Luca Boscagin, Davide Pasqualini, Noemi Nuti. Assaggetti, July 2013

Friday night may have been the start of something extremely promising.

There are already a couple of Italian-dominated gigs in London. There’s above all Renato D’Aiello’s long-standing, popular Monday night at Ronnie’s. Then there’s the Friday night at the Artigiano in Belsize Village . In September they should be joined by a lively new upstart, for which last Friday was a first try-out.

The owners of the restaurant Assaggetti (it means ‘tasters’) at 71 Haymarket, had the idea of inviting singer Noemi Nuti, who enlisted guitarist Luca Boscagin and drummer Davide Pasqualini. They played standards, they cruised effortlessly through Bruno Martino’s Estate.… but moment of real connection came when Noemi launched into Vito Pallavicini’s Messico e Nuvole. The whole of the staff of the restaurant and quite a few punters joined in. Haymarket was suddenly, miraculously transformed into Rome’s Campo de Fiori.

The room is not an easy one, it’s a low-ceilinged basement with ambient noise, but Noemi Nuti has the same kind of energy, presence, good humour and sense of fun which Natalie Williams uses to tame the Friday night early punters at Ronnie’s. So you would bet on her tipping the room to give attention to the music, and to have a good time.

No firm dates yet, but it should start in September, and there’s a rumour that Noemi will provide some songsheets so we buttoned-up Brits can join in. The restaurant staff  know the songs anyway – it didn’t take much to get the room buzzing.

In the meantime get in some practice.  Just press PLAY below and join in the chorus: “Messico e nuvole / la faccia triste dell’America / e il vento suona la sua armonica / che voglia di piangere ho.” …

Noemi Nuti also has a Latin project, appearing at the Spice of Life on Wednesday 7th August.