Biografia

orn in Genova, Italy in 1960. He began to play guitar in 1975 after studying music theory, harmony and piano. In the early 80s he attended master classes with Armando Corsi and Beppe Gambetta. In 1986 attended a summer course at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Graduated in music semiotics at University of Bologna, Italy.

From 1985 to 1990 he has been leading Big Fat Mama, one of the most important rock-blues bands in Italy, with whom recorded 3 LPs, played top clubs and festivals, appeared on several Tv programs (local and nationwide broadcasting), worked with several american blues players touring Italy.

He is co-founding member of Downtown, together with legends of the British blues such as sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith (Colosseum, Alexis Corner, John Mayall), drummer Mickey Waller (Jeff Beck, Ron Wood, Rod Stewart) and bass player Bob Brunning (Savoy Brown). The band split in 1991 after touring extensively.

He is currently playing with his own band (opening for Holmes Bros., Stephen Bruton, Lucky Peterson, Son Seals, Dave Alvin and touring with Dirk Hamilton, Fred James and Roscoe Shelton), as a soloist (opening for John Hammond, James Cotton, Dirty Dozen Brass Band; collaboration with David Essig), with Red Wine (one of the most important bluegrass bands in Europe), with guitarist Beppe Gambetta (summer 1992 European tour with Gene Parson, formerly with the Byrds; Blues to Bop Festival in Lugano, Switzerland with Steve Kaufman, broadcast by Swiss TV) and with Fabio Treves ("father" of Italian blues scene, opening for Junior Wells, ZZ TOP, appearances on national Tv networks).

He has been writing for Italian music magazines, a country guitar method (with Beppe Gambetta), producing and playing (live and on CD) with some of the most exciting bands in his area and he also teaching and doing workshops all over the country.

Since 1992 he has published 7 cds on his own name. During the promotional tour of the “Gamblers” cd in 2003, written together with American songwriter JONO MANSON, the great BLUES TRAVELER’s harmonica player JOHN POPPER joined the band for some gigs. From 2002 on, the band has been backing ROY ROGERS (master of slide guitar and musician/producer for JOHN LEE HOOKER) several times during his Italian tours.

He is founding member of SLOW FEET, a real super band, together with some Italian Rock legends such as FRANZ DI CIOCCIO, LUCIO FABBRI (PFM) and VITTORIO DE SCALZI (New Trolls); their first cd, “Elephant Memory” has been issued in 2007.

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