Sergio Caputo — Cassette

Intro

Sergio Caputo sounds like a neon-lit rainy night in a Mediterranean city. It is music that occupies the elegant space between a smoky jazz club and a high-end pop production. His sound is defined by a rhythmic buoyancy, often leaning into Latin-jazz and swing patterns that feel both effortless and meticulously crafted. The instrumentation is rich with warm brass, nimble electric guitar solos, and a steady, lounge-ready groove.

What makes Caputo distinctive is his lyrical perspective: he writes with the sharp, ironic eye of a former art director, capturing the neuroses and charms of urban life. While his peers in the Italian singer-songwriter scene often leaned into folk or heavy political themes, Caputo embraced a 'cocktail' aesthetic that prioritized wit, style, and a specific kind of world-weary romanticism. His voice is a relaxed, conversational baritone that never feels like it's trying too hard, perfectly matching the 'cool' veneer of his arrangements.

Start with 'Un sabato italiano' to understand his cultural impact. It is the quintessential Caputo track, blending 1950s swing nostalgia with 1980s pop sensibility. From there, explore 'Effetti personali' to hear his more adventurous jazz collaborations. It is the perfect soundtrack for anyone who wants their pop music to come with a side of sophistication and a slight, knowing smirk.

Sergio Caputo (born 31 August 1954) is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, and guitarist. Born in Rome, while a university student Caputo started performing in Roman clubs, notably Folkstudio. After getting a degree in architecture and while working as an art director in advertising agency, Caputo began a parallel musical career, releasing a single in 1978 and an eponym EP in 1981. He had his breakout with "Un sabato italiano", the leading song of his eponymous debut album, which was released in 1983. It presented a style that combined jazz (with models like Cole Porter and Fats Waller), Latin-jazz pop and 1950s Italian swing along the lines of Natalino Otto and Fred Buscaglione. Dizzy Gillespie was a guest in two songs in his 1986 album Effetti personali. He participated in the Sanremo Music Festival three times, in 1987, 1989 and 1998. Over his recording career, he produced 14 albums where he continued his experimentation of musical and lyrical expression, as both an author and producer, as well as a guitarist and performer. He also collaborated with many renewed musicians, including Lester Bowie, Tony Scott, Mel Collins (King Crimson), Tony Bowers (Simply Red), Enrico Rava and Danilo Rea. In 2003, he released "That Kind of Thing", a guitar-based Smooth Jazz album recorded in California. In 2008, he published his first book "Disperatamente, e in ritardo cane" (Desperately, and dog-late) - Mondadori. The book is about a faded Italian pop star - living in California - who goes back to Italy every now and then for a tour. Until this one time, he loses his American passport and gets stuck in his old wild life. In 2009, he released, on his new label Alcatraz Moon, the live album "La notte è un pazzo con le mêches", with his band, the Sergio Caputo Quintet experience. In 2013, he released the 30º anniversary remake of his first album - Un Sabato Italiano 30 - which redefines Sergio Caputo's style back to his jazzy roots. He also writes a "reality" book titled "Un Sabato Italiano Memories" (Mondadori) about the years when he - a young art director in a big advertising agency - was torn between his day job and his passion for music. In 2015, he released his first work of brand new songs in many years, Pop Jazz and Love. The album is about "happy love" and is entirely in English, but for one song. The style is jazz with a twist of Latino. In 2016, he started a collaboration with Francesco Baccini, and together they toured and released the single "Non Fidarti di Me" (Do Not Trust Me). In 2017, they released the album Chewing Gum Blues.

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Our Catalog14 Albums · 1983 · 2018