ROCKING VARESE!
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The area where Gogo lives (North-West of Milan, Italy)
is called of "the Seven Lakes"...
Lots of ponds, but lots of bands too!

Here's some...


Luca Pasqua (guitar), Riccardo Fioravanti (bass) and Walter Calloni (drums) are a jazz/fusion trio called "Quiet & Loud", like their first album: four Luca originals ("The Killing Groove", "New York State Of Mind", "Twelve-Tone Rock" and "Paramarumba") and four standards: "Donna Lee" (Charlie Parker), "All The Things You Are" (Hammerstein/Kern), "Stella By Starlight" (Victor Young) and "Footprints" (Wayne Shorter).
At the end of 2001, the guys have released a great live follow up: "TRIO+1=LIVE!"... Who's the "1"? An amazing trumpet player called Fabrizio Bosso.
Here's the tracklist: 1. Counter Samba / 2. A Room With A View / 3. Hangover / 4. Calypso / 5. Giant Steps (John Coltrane) / 6. Easy Modal / 7. G Blues # 2 / 8. And I Love Her (John Lennon & Paul McCartney).


[Luca Pasqua (A.K.A. "Badao")]


The Snakedoctors (Texas blues and rockabilly): Roberto Stefani on the drums, Paolo Castiglioni on the bass, Mariano "Lenny Guitar" Marin on the guitar and Marco "Crazy Legs" Terminio on the vocals and on the floor shakin' them down. Hehehe... Check out their cd "Hot Strings": it's great!



[The Snakedoctors]


The local legend is a band called Distretto 51. It's a 14 piece (if I've counted right the last time I was at their show) soul and R&B band with horns and back up singers. Actually, the full name is "Distretto 51 and the Capric Horns with the Sweet Soul Sisters"...
Among them are Dario Paini (the "Big Man varesino") and Luca Fraula, and Roberto Maroni (organ player and Minister of Welfare of the current government.).
If you're traveling by Porretta Terme the next summer, you will see streets with names like "Via Sam Cooke", "Corso Robert Johnson" or "Piazza Otis Redding" (I'm not kidding!) and you might find the Distretto 51 onstage at the Porretta Soul Festival (they are the only band that played there every year since 1988!) alongside great American acts.


[Distretto 51]


Tatanka is the name of a local band (Italian rock) with a cool website and a cd out. Have a look!


[Tatanka!]


The Jimmy Island Band is a cool combination of blues, rock and country music. But they don't only play music, they also play soccer ("calcetto", actually) against the Apple Pirates! Hehehe.


[The Jimmy Island Band]


Davide Buffoli & the Habladors have a great album out: "Screamin' Like A Child". Check it out if you can!


[Here's the Habladors cd]


Axeugene is Gogo's friend Giacomo Premoli's band... Jack has spent half his life hitch-hiking and the other half collecting records (his collection and musical culture are so huuuge!) and writing songs ("How many Jack? 400 today?"). We also wrote three together some time ago...
"Jack is cool, 'cause he is a left-handed guitar player, like me", Gogo said. Hehehe. He also plays vampire-bass with the Sergeant Peppers and with Epigrafe (see photo) and writes very cool reviews on the Liverock website.


[Giacomo Premoli
AKA "Acid Jack Flashed"...
(Photo by Sujen)]

Here's more bands and singers:

Cromosonic,

Giuliano Gallini & Franco Montarrese acoustic country-blues duo

Angelo "Leadbelly" Rossi,

Gise Di Giandomenico,

Delta,

Emmeci,

Midwest,

Hot Roads,

Jann,

Blacksmiths,

Mr.Cico & Le Chaton,

Starseed,

Blend,

Blues Magic Machine,

Web Site,

Bartòk,

The Donkey Kick,

No One Else,

Innesto,

T.N.T. Project,

MAB,

Bassistinti,

Drahama,

Dockery Farm,

Libido,

Inverso,

Luisa Parrelli,

Giornatanera,

Blue Valentine,

Snake Eyes,

The Barflys,

Laura Bonometti,

Greensleeves Gospel Choir,

Hard Diskount,

Stato Brado,

Egidio “Juke” Ingala,

Paolina,

Segnali Di Fumo,

Energetika,

Ate Logo,

Matt Giuliani,

Lisa Scacchi,

Diumvana,

Minivip,

BandaCellini,

Krazy Cow,

Bird Strike Test.


Supernova,

Court,

Lastly, here are the links to Gogo's duo and Gogo's band: Midnight Pasta! and Apple Pirates!


[Midnight Pasta, 2001
(Photo by Silvia Gallini)]


So... If you're not familiar with the "Land Of The Seven Lakes", here's a good, musical way to start: order your copy of the "Musica Va" compilation and you'll hear songs by Varese bands and recording artists like Giacomo Premoli, Paola Terranova, Vicolo Corto, Acid, Paramaribo, Luca Rotoni, Gise Di Giandomenico, Jimmy Island Band, Luca Tervi, Jann, Luisa Parrelli, Court, BandaCellini, Fatima Zinati, Fragole & Panna and Apple Pirates.


Gotta be back home before dark?