Fresco by the Cinelli Brothers: slow and steady

The Cinelli Brothers return with Fresco, their new studio album, released on 1 October 2026, which they took the time to refine. A few months after the live album Live Here and There, the London quartet offers twelve gems, introduced by the single Heaven, which had already whetted our appetite. Between tours, the band spent time working in Italy, where a making-of documentary takes us behind the scenes of the recording.

From the road to the studio

2026 has been a productive year for the Cinelli Brothers, with two albums released within a few months. First came Live Here and There, compiled from concerts played in 2025. Then Fresco, marking their return to new compositions after Almost Exactly… The Cinelli Brothers, released in 2024.

While the live album documented their life on the road and their power on stage, this new record brings the four musicians back into the studio to develop songs, build arrangements and shape ideas contributed by each member.

Founded in London by Marco Cinelli and Alessandro Cinelli, the band also includes Tom-Julian Jones and Jorma Gasperi. On stage, instruments and roles often change hands: guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica, drums and vocals are part of a collective approach that goes beyond the usual division between a singer and a backing band.

That versatility goes hand in hand with a repertoire drawing on soul, electric rhythm and blues, rock’n’roll and gospel. The Cinelli Brothers have developed their identity at the crossroads of these styles, giving vocals and harmonies an important place while keeping the blues at the heart of their music.

Behind the scenes

To accompany Fresco, the Cinelli Brothers have released a short documentary filmed and edited by Irene Dattini. In just over eight minutes, the camera follows a five-day session at the Creek Hide in Italy. It offers an intimate look at a band in the studio and a glimpse of what usually stays out of sight.

We see the musicians arrive with song ideas that have yet to take their final shape, much as bands used to do… For the Cinelli brothers, exchanges and improvisation move the work forward. This way of writing may help explain why the songs work so well when they move from the studio to the stage.

The film also shows a band able to take its time. Sessions follow moments of inspiration, sometimes in the evening, and the musicians are willing to let an idea rest rather than rush it. That flexibility allows them to explore and return to a song without having to finish one every day. The Cinelli brothers are Italian and seem to have embraced the saying “Chi va piano, va sano”: slow and steady wins the race.

Heaven, the first single

Released on 16 September, Heaven arrived two weeks ahead of the album. The opening track on Fresco comes with an official video, which you can watch below, and has already found a place on Blues Actu Radio.

Twelve tracks on the album

After Heaven, the album continues with some fine songs, rooted in the blues but firmly contemporary, including Nobody Like You, Sandy and See About Me.

With a live album and a new studio record in the same year, the Cinelli Brothers present both their concert repertoire and their latest compositions. The songs on Fresco should fit naturally into their live set. A UK tour is scheduled for October, followed by European dates. Don’t miss them if they are playing near you!

Cover photo: Mélanie Marchand