Musica Nuda

The Italian vocal jazz-pop duo Musica Nuda pairs vocalist Petra Magoni with bassist Ferruccio Spinetti, and the pair extended their reach into adjacent European markets, above all France, throughout the mid-2000s. Born in Pisa, Tuscany, on July 28, 1972, Magoni trained at the Conservatory of Leghorn and at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Milan. Early in her career this versatile performer sang opera at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa while simultaneously fronting the local rock band Senza Freni. Her first full-length solo album, Petra Magoni, appeared in 1996 and was followed the next year by Mulini a Vento. She later recorded under the name Sweet Anima, releasing a 2000 album of English-language songs written by Lucio Battisti. She also joined Giampaolo Antoni in the electro-pop duo Aromatic, which produced the album Still Alive in 2004. Her most notable venture, however, remains Musica Nuda, the vocal jazz-pop project undertaken with Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel bassist Ferruccio Spinetti; the duo’s self-titled debut arrived to critical acclaim in 2004. Built mainly around well-known standards, many performed in English, including the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” the album later received an international reissue through the Bonsaï Music label. While the first album earned praise from reviewers, the follow-up, Musica Nuda 2 (2006), also registered commercially abroad, entering the French albums chart for seven weeks. The double-disc set contains 27 tracks and numerous guest contributions. During the period of their international breakthrough, Magoni and Spinetti issued two live documents: the video Live in Paris (2006) and the album Live à Fip (2007). Their third studio album, 55/21, followed in 2008.