Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Melopea (2026)

Melopea is a debut album by an experimental project created by three musicians from Naples: Linda Cimmino, Flavio Sellitto, and Antonia Criscuolo, released on the ZenneZ Records label. The album represents a unique fusion of poetry and music, where verses from classical and contemporary authors become full partners in the musical composition, rather than mere sources for musical adaptation.
The project originated in a modest room on the outskirts of Naples, which became a shared creative space for the trio. The core principle was not to adapt existing poems to music, but to find a point of balance where poetic text and sonic composition breathe together, enriching each other.
The album contains seven compositions, six of which are built upon verses from world literature poets—Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Christina Rossetti, and Henry van Dyke. The seventh composition, The Land of None, was written to an original text by Linda Cimmino. The poetic excerpts were selected not by academic criteria, but based on intuitive musicality and emotional resonance.
The musical sound of the album balances between contemporary jazz, soul, and R&B, enriched with cinematic atmospheres. A central role is played by four-part vocal texture, interwoven with piano, bass, and drums. In different tracks, either vocals or instrumental lines can take the dominant role, creating dynamic equilibrium between improvisation and composition.
Recordings were produced at Elios Registrazioni Audiovisive studio with participation from numerous musicians of the Neapolitan jazz scene. The permanent lineup was supplemented by bassist Antonio Napolitano and drummer Massimo Del Pezzo, while guest appearances featured jazz singer Emilia Zamuner and saxophonist Andrea Santaniello.
Melopea is conceived not only as a studio recording but as a complete live project, ready for performances at music festivals and poetic platforms. This project demonstrates an attempt to create its own musical language, where poetry and music become equal participants in a unified artistic expression.

FORMAZIONE
Band ufficiale
•Flavio Sellitto – pianoforte, voce, composizione, arrangiamenti
•Antonia Criscuolo – voce, composizione, arrangiamenti
•Linda Cimmino – voce, testi, composizione, arrangiamenti
•Antonio Napolitano – basso elettrico, contrabbasso
•Massimo Del Pezzo – batteria
Ospiti
•Andrea Santaniello – flauto, sassofono
•Emilia Zamuner – voce

Tracklist:
1. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Shakespeare 130
2. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Charles Feeling Displaced
3. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Whitman's Theme
4. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Beyond Christina
5. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Emily's Peace
6. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - Henry's Time
7. Antonia Criscuolo, Flavio Sellitto, Linda Cimmino - The Land of None