Francesca Confortini & Ryan Mackenzie | Mosaico | March 20, 2026

Vocalist Francesca Confortini and arranger Ryan Mackenzie join forces on Mosaico, a vivid exploration of Brazilian music shaped by years of study, immersion, and cross-cultural exchange. The album blends classic samba, bossa nova, baião and MPB repertoire with the personal musical identities of its creators, presenting Brazilian traditions through a contemporary, chamber-inflected lens.

Mosaico is set for release on March 20th, 2026.

The record features carefully curated arrangements that balance three distinct ensembles: a Brazilian rhythm section, a classical-leaning string unit, and London-based jazz horns. The album ranges from intimate trio performances to fuller, richly textured orchestrations, highlighting Confortini’s delicately soaring vocals alongside Mackenzie’s structural and harmonic vision. 

Aiming to explore as many lineages of Brazil’s rich musical tradition as possible, Mosaico features modern reinterpretations of some of the country’s most cherished pieces – from Antônio Carlos Jobim & Vinícius de Moraes’ How Insensitive, to Haroldo Lobo & Niltinho’s Tristezza, to Pixinguinha’s Carinhoso. 

Confortini, a graduate of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, is an established performer and session vocalist whose work spans jazz, pop, and Brazilian music. She leads several ensembles and maintains a long-term engagement with the resident Brazilian band Samara at London’s 606 Jazz Club, promoting Brazilian repertoire, whilst also performing a variety of genres around Europe and Asia.

Mackenzie, a London-based composer and arranger, combines jazz, classical, pop, and Scottish folk influences in his work. He has written for orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and continues to collaborate with vocalists and cross-genre projects internationally. His recent work synthesizes orchestral color, jazz harmony, and folk melodic clarity, reflecting a commitment to fluid, genre-spanning musical storytelling.

Recorded with an ensemble designed to highlight both tradition and individuality, Mosaico demonstrates the duo’s shared vision: music as a collaborative mosaic, where distinct voices retain their shape while contributing to a cohesive, expressive whole.

Line up

Francesca Confortini | Vocals
Ryan Mackenzie | Arrangements
Ed Rice | Piano
Luca Boscagin | Guitar
Matheus Nova | Bass
Marcinho Pereira | Drums
Barak Schmool | Percussion

Track Listing

Rosa Morena
Casa Forte
How Insensitive
Accendi Una Luna Nel Cielo
Tarde Em Itapoã
Eu Vim Da Bahia
Tristezza
Carinhoso

PR Quotes

Jazzwise (UK)
A contemporary sparkle flashes across all these classic songs, thanks to Mackenzie’s ear for detail, Confortini’s charming, pin-sharp vocals and the highly simpatico band

Making a Scene (USA)
This celebration of culture, using a shared musical language, becomes a mosaic (Mosaico), a pathway of excellence and excitement

Musik an sich (DE)
his isn’t just cerebral, professional music, but rather a wonderfully relaxed sequence of eight deeply moving songs that are a balm for the soul.

Jazz-fun (DE)
Mosaico is more than a collection of well-known Brazilian pieces. It is a carefully crafted musical landscape in which tradition and individual artistic style merge into a vibrant whole

Esensja (PL)
Powerful, subtle, and strikingly contemporary

JazzMania (BE)
Ryan Mackenzie’s arrangements are undeniably refined, perfectly showcasing Francesca Confortini’s voice within a subtle balance between vocals and instruments.

Blue in Green (UK)
An album that is as intimate as it is expansive with Francesca Confortini’s dynamic and nuanced vocals matched perfectly with Ryan MacKenzie’s intricate and compassionate arrangements

All About Jazz (US)
many colours are carefully blended into a unified musical expression

Hilary Seabrook (USA)
Some particularly brilliant moments, like the gorgeous trombone on Casa Forte and complex layers of vocals that blend and accent the arrangements.

Cuttings