DESCRIPTION:
Beppe Gambetta is an Italian musician born in Genoa in 1955. An acoustic guitar flatpicker and singer, Beppe has been called a "virtual United Nations of influences: Italian, Ukrainian, Appalachian