stormy italy - march 1, 2004
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Hello friends,
I am fresh back from my short tour of Italy with Italian B3 great, Alberto Marsico and band featuring Maurizio Pugno and Giuliano Bei. We had a great time over there and met some wonderful folks who really dig, understand and are moved by the blues. It just goes to show that the blues is such a powerful universal statement of the human condition that it transcends borders, color, religion, and all the other baggage that too often divides us. The feeling and soul of the blues cuts through even when language is not shared as a common denominator.
the soul of the blues cuts through even when language is not shared
Along the way on the tour, guitar great and old friend, Alex Schultz met up with us in Pescara and joined us on stage for some rousing blues. The wonderful guitar player on the tour, Mauizio Pugno, gladly made room for Alex and the band had a ball going from an organ trio to a quartet with the addition of Lex. It was a Fellini-esque carnival atmosphere in Italy that night to begin with being Fat Tuesday and Alex's presence along with his sweetheart, Christina, made the party sizzle a bit more.
Italy is, of course, a gorgeous country but the weather during the tour was anything but. There was a snowstorm in Torino the day after we played there. We got out-of-Dodge just in time to avoid serious road conditions that might have halted the tour.
The rest of the time it rained consistently. In fact, one day it rained brown dirt courtesy of the wind and the Sahara Desert. My Italian friends explained to me that if the wind is just right and the conditions in the desert are a certain way, the wind can carry the sands across the Mediterranean Sea and deposit it on Italy in the form of brown rain or even snow. This is rare but happens about once a year, they told me. It was interesting to see the deeply conservation-minded Italians actually hosing down their cars!
Despite the weather, we carried on (like postal workers: rain, snow or brown rain couldn't stop us), and had a nice tour. We played concerts and club dates in cities including Sienna, Torino, Pescara, the medieval city of Gubbio, and Atri.
concerts and club dates in cities including Sienna, Torino, Pescara, the medieval city of Gubbio, and Atri
A highlight of the tour was visiting Florence and seeing Brunelleschi's Dome -- a breathtaking feat of architecture. This beautiful solid marble church which sits in the center of Florence took three hundred years to complete. Unbelievable and unforgettable beauty.
Well, back to the states. Next week I embark on a short tour of the midwest including Chicago and Indianapolis to do some CD release events. Hope to see some of you at a show.
Thanks for visiting.
TR
