Saturday, 9pm, Grappa's Cellar
Italian singer Simona Molinari makes music to smoke cigarettes to, most likely out of a cigarette holder. Her silvery vocals trip dexterously up and down the scales to a backdrop of light trumpet and jazzy piano, evoking a sense of late nights by romantic canals.
Molinari is no stranger to Hong Kong, thanks to the healthy dose of Italian talent coming via the Italy Live project, a showcase of emerging Italian artists organised by local producer Walter Rizzi.
Molinari (right) first played here in April after Rizzi spotted her in Milan and this time she'll be performing tracks from her new album, Croce e Delizia (Cross and Delight), a deliciously airy collection of pop-infused cool jazz tunes.
'My idol is Freddie Mercury,' she says. 'I like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday but I don't want to be someone else - I try to sing like me.'
Molinari wrote most of the tracks, which are intimate, lyrical fare reflecting on her life as an artist and a year spent on an international tour. The album also features the single Love at First Sight, a duet with grand dame of Italian pop, Ornella Vanoni.