9th July
2pm start
Guy
Tortora Band
Born
& raised in Pasadena, California, Guy Tortora is currently based
in London, in the UK.
What he does as a songwriter and performer is what people like to
call Americana these days -- a hard term to define as it
seems to mean different things depending on who you're talking
to. But if to you it means original songs, well constructed
and well performed, in some of the various musical idioms that
originated in the USA -- blues, jazz, folk and
roots -- and also interpreting the work of other writers
in these genres with depth and feeling, then you should check out
his work if you haven't already.
Over the last few years he has laid claim to a unique niche on the
Blues 'n' Roots scene in the UK and European Continent, from small
clubs and theatres to festivals. His two recent solo albums received
a warm welcome in the Blues 'n' Roots reviews, a third album was
released in 2008 to great acclaim from reviewers and audiences
alike. When travelling light, he performs in stripped down acoustic
mode either on his own, or accompanied by bass or keyboards. At many
UK gigs he appears with the Guy Tortora Band, his own four-piece
outfit of accomplished musicians from the UK and Europe. With this
band he has performed live with artists as diverse as Eric Clapton,
Pee Wee Ellis, John Cleary and Eric Bibb. He has gigged across North
America and much of Europe. Recently he has formed an acoustic duo
partnership with Ben Tyzack of UK band Spikedrivers.
Guy is a guitar player of some accomplishment and a distinctive
songwriter. On both acoustic and electric guitars he plays finger
style, and is a fine bottleneck and slide player. His playing is not
the flashy guitar-slinger style beloved of bluesrockers everywhere,
but understated, and leaves room for the songs to make an impact,
whether his own or the "covers" he performs that include many old
standards and traditional tunes as well as songs by more recent
American writers such as Eric Bibb or Kreig Viesselman.