Creator of a beautiful fusion of musical worlds in his latest solo album, *Right Now*. The world-renowned Italian jazz guitar virtuoso, producer, and songwriter successfully strikes a delicate balance between jazz and pop. It is natural, given his legacy of diverse musical collaborations, which spans writing, producing, and playing for everyone from Cassandra Wilson, Dead Prez, Q-Tip, Foxy Brown, K'Naan, Melanie Fiona, Tupac, and Jennifer Lopez to Whitney Houston and the Gipsy Kings. However, on his latest record, the gap has been effectively bridged as his impeccable chops meet irresistible melodies. Comprising interpretations of six classic songs and six originals, it paints an intimate portrait of his personal history and also provides a glimpse into the future. After releasing the acclaimed collaboration *Another Country* with Cassandra Wilson, he began working on *Right Now* in early 2012 with a new perspective. Since moving to New York from Italy in 1991, he has established himself as a prominent presence in the jazz world with solo releases including 1999’s *This World Upside Down*, 2004’s *Through My Eyes*, and 2010’s *Inner Dance*. He has worked with major proponents of the genre, including Al Foster, Randy Brecker, Roy Hargrove, John Patitucci, George Garzone, Cassandra Wilson, and Claudia Acuña, to name a few. However, from the moment he began the *Right Now* sessions with bassist Tony Gray and drummer Mino Cinelu, he knew this collection would stand out from his vast body of work. "I have been fortunate to have two careers, but they have always been separate," he admits. "My career as a songwriter and producer has been based primarily on popular music, while as a recording artist, I have focused on the jazz field. This time, *Another Country* prepared me to break some new ground. I tried to write jazz with a pop feel. This came out of a spiritual necessity for me. I wanted to open up. It is very different from my previous work as an artist, but it is also very honest." When he captured that honesty, he invited some important friends to join him in the studio. In a sincere reinterpretation of Bob Marley’s "Waiting in Vain," his nuanced and intricate acoustic guitar meshes with the fluid and soulful delivery of Shaggy and Res. The track holds a place in Sotti’s heart for a myriad of reasons. "Everyone loves Bob Marley," he states. "I had to do something special for this, though. In the mid-nineties, I joined the Air Force in Italy because it was mandatory. They stationed me on the border with Yugoslavia in the middle of the war. 'Mr. Boombastic' came out, and people were blasting Shaggy all the time. The song comforted me during a very dark and tense time. I wanted Shaggy to do this with me for that reason. He performed from his heart, and the track shows a different side of him. Also, Res sounds fragile and communicative. Everything combines very well." The same could be said for the swaggering collaboration with Ice-T and M1 of dead prez on Pink Floyd's "The Wall." His elegant musical arrangement evokes a powerful blend of hip-hop and classic, fortified by flashes of instrumental fireworks. "I’ve been listening to *The Wall* since I was seven," he recalls. "I was an outcast because all I cared about was music. Everyone in Italy thought I was crazy. That song resonated with me so much. I was also 14 when the Berlin Wall fell. It was a historic moment where two worlds came together and Germany was united again. Ice-T and I wanted to tap into those social and emotional elements. It speaks for itself." Some dreams came true for Sotti when he recorded "Someone Else's Tears" together with Italian icon Zucchero. It marked Zucchero’s first collaboration with a jazz musician since working with Miles Davis, and the lyrics were written by none other than Bono of U2. "In Europe, Zucchero is like Bruce Springsteen," he continues. "The duet he did with Miles, 'Dune Mosse,' left me breathless. Seeing an Italian singer with my jazz idol always remained in my mind. I contacted Zucchero when I was making this album and he suggested we do 'Someone Else's Tears.' It was a great honor, to say the least." Elsewhere on the album, Melanie Fiona joins him for an uplifting acoustic interpretation of Jimi Hendrix’s "The Wind Cries Mary," while Isabella Lundgren, recently signed to the artist’s label Sotti Records, joins him for a bluesy and sweet reimagining of U2’s "One." He continues: "I was always watching the *Rattle and Hum* VHS tape. It tells the story of when U2 went to America. I dreamed every day of making my own trip to the United States. A few years later, I did. It was incredible to work on the song with Isabella. I believe in her immensely and we have great chemistry." Then, there is the galloping original instrumental "Cavallino Rampante." Handclaps underline his passionate fingerpicking as he nimbly commands the fretboard. Expanding his sonic palette, it is also his very first flamenco-style tune ever. "I dedicated it to Enzo Ferrari," he smiles. "Growing up in Italy, you learn to recognize a Ferrari before you can write. Then, you become a successful musician and you can actually own one and race. There is all this adrenaline, passion, beauty, and refinement associated with that car. I wanted to convey that emotion and dedicate it to a fellow countryman." Overall, *Right Now* encapsulates a certain ethos for Sotti. As the world continues to speed up and worry about what lies ahead, he is urging the exact opposite. He concludes: "Where society is right now, everyone is going crazy about the future. I want people to dive into a peaceful journey when they listen to this album and try to enjoy the moment. I hope everyone can join me there—right now." *Right Now* will be released on May 14, 2013. It was recorded at Fabrizio Sotti Studios in New York and mixed at Piety Studios in New Orleans by the legendary engineer John Fishbach. Fabrizio produced and arranged all the songs on the album.