Beppe Gambetta

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Beppe Gambetta is an Italian musician born in Genoa in 1952. He defines himself an acoustic guitarist, his passions include folk songs and flatpicking. He is a composer, teacher, and researcher of traditional music and instruments.

Contents

[edit] Roots

From his unique roots, developed as an Italian musician in love with both American country music and bluegrass music as well as the sound of his native country, Beppe has traveled the world, even crossing the Iron Curtain. After ten CDs, four DVDs, four instructional books, and collaborations with many other top-flight musicians, Gambetta is increasingly known as one of the true innovators of the acoustic guitar.

[edit] North America

While Beppe still lives in his native Genova, he travels to North America at least twice a year. He has performed in prestigious festivals in the U.S. and Canada such as Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, Merlefest in North Carolina, the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas and those in Winnipeg and Edmonton. He's appeared on such radio shows as All Things Considered and E-Town.

[edit] Performance

Beppe is also featured in the movie “The Primal Twang” and has performed in prestigious rooms like the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In his career he has performed with greats of the folk scene like David Grisman, Doc Watson, Norman Blake, Gene Parsons, and Bela Fleck. On a regular basis he performs with Dan Crary and Men of Steel; an international guitar "summit" with Dan Crary, Tony McManus and Don Ross, all of different guitar schools with complex musical interaction.

[edit] Style and sound

With America in his heart and his roots in the sun and the olive trees of the Mediterranean sea, he naturally and seamlessly bridges the shores of the two continents, creating in spite of the interposed ocean a musical "koiné" (fusion) where country music and Ligurian tradition, emigration songs and folk ballads, mandolins and harp guitars not only co-exist but interact, weaving a deep dialog unaware of any rigid classification.

Gambetta's playing and singing stand out for their intimate emotions, communication, research in tone, sobriety and humor. An inspired music that modestly avoids relying solely on his high level of technical excellence, but also reveals the innermost feelings of a brilliant, playful mind that is always firmly exploring and innovating while staying firmly routed in tradition.

[edit] Discography

  • 1989 Dialogs
  • 1992 Alone & Together
  • 1997 Serenata
  • 2000 Synergia
  • 2001 Traversata
  • Blu di Genova (2003) Gadfly Records - ASIN: B00009B8D3
  • 2003 Live: Men Of Steel
  • 2006 Four Way Mirror - Men of Steel

[edit] External links