Italian Songbook is Laura Campisi’s personal exploration of the extraordinary richness and diversity of Italian popular music. The project traces its origins to Vedrai Vedrai – Music of Luigi Tenco & More, a tribute to Italian songwriting that New York’s Kitano Jazz Club commissioned Campisi to create in 2014. What began as a journey through Tenco’s music and the work of other Italian songwriters gradually evolved into a broader celebration of the Italian songbook, bringing familiar classics and lesser-known treasures into conversation with jazz, improvisation and contemporary musical influences.

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The repertoire travels through generations of Italian songwriters and performers, from beloved classics such as Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare), Azzurro and Parole parole to the intimate poetry of Luigi Tenco, the unmistakable voices of Ornella Vanoni and Mina, and the imaginative worlds of artists such as Fabrizio De André, Francesco Guccini, Ivano Fossati, Vinicio Capossela, Luciano Ligabue and Cristina Donà. Traditional and regional songs, alongside Campisi’s own compositions, add further colors to a musical landscape shaped by different languages, places and traditions. Rather than simply reproducing familiar arrangements, Campisi approaches each song as a story to rediscover, allowing its character to suggest new rhythms, textures and possibilities.

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At once nostalgic and contemporary, Italian Songbook celebrates Italian music as a living tradition, capable of crossing borders and finding new meanings far from home. From intimate listening experiences to festive cultural gatherings, the project can take different musical forms while preserving its central spirit: an invitation to discover, or rediscover, Italy through the songs that, across the decades, have given voice to its people, its contradictions and its imagination.