Beppe Gambetta

Beppe Gambetta (born 1955) is an Italian acoustic guitarist and singer. A native of Genoa, he is a composer, teacher, author, and researcher of traditional music and instruments.

Beppe Gambetta
Performing live in 2008
Background information
Born1955
Genoa, Italy
GenresFolk, bluegrass, Italian folk
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, author
InstrumentsGuitar, harp guitar, vocals
Years active1989–present
LabelsGadfly
Associated actsMen of Steel, Dan Crary, Tony McManus, Don Ross
Websitewww.beppegambetta.com

Music career

In 1977, Gambetta founded Red Wine, an Italian bluegrass band. He wrote the first Italian instructional book on flatpicking.[1] His flatpicking style is similar to Doc Watson's and Moravian folk music. This style is characterized by flashy licks, intricate cross-picking patterns, open tunings, and fluid slides up and down the neck of the guitar.[2]

Although Beppe lives in Genoa, he travels throughout North America every year. He has performed in the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, MerleFest in North Carolina, the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas and festivals in Winnipeg and Edmonton. He has appeared on the radio programs All Things Considered and eTown.

Beppe has performed with David Grisman, Gene Parsons, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and the band Men of Steel, which comprises Dan Crary, Tony McManus, and Don Ross. He toured with banjo player Tony Trischka and released the accompanying live album Alone and Together.[3] In 2015, Gambetta embarked on a brief tour with cellist Rushad Eggleston.[4]

Gambetta recorded the album Traversata: Italian Music in America (Acoustic Disc, 2001) with mandolinist David Grisman and mandolinist Carlo Aonzo. On the album, he used a 14-string harp guitar custom made for him by Italian luthier Antonello Saccu.[1]

Reception

Beppe has been called a "virtual United Nations of influences: Italian, Ukrainian, Appalachian, Sardinian, Celtic".[3]

He has been described by The Huffington Post as one of the "best flatpickers anywhere."[5]

Discography
  • Dialogs (Hi, Folks!, 1988)
  • Alone & Together with Tony Trischka (Brambus, 1991)
  • Good News from Home (Green Linnet, 1995)
  • Serenata (Acoustic Music, 1997)
  • Synergia (Felmay, 2001)
  • Traversata (Acoustic Disc, 2001)
  • Blu Di Genova (Felmay, 2002)
  • Slade Stomp (Gadfly, 2006)
  • Rendez-vous (Gadfly, 2008)
  • Live at Teatro Della Corte (Gadfly, 2010)
  • Round Trip (Borealis, 2015)
  • Short Stories (Borealis, 2017)

References
  1. Grisman, David (2001). Traversata (booklet). Beppe Gambetta. San Rafael, California: Acoustic Disc. p. 4.
  2. Pattison, Kermit B., p. 68.
  3. Pattison, Kermit B. "Italian Spices: Beppe Gambetta Adds New Flavors to American Flatpicking". Acoustic Guitar. November 1997, p. 74.
  4. Zaretsky, Mark (12 March 2015). "Beppe Gambetta-Rushad Eggleston light up Branford Folk Music show". New Haven Register. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. Winick, Steven D. "Eurotunes: Instrumental Folk CDs from European Artists". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
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