Gabrielle Cavassa stuns on her Blue Note debut, 'Diavola.'

Roeg Cohen

The name Gabreille Cavassa has been spoken in jazz circles for a few years now, since she made her way to New Orleans. In the jazz world it was seen as inevitable that she would one day be a true force in the scene. That deep belief in Cavassa was only reinforced in 2023 when she was recruited to sing on Joshua Redman’s Where Are We album, his sixteenth record and first to feature a lead vocalist. The endorsement of such a prominent figure as Redman helped confirm the co-winner of the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition was on the path to great things.

Three years after teaming with Redman that greatness is here. On her superb Blue Note Records debut, Diavola, out this Friday, Cavassa steps firmly into her role as a force on the scene. While the album is co-produced by Redman and Blue Note head and iconic producer Don Was, Cavassa’s imprint as the band leader and vocalist is felt everywhere. Showcasing originals such as the title track and the gorgeous “Bossy Nova,” and surprising covers like “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” and Barry Manilow’s “Could It Be Magic,” Diavola is a powerful statement, an extremely talented artist who is ready to embrace her role as a superstar of the jazz world.

I spoke to Cavassa about the album, her alter-ego for the record, New Orleans and so much more.

Steve Baltin: How many times have you been to Jazz Fest as a fan?

Gabrielle Cavassa: The first time I went to Jazz Fest was the year that I moved here, which was 2018. And then I think every year after that, I performed at least with somebody, or I got on stage somehow. Last year, I got to headline with Joshua Redman. Then this year, I'm actually not playing at the festival. So, it'll be my first year since 2019 that I haven't played the festival.

Baltin: But you do have some other stuff going on this year.

Cavassa: I do, yeah. Hopefully I will get in there next year. New Orleans Jazz Fest is the big event every year. So, it's exciting.

Baltin: The last time I was there on a press trip, and they fed us so much I was sick for like three days after. You ate every 10 minutes.

Cavassa: Yeah. I'm used to that because that's how it is when I visit my family in Italy and they just feed you, feed you and feed you, feed you. I've never been more sick than my first trip to Italy. In New Orleans it's similar. It's like showing your love through food.

Baltin: For you, who splits between New Orleans and Italy, which are two of the greatest food places in the entire universe, what food fueled this record?

Cavassa: I had the idea to make the album called Diavola while eating Diavola pizza. So quite literally, pizza was an important part of my record. Diavola pizza is spicy. It's like a spicier salami and it's done in different ways. But I like it with a lot of times there are peppers and then a very spicy salami.

Baltin: So, is this a spicy record for you?

Cavassa: Yeah, Diavola is a character that is able to express some of the emotions that I was uncomfortable expressing. One of them being anger. So, yeah, she's spicy and she's able to hold these polarities. Diavola is holding desire and melancholy, optimism and perfectionism and also angel and devil. So, the heat is definitely there and she's Italian so yeah spicy.

Baltin: Is it sometimes easier to put yourself out there in a third person character?

Cavassa: Yeah, this was my first time doing that and I did find it necessary in this situation and through this experience I understood why people form alter egos like Slim Shady or something like that. I feel like I understand that better because it's all you still but you're wearing a mask in order to tell the truth.

Baltin: Obvious question will Diavolo now extend to be an alter ego in other forms like a graphic comic or in a play?

Cavassa: She's important to me so maybe, I can't say. I will see.

Baltin: Why was it easier for you to use this character to tell the truth?

Cavassa: Because so many of the things that I was wanting to talk about were things that I would feel ashamed of expressing. Vanity, anger, jealousy, not attractive qualities. And I wanted there to be a character for whom it was okay. A lovable character for whom it was okay.

Baltin: Those are all human emotions. So, when you think back on it now, once you put them out there through a character, does it become easier to admit them in yourself?

Cavassa: Yeah, I think so. But not immediately. I've had to accept it's so much about girlhood and womanhood that makes us feel the need to be perfect. So, trying to accept certain things was hard for me.

Baltin: Does music make it easier to accept that?

Cavassa: Yeah, probably. I've always had music, even just listening to music connects you so much to something other than your own, something that feels very deep and powerful. Sometimes I feel like emotions are in that are swirling around and the mystery of it all is in there and anytime I'm able to tap into that it's helpful in day-to-day life.

Baltin: Talk about your songwriting on this album.

Cavassa: I don't feel like I’m a very prolific songwriter. Sometimes it takes me a long time to write things, so I feel grateful whenever I have inspiration. I think it was Michelangelo who said about sculpture that inside every rock you have to find the sculpture. And I relate to that because maybe your rock is your idea or something. And sometimes things flow out and you don't need to spend so much time chiseling. Like “Bossy Nova,” for example, it just flowed out. But “Diavola,” the song, was way more about parsing through things and rejecting things. Finally, I had the initial idea, but it was frustrating to find the art within the concept.

