Denise

Denise Mangiardi began writing and playing music at the age of ten. By the time she was 14 she was playing professionally in New York, and went on to major in piano and composition at the famous Berklee College of Music.In the 1990s she came under the wing of legendary pianist Ellis Larkins, whose richly sophisticated harmonies became a trademark of her compositional style. She sang with him and many of the world's finest pianists in NYC, performing at clubs such as 'The Village Vanguard', 'The Bitter End' and 'The Carnegie Tavern'. She also studied harmony with renowned tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, who is featured on her latest CD 'Naked Truth'.Her influences include the blues of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Billie Blake, the folk/jazz style of Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro, the Motown pop of Steve Wonder, and jazz artists such as Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis.Although a native of New York, Denise lived in New Orleans for five years, becoming a favorite featured artist at the city's premier jazz club 'Snug Harbor', and recording all three of her CDs there. She has been a featured artist in many world-renowned jazz venues, across the USA, in Paris, in Australia and at London's Pizza Express in Dean Street.Tim and Denise met as postgraduate composition students at London's Trinity College of Music, where they discovered a shared love of New Orleans blues, Thelonious Monk and suspended fourth chords!http:// www.denisemangiardi.com http://www.timrichards.ndo.co.uk