Hetty Loxston, a classical and jazz-trained (bi-lingual) singer from London formed Hetty and the Jazzato Band at the end of 2015 with clarinettist, and childhood friend Charlotte Jolly, and three Italian musicians Fabrizio Bonacci, Riccardo Castellani and Alessandro Cimaschi, upon moving back to London after a period of living in Bologna and Rome for five years.
The band was conceived as a musical project that would aim to explore the lesser-known, gems of Italian Jazz from the 1920s-1960s with fresh arrangements and lyrics translated into English for a current, international audience. It was also a passion project for Hetty, an Italophile who wished to share the Italian music and culture she had grown to love, following a long period living, working and studying in Italy.
The band quickly gained an international following with their first EP ‘La Dolce’ Vita’ (2018) and, live music video performances, in particular, their arrangement of Renato Carosone’s hit ‘Tu Vuo’Fa’ L’Americano’ (over 22 million views on YouTube alone). Their fanbase (exceeding 100,000 followers) currently ranges across six continents in 137 countries and includes younger listeners hearing this music for the first time and an older generation for its nostalgic charm.
When Hetty and the Jazzato Band’s original clarinettist, Charlotte, decided to take a break from performing in 2018 to raise a young family, the group expanded to include two exceptional new members: Richard Muscat and Stephanie Legg both doubling on clarinet and saxophones.
The band grew in popularity with iconic Italian songs like ‘Volare’ and ‘Mambo Italiano’ and unvisited Italian jazz standards like ‘Un Bacio a Mezzanotte’ and ‘Bellezze in Biciclette’ performing regularly in the UK and throughout Italy (Portofino, Pisa, Agrigento, Lake Garda, Gallipoli, Taormina, and Florence, a private party on board a superyacht in Portovenere to name a few).
Hetty and the Jazzato Band have performed at events at some of the UK’s historical landmarks and most prestigious venues such as the Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, The Royal Albert Hall, Hever Castle, The Royal Academy of Art, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Shard, The Gherkin, The St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, The Dorchester Hotel and One Whitehall Place.
The band is frequently invited to perform at a variety of significant Italian events in the UK and abroad including The Italian Awards, Horsham Piazza Italia, Festival Italia in Brands Hatch, Bellavita Expo, Harvey Nichols ‘Britalia’, Federalberghi Penisola Sorrentina, C Carnevale and ENI’s annual celebrations in London.
