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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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