Baltin: You mentioned “Bossy Nova.” I love that song. I remember interviewing Bebel Gilberto a few years ago on a Zoom. And you literally described the world that I was looking at. What does that world mean to you?

Cavassa: Yeah, I've never had an experience like that before or after. It came extremely easily. It's a song about escapism. It's a song about a fantasy and ultimately choosing the reality of working towards a dream. But yeah, it just really poured out in a complete form. And maybe it's the effortlessness of Bossa Nova and how inspired I was by that. I'm not sure. But that image of relaxation and rest comes easily.

Baltin: Nick Cave once told me as a writer you what it is you're longing for. If you're happy, you write sad songs. If you're sad, you write happy songs. Was this a time when you just needed that vacation?

Cavassa: I needed that vacation. Yeah. I needed to relieve some of the pressure. I needed a break. Yeah.

Baltin: Are there artists you look to in other fields for inspiration?

Cavassa: There's an artist that I'm really obsessed with, Tracy Emin, I'm just a huge fan. Also, the director, Luca Guadagnino. I've been as inspired by Luca Guadagnino and Tracy Emin as I have by Billie Holiday. It feels aligned with art that I want to make. Especially lately, I feel like I get really inspired sometimes by things that aren't music at all.

Baltin: What's a film, for example, that makes you think of something you want to do?

Cavassa: I've been so into films lately. I just actually watched a great film, In the Mood for Love, which was incredible and has a similar feeling as a lot of Luca Guadagnino films. Maybe my favorite one being I Am Love. The feeling of it makes it feel like our flaws are inherent and the messiness of life is expected and there's nothing wrong. It makes me feel so accepting and that there's beauty even in chaos, betrayal, heartbreak and loneliness and that these are just elements of everyone's life and the mundane. And that it's okay and it's beautiful.

Baltin: How do you celebrate release day, which is coming up next week?

Cavassa: I’m doing an album listening party tomorrow, so it'll be before the record, which is fun. A gig in New Orleans, also before the record on Friday, but then on May 1st, which is when the record comes out, I'll be in New York, and we'll be at Birdland for three nights and then just a little tour on the East Coast and the Midwest from there.

Baltin: I did a book a couple of years ago called Anthems We Love, where I talked with all these different iconic songwriters and artists about songs that evolved into anthems. And I was very fortunate to speak to Barry Manilow, who of all of his amazing songs, chose “Could It Be Magic.” Why that song?

Cavass: That song I totally attribute to Joshua. We were doing the “Where are We” tour, which of course was about places in the U.S. and so when we would tour and go to Europe or anywhere, we would always choose a song from that place. One of our first stops was actually Warsaw, Poland. First stops outside of the U.S. And we couldn't find a song for Warsaw. We were struggling. For a lot of places, it was easy or just took some digging. But finding a Polish song was just tough. So, Josh was thinking about Chopin, who's from Warsaw. That song, “Could it be Magic,” is really based on a Chopin prelude so that's why we did that song in Warsaw. We loved it so much that it became a regular part of the repertoire and we had a different arrangement of it with Josh's group and it really grew to be one of our favorites. Then when it was time to record my record, he had to convince me to put it on. We redid the arrangement for my band and I'm really glad it's there because not only is it an epic song and a beautiful song but it's a memory from my most recent tour with Josh.

Baltin: Talking with Barry about it he said that that's his song that will most be remembered by musicians. To him, it's his most musical song.

Cavassa: It is so musical, yeah.

Baltin: I also love the fact that he described it as a musical orgasm because of the way it builds. Did you find that singing it?

Cavass: That's what my grandma said. When my grandma heard it, she said, “Oh my gosh, it's like an orgasm.” And I said, “Yes, it is.” In our arrangement that I did with Josh, it kind of has two climaxes. It has a first one and then a second and I said it has two actually and she said, “Even better, that's awesome.” I love a slow build, it's so fun to build that tension and keep going and keep going. Josh is so good at that. That's something that he often creates and sculpts throughout a show and also throughout a song or even just a section.

Baltin: The record was co-produced by both Josh and Don Was. I've interviewed both of them multiple times, two brilliant guys. What did you learn being around them?

Cavassa: I guess I'm as I'm stepping out and band leading again in the past year, I realize all the things I learned from Josh, which is a lot. I'm learning more trust in myself because they trust themselves, which is really beautiful to see. They trust me and so if I'm the only one not trusting me something needs to change. I think that's been one of my biggest lessons of learning from great artists and great musicians is just continuing to strengthen that inner trust, which makes all of the best musical decisions and guides you through life.