by SCOTT C

A quick chat on the phone with talented and beautiful Ivana Santilli is enough for me to know that my imaginary girlfriend is doing just fine without me, and that we still have music in common, even if our complicated relationship never really existed. Santilli, who returns to Montreal for an outdoor Jazz Fest gig next week, is about to release Corduroy Boogie, her new album available July 20. The 14-track LP shows a maturation since her first album Brown, teaming up her sultry, soulful vocals and multi-instrumental talent with production heavies like Dego of 4Hero, Kaidi Tatham of Bugz in the Attic, King Britt, James Poyser (the Roots), Stuart Matthewman (Sade, Sweetback) and even Dwele. The Mirror spoke to the rising Franco-Italo-Canadian star over the phone from Calgary.

Mirror: I thought you were in Europe for some reason.

Ivana Santilli: Nope. We decided to do Canada first, then we have a release scheduled for Japan, and then Europe will probably come after that. I don't want to sound arrogant, but there's people right here at home that have been waiting for this record.

M: You can pretty much put me down as one of those people!

IS: (laughs) Oh, good!

M: The list of contributing producers is quite impressive. Looks like you got the job done.

IS: It was kind of crazy how it worked. I had a rough couple of years after dealing with the financial and legal headaches left over from my first album. It was very discouraging, because when you create something like that, it's supposed to be your escape, but it ends up being the source of your pain and turmoil, and you can't turn to music anymore.

M: Didn't you end up in Philly at some point?

IS: I had been touring with De La Soul, and went to Philly on a writing trip. It was all very inspiring and reminded me that I can be very good at what I do, and there can be a purpose to it. It was nice to know that there was validity somewhere else other than home.

M: Again, just looking at the production lineup here, it looks like you've tried to isolate a kind of feel. How am I doin'?

IS: I definitely dug a lot more into groove this time. It's a groove oriented album. I kept hearing people describe the last album as smooth and such, but when I go to the club or go to a live show, I really love the groove. It's an evolution. Like the live drumming and the drum programming on the record. That was hard for me, because I felt like I was betraying the live musicianship.

M: Drum programming is an artform as well.

IS: Exactly. The people I chose to work with on Corduroy Boogie were very much based on the drum programming. Dego, King Britt, and even Omar, who has always been about the groove.

M: Anyone down with Omar is down with me!

At the Bell stage on Friday, July 9, 8pm and 10pm, free

>> Music Listings