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Don't make the mistake
of thinking of Rod Piazza as one of the "young
turks" of the blues, or part of the "new generation" of blues greats.
At this point in his career, Piazza has been recording longer than his
mentor George "Harmonica" Smith did, or Sonny Boy Williamson (either of
them!), or Big Walter Horton. He's been making records for more years
than Little Walter was alive. Piazza is a tried-and-true,
dyed-in-the-wool blues veteran with credentials that are second to
none.
From
his first recordings as a leader in 1967 fronting The Dirty Blues Band,
through his multiple W.C. Handy Award winning with his current band The Mighty Flyers, to
his countless appearances both live and on record with legendary blues
figures, Piazza has set a standard for harmonica virtuosity that has
established him as one of the most influential living blues harp
players. He's consistently surrounded himself with players who bring
out the best he has to offer, and epitomize the very best in blues:
fresh, swinging, tasteful, exciting and creative. The core of his band
has been together for over three decades, and developed the kind of
musical telepathy that simply cannot exist without years of experience
on the bandstand and in the studio. The Mighty Flyers are a well-oiled
machine, with Piazza in the driver's seat.
Born in 1947, Piazza's
infatuation with blues began at a time when many of the masters were
still in their prime years, and in the mid 1960s when the first blues
revival was picking up steam, he was in the thick of it. By the 1970s,
he'd already released five albums, and was one of the leading lights of
the West Coast Blues scene. In the early '70s he joined forces with
Otis Spann disciple Honey Alexander (now his wife) on piano, and when
they formed the Mighty Flyers over three decades ago, his career really
hit its stride. Since then Piazza and the Mighty Flyers have won or
been nominated for just about every award that can be bestowed upon a
blues band, played literally thousands of gigs around the world,
recorded over a dozen highly acclaimed releases, and along the way
virtually created a new style of blues - a combination of low-down
Chicago grit, suave West Coast swing and jazz, and the rhythmic drive
of the best early R&B and rock & roll. Quite simply, Rod Piazza
and The Mighty Flyers are one of the best, most experienced, and most
distinctive bands in blues today.
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