Elisa Minelli’s new single release, “Star Eyes,” marks an exciting milestone in her musical evolution, following the rise of her jazz-inspired debut EP of the same title, available on all streaming platforms. The album, spawned from the creative collaboration of the Minelli Lorandi Duo, is a Valentine to jazz’s golden age as it’s never been heard, with contemporary sophistication and genuine heart.
The "Star Eyes" EP sees the pair leaping through three of jazz’s most timeless standards, “Star Eyes,” “Embraceable You,” and “The Nearness of You,” with characteristically euphoric romance suited to a quintet. At its core lies the original track of “Walking Alone On Snow,” which was first released in spring 2023 and revisited this time around as a touching homage to jazz’s eternal heart.
The title track, here the jazz standard on which Minelli’s resonant voice and imaginative phrasing give fresh life to a composition initially written for the 1943 film I Dood It, by Gene de Paul and Don Raye, and famously interpreted in 1951 as an anthem by Charlie Parker. Unlike the slow versions that have entered the jazz canon, this take waltzes along at a medium-fast pace, injecting life and vigor into an old chestnut. The setting creates an elegant conversational space between voice and guitar, as guest Matteo Castelli’s glowing trumpet brings a warm enhancement to the fluid interactions of the band.
Minelli’s version glows with sincerity, every note a constellation of emotion, every phrase a starlit whisper. With "Star Eyes," she and her cast not only revisit jazz history but also reignite it, showing that the classics can still shine with modern magic.