Alla Boara seeks to bring recognition and new life to Italy's diverse history of regional folk music. With modern arrangements variously surprising, playful, mournful, tender, and bewitching, Alla Boara’s dynamic songs move audiences of all ethnic heritages to treasure their musical roots and consider historical songs’ contemporary cultural relevance. Along with their original music, Alla Boara also features a robust outreach curriculum that is suitable for adults and children alike.
Press Quotes and Reviews:
“Le Tre Sorrelle is a stunning collection of Italian Folksongs with a twist. On this adventuresome collection of re-imaginings, Alla Boara takes a deep dive into the world of these treasured songs, breathing new possibilities into timeless stories while weaving in limitless and unexpected musical flavors.”
— Becca Stevens, Singer Songwriter
“This music is spirited, romantic, and ultimately refreshing. The combination of jazz and folk elements give it a very special quality that makes you want to listen again and again.”
- John Raymond, Trumpeter, Associate Professor in Jazz Studies at Indiana University Bloomington
“like a journey that takes you in and makes you forget where you are”
— The Jambar
"That was the second best thing that happened in my life." (The first best thing was riding a dolphin.)
— 4th Grade Student
“Historical preservation and top-notch musicianship”
— Cleveland Magazine
“You feel like you’re taking part in an evening of songs of the caravan on this evocative release.”
“…if the band has an Italian heart, it has a modern-jazz mind that incorporates advanced harmonies, shifting rhythms, high-wire soloing and complex structures.”
Links to articles, interviews, and reviews:
Podcasts:
Videos:
Music
Alla Boara’s debut album Le Tre Sorelle is described as “…a deep dive into the world of these treasured songs, breathing new possibilities into timeless stories while weaving in limitless and unexpected musical flavors.” - Becca Stevens
Alla Boara’s second full length album Work & Song is now available everywhere music is streamed or bought!
Promotional Photos:
Booking / Contact:
Email: AllaBoaraCle@gmail.com Phone: 216-548-529zero
The Band:
Amanda Powell has been praised as “the star of the evening” (Seen and Heard International, UK) and “charismatic and theatrically arresting” (San Francisco Chronicle). A dynamic and versatile musician, she has toured internationally as a soloist in opera, oratorio, jazz, and crossover-folk.
Amanda was a longtime featured artist with the GRAMMY-winning baroque orchestra Apollo’s Fire, where her standout performances included Sugarloaf Mountain, Oh Jerusalem, and L’Orfeo. A natural storyteller, she connects with audiences through her signature blend of warmth, expressiveness, and invitation.
A fluent improviser, Amanda has studied and collaborated with artists including Bobby McFerrin and Sheila Jordan. In addition to her musical work, she currently serves as Campus Minister for United Protestant Campus Ministries (UPCaM) in Cleveland, where she collaborates with Case Western Reserve University’s LGBTQ Center and other community partners to bring her creative gifts to student life and spiritual formation.
Anthony Taddeo, endorsed by “Out of the Drawer Percussion” and “Byrne Cymbals” as a performing artist, is a percussionist, composer, and performer residing in Cleveland, Ohio. He has studied with world-renowned percussionist Jamey Haddad and at The New School’s School for Jazz and holds an MFA in composition from Youngstown State University. Featured on over 40 albums, Taddeo has toured North America and Europe at festivals such as Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Ciclo 1906 Jazz Fest in Spain, and Cleveland’s Tri-C Jazz Festival. His film score for Making Montgomery Clift recently debuted at the LA Film Festival. Currently, Taddeo leads and composes for his groups AlbaTrio and Alla Boara.
By embracing the influence of his heroes from the jazz tradition and retaining his own musical personality, guitarist Dan Bruce has developed a unique and impressive musical voice. Now a resident of Cleveland, Ohio after spending a decade as an important member of Chicago’s vibrant jazz scene, he is active throughout the United States as a performer, recording artist, composer and educator.
Bruce has performed on more than fifty albums as a sideman and has released four albums as a leader. He has worked with several eminent musicians including Seamus Blake, Ali Jackson, Sean Jones, Dan Wall, Lynn Seaton, Dan Wilson, and Marquis Hill. He is currently on faculty at Cuyahoga Community College
Mark Micchelli is a pianist, composer, improvisor, and scholar who splits his time between Pittsburgh, PA and Morgantown, WV. Recent projects include producing the multimedia autobiography of Vietnamese singer-activist Mai Khôi, writing an article on George Russell’s Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization as it relates to twelve-tone music, hosting a series of house concerts under the moniker “Stage MK,” and releasing an album of jazz standards for solo piano and improvising computer. Mark has accrued degrees and awards from several institutions of higher education, and his music has been presented at venues such as Joe’s Pub (NYC), the Smithsonian Museum (Washington, DC), and La Fenice (Venice, Italy). Mark currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Composition at West Virginia University.
Tommy Lehman is a trumpeter, vocalist, composer/arranger, bandleader, and educator based in Northeast Ohio. He comes from a musical family whose lineage includes life-long music educators, professional musicians, and music curators. Whether at church, school, or home Lehman was surrounded by music and immersed in the arts world from a very young age. Lehman received his associates degree from Cuyahoga Community College Jazz Studies Department, his undergraduate degree from the Hartt School of Music, and his Masters’ degree from Cleveland State University.
Since finishing his education, Lehman has released two studio albums (Faith>Fear, Uplift) which feature a plethora musicians from the Northeast Ohio area. In addition to band leading, he is also a devoted member of ensembles such as: Anthony Taddeo’s Alla Boara, Chris Coles’ Gleam, Chris Coles’ Nine Lives Project, Nathan-Paul & The Admirables, and JT’s Electric Blackout. Other notable local collaborations include: Alice In Wonderland with the Cleveland Ballet Company, Alright? with choreographer Dominick Moore-Dunson, Nick Cave’s Heard: Akron at the Akron Art Musuem, Things Eternal by Dan Wilson, and Black Nativity presented by The Karamu House at Playhouse Square.
Ian Kinnaman is a bassist, educator, and composer based in Northeast Ohio, where he serves on the faculty at the College of Wooster. A Maryland native, he began his professional career performing with the Trinity Chamber Orchestra before relocating to Ohio to pursue his Bachelor of Music in Music Education at Youngstown State University. There he studied with bassist and composer Dave Morgan, as well as pianists Theron Brown and Caroline Oltmanns. As a versatile performer, Ian maintains an active freelance career spanning jazz, classical, and folk music.