Fabrizio Poggi Explained

Fabrizio Poggi (pronounced Pohjee) (born 1 July 1958) is a singer and harmonica player. A Grammy Awards nominee[1] who has received the Hohner Lifetime Award, and has been two times Blues Music Awards nominee,[2] Jimi Awards nominee, and during his long career has recorded twenty two albums.He has performed in the US and Europe with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Garth Hudson of the Band, Steve Cropper, Charlie Musselwhite, Ronnie Earl, John P. Hammond, Marcia Ball, Guy Davis, Eric Bibb, Flaco Jimenez, Little Feat and many others.[3] [4] [5]

Biography

Fabrizio Poggi's first recordings in the United States date back to 1997 in Texas with "Nuther World".[6]

He was among the first Italian artists to do a long tour in the States.[7] Between 1998 and 2002 he toured in Texas and Louisiana. Among the areas that hosted his performances were The House of Blues in New Orleans; Threadgill's; Antone's; Doctor Rockit's in Corpus Christi; Gruene Hall Gruene Hall;[8] and Luckenbach.[9]

In 2006, he performed at the Center for Southern Folklore, Memphis. On that occasion he played at Ground Zero- the Red's Lounge Clarksdale, the Walnut Street Blues Bar Greenville as well as Greenwood at the Blue Parrot. In the same year, he participated at the CBS television show "Live at 9" from Memphis, and hosted the legendary radio program "King Biscuit Time".

In 2010, Poggi released "Spirit & Freedom", recorded mostly in the United States. Among the guests are The Blind Boys of Alabama; Flaco Jimenez; Garth Hudson (The Band);[10] Charlie Musselwhite; Augie Meyers; Eric Bibb; Guy Davis; Billy Joe Shaver; Tish Hinojosa; Mickey Raphael; Kevin Welch; Kelley Mickwee; Debbi Walton; and Nora Guthrie (Woody Guthrie's daughter).

In 2011, Poggi released "Live in Texas",[11] an album recorded entirely live in Texas. Among the guest musicians on the disc: Flaco Jimenez; Marcia Ball; Floyd Domino; Ponty Bone; Debbi Walton; and Tommy Elskes.

He has published two books: Il soffio dell'anima (blues harmonica and blues harmonica players) published by Ricordi in 2005,[12] and Angeli Perduti del Mississippi (stories and legends of the blues) published by Meridiano Zero in 2010, with the cover designed by Robert Crumb.[13]

In 2011 and 2012, the US magazine, Blues Revue, chose for an insert CD attached to the magazine, along with North Mississippi All Stars, Mavis Staples, Ruthie Foster and Bob Margolin.[14] Harpway 61, an instrumental album dedicated to the harmonica was released in May 2012.[15] Spirit of Mercy a collection of blues and spiritual songs from previous albums Mercy and Spirit & Freedom was released in In February 2013.[16] Actor and musician Dan Aykroyd, the Elwood Blues of the Blues Brothers, called Poggi "an extraordinary harmonica player" in his radio broadcast "TheBluesMobile".[17] In September 2013, he appeared both as a musician and as producer for Guy Davis' Juba Dance, which premiered at the BBC in London.[18] The album came in first place in the ranking of most broadcasts by American Radio, and was nominated in the Blues Music Awards 2014 for Best Acoustic Album.[19] [20]

In 2014, he released Spaghetti Juke Joint featuring Ronnie Earl, Bob Margolin and Sonny Landreth.[21]

2016 found him in Texas again to record Texas Blues Voices[22] with guests Ruthie Foster; Miss Lavelle White; W.C. Clark; Carolyn Wonderland; Shelley King; Mike Zito; Bobby Mack; Donnie Price, and Dony Winn. In February 2016, he played at the Carnegie Hall with Guy Davis, Eric Burdon and Buddy Guy.[23] In March 2017, MC Records released Sonny & Brownie's Last Train by Guy Davis and Fabrizio Poggi. A look back to Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Poggi is also the producer of the record.[24]

In November 2017, he was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year.[25]

In May 2018, he was nominated for a Blues Music Awards nominee for the album.[26]

In June 2020, Appaloosa Records released For You.[27]

In December 2020 he was nominated as Artist of the Year by the American magazine, Bluebird Reviews.[28]

In February 2021 he was the first European to appear on the cover of the American magazine Blues Blast Magazine.[29]

In May 2021, Appaloosa Records released Hope [30]

In November 2022, Appaloosa Records released Basement Blues [31]

In May 2023 he received a lifetime award from Milano Harmonica Rumble [32]

On June 2024 Appalosa Records releases the single "EVERY LIFE MATTERS" Fabrizio Poggi with Shar White [33]

On June 2024 Arcana Edizioni releases "BELIEVE. Conversations with Fabrizio Poggi" written by Serena Simula (in italian) [34]

