we both smoked cigars...
"Ramo is the real thing! Stéphane Grappelli would've loved him!"
NOTE: There could not be a better thought expressed about Ramo's Jazz Violin playing than a thought coming from Bucky Pizzarelli. Bucky has played with the great Jazz Violinists of the 20th Century including Stéphane Grappelli, Stuff Smith, Eddie South, Joe Venuti, Claude Williams, Johnny Frigo, and now Michéle Ramo!
Ramo performs regularly on Jazz Violin with Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar -- especially for Django Reinhardt / Stéphane Grappelli theme concerts. They have finished an album of great classic standards with Ramo - Jazz Violin, Bucky Pizzarelli — jazz guitar and Jerry Bruno — acoustic bass. To be released on Ramo Music / Moonboat Productions Label, 2003.
"Michéle is a multi-talented musician. It is rare to find an artist who plays two instruments as well as he does. It amazes me about his duality - his virtuosity on two incredibly different instruments and his ability to move between the guitar and violin while performing! Plus - he is a wonderful composer!"
"Ramo is a guitarist who commands a diversity of styles from classical to jazz with a solid technique, clear tone and expressive phrasing."
NOTE: I met Carlos in Detroit for a master class and we became good friends. Also after Master classes and recital we would go and jam together at local venues where Heidi and I were performing. It was Carlos who introduced me to Charlie Byrd. We see Carlos when he comes to New York and we usually cook dinner and jam at Jorge Morel's place.
"Michéle Ramo is an accomplished performer in both classical and jazz idioms."
NOTE: The late, great Joe Fava was one of the most important figures in the guitar world in Michigan. A couple of guys that came out of his class were Kenny Burell and Earl Klugh. I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Fava upon my arrival in Detroit in 1987. He introduced me to Joe Pass and attended many of my performances in the Metro Detroit Area. Unfortunately I lost my photo of Maestro Fava in a move.
"Heidi – you're an extraordinary singer. One doesn't run into one like you until they come to you." Harold Mckinney
The late great Detroit Jazz pianist and composer wrote this to Heidi after a concert of the 'Ramo Group' at the Serengeti Ballroom in Detroit 1999. I was quite taken aback and shy about these words coming from such a towering artist and wonderful person as Harold Mckinney. He was a Detroit icon who is greatly missed by his family and friends.
"Wow!!! You've got to hear her to believe her. Images of crystal and calisthenics come to mind – and she perks up your ears relentlessly!"
Marcus and Ramo would spend time making music daily — when Ramo first moved to Detroit, it was Marcus who took him in as a brother and helped to nurture the jazz music out of Ramo — I had been living and performing in Rome, Italy and upon my return did a concert with the Ramo Group which included 9 Detroit percussionists, five-time world accordion champion Peter Soave and of course the great Marcus Belgrave. Marcus is heard on our first album "Kiss My Head" in an exquisite solo on our song 'Summer Sun'. This same song has been carried over to our new CD 'Felicitá'.
"Heidi Hepler Ramo may be the improvvisatrice of our time."
NOTE: This quote came from Roy after he keyed into the ethereal and spontaneous vocalise of Heidi Hepler. Roy always said how fascinating was her unconventional approach to improvisation with the unique sounds and great control, yet freedom and use of her four octave range.
Roy first heard us when we jammed at the Detroit club 'Bert's on the River'. Detroit is a town overflowing with great musicians and a long history of greats – that same evening there was the also present the late great vibraphonist from Modern Jazz Quartet – Milt Jackson. After that evening at 'Bert's', Roy called us and said he loved what he heard and would love to play with us.
The three of us connected musically, artistically and spiritually right away. Roy said he heard the soul coming out of our music and he loved our creative approach, sensitivity and how we listened to each other for nuances and dynamics.
We began working together and performed as a trio for a couple of years as well as various concerts with our larger group. We had many tremendous and magical musical moments with the great Roy Brooks. He and Heidi would perform glorious voice and saw duets....
Roy was originally 'freaked out' with the precision and clarity with which Heidi could, seemly without a split second pause, simultaneously capture his exact tones in imitation. They would also do trio of voice, saw and guitar....
Fortunately, we have some of those moments captured on video live in concert as well as a guitar, drum duo with Ramo & Brooks in a live radio broadcast on WDET Detroit. That was released on our first Album "Kiss My Head" currently sold out and will be re-released.