Bio
Pepper and The Jellies are a 4 piece band headed by the jazz vocalist Ilenia Appicciafuoco. They aim to recreate the atmosphere of the 10’s, 20’s 30’s and 40’s jazz era and to evoke voices and tunes of the great jazz and blues divas like Bessie Smith, Ruth Etting, Ma Raney, Victoria Spivey, Sophie Tucker, Annette Hanshaw and Peggy Lee, among others. This research takes even place and reason by the musical instruments employed, like washboard and kazoo that Ilenia plays during the gigs. The band is also composed by Marco Galiffa (guitar) Emiliano Macrini (double bass) and Andrea Galiffa (snare and woodblocks). The band is going to announce it’s third album with standards and unreleased songs, and features in 2 swing compilation (IN SWING WE TRUST – Alman Music Production). Pepper and The Jellies project shows a “not conventional” vintage sound thanks to a catchy swing and Ilenia Appicciafuoco’s voice, often compared to Billy Holiday and Bessie Smith ones.
Their performances have always been appreciated by any kind of public. In 2013 they won the italian jazz contest Julia Jazz… e non solo. They also took part for 5 times to Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival, to Jazz Festival KotCertino, in Belgium, to Jazz Tage Lenk in Switzerland and also Pozzuoli and Modena Jazz Festival, Santa Fiora in Musica and Pignola Blues Festival in Italy, Jeker Jazz Maastricht in Netherland and Ringkobing Fjord Jazz Festival in Denmark. The band performed in Paris, in September 2015, and in Ireland in January 2016 for the Shannonside Winter Music Festival. In 2017, Pepper and The Jellies took part to IL JAZZ ITALIANO PER LE TERRE DEL SISMA, arranged by Paolo Fresu, in Amatrice. Ilenia’s rendition of W.C. Handy’song ST LOUIS BLUES appears in the documentary MR. HANDY’S BLUES by the American director Joanne Fish.