Discography

Albums

Title Year ArtistLabel
Mississippi Moon (1993) Chicken MamboMusic On
Under the Southern Sky (1995) Chicken MamboBon Ton Roulet
Heroes & Friends (1997) Chicken MamboBon Ton Roulet
Nuther World(1999) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken MamboClub de Musique
Songs for Angelina(2001)Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken MamboMusic on
Canzoni popolari(2002)Fabrizio Poggi e Turututela Dunya/Felmay
L'armonica a bocca: il violino dei poveri (2003) Fabrizio Poggi Adolescere
Armonisiana(2003) Fabrizio PoggiUltrasound Records
The breath of soul (2006) Fabrizio Poggi & Francesco GarolfiUltrasound Records
La storia si canta(2006) Fabrizio Poggi e TurututelaDunya/Felmay
Still Alive! (2006) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo Ultrasound Records
Mercy (2008) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo Ultrasound Records
Spirit & Freedom (2010) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo Ultrasound Records
Live in Texas CD + DVD Columblues Days (2011) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo Ultrasound Records
Harpway 61 (2012) Fabrizio Poggi The Blues Foundation
Spirit of Mercy: a Collection (2013) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken MamboUltrasound Records
Juba Dance (2013) Guy Davis & Fabrizio PoggiDixiefrog
Spaghetti Juke Joint (2014) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken MamboAppaloosa Records
Il soffio della libertà (2015) Fabrizio Poggi Appaloosa Records
Texas Blues Voices (2016) Fabrizio Poggi Appaloosa Records
Compilation 2016 con inediti(2016)Fabrizio Poggi Paviaphone
Sonny & Brownie's Last Train(2017) Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi MC Records
For You(2020)Fabrizio PoggiAppaloosa Records
Hope(2021)Fabrizio Poggi & Enrico PesceAppaloosa Records
Basement Blues (2022)Fabrizio Poggi Appaloosa Records

Collaborations

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2018 Grammy Awards. Grammy.com.
  2. Web site: Blues Music Awards. Blues.org.
  3. Web site: World of Harmonica: Fabrizio Poggi. Worldofharmonica.blogspot.co.uk.
  4. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi & Little Feat. Adagioitalia.it.
  5. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi & Eric Bibb. Youreporter.it.
  6. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi Nuther World. Ultracoundrecords.eu.
  7. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi Tours. Chickenmambo.com.
  8. Web site: Gruene Hall Texas. Gruenehall.com.
  9. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi Luckenbach. Mescalina.it.
  10. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi & Garth Hudson. Chickenmambo.com.
  11. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo, Live in Texas CD+DVD. Ultrasoundrecords.eu.
  12. Web site: Il soffio dell'anima: armoniche e armonicisti blues by Fabrizio Poggi. Doctorharp.it.
  13. Web site: Angeli perduti del Mississippi. Storie e leggende del blues by Fabrizio Poggi. Fingerpicking.net.
  14. Web site: Blues Revue : Blues Music Sampler. Discogs.
  15. Web site: Harpway 61. Mescalina.it.
  16. Web site: Spirit & Freedom Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo. Ultrasoundrecords.eu.
  17. Web site: Elwood Blues TheBluesMobile. Wikieventi.it.
  18. Web site: Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi live at BBC Radio 2 with Paul Jones. .
  19. Web site: Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi Juba dance. Bluesblastmagazine.com.
  20. Web site: Roots Music Report. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210304031108/http://www.chickenmambo.com/eng/awards-2/. 4 March 2021. Chickenmambo.com. 19 February 2021.
  21. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo Spaghetti Juke. Bluesblastmagazine.com.
  22. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi Texas Blues Voices. Bluesblastmagazine.com.
  23. Web site: Fabrio Poggi Carnegie Hall Lead Belly Fest. Elmoremagazine.com.
  24. Web site: Sonny & Brownie's last train . AllMusic.
  25. Web site: Grammy Awards 2018. Grammy.com.
  26. Web site: 2018 Blues Music Awards. Blues.org.
  27. Web site: Appaloosa Records. Appaloosarecords.it.
  28. Web site: Bluebird Reviews . Bluebirdreviews.com.
  29. Web site: Blues Blast Magazine . bluesblastmagazine.com.
  30. Web site: Hope. Ibs.it.
  31. Web site: Fabrizio Poggi - Basement Blues. Appaloosarecords.it. 21 June 2023.
  32. Web site: Milano Harmonica Rumble . Milanoharmonicarumble.it.
  33. Every Life Matters . Fabrizio Poggi with Shar White.
  34. BELIEVE. Conversazioni con Fabrizio Poggi di Serena Simula . Arcana Edizioni.
  35. Web site: Chicken Mambo Discography. Chickenmambo.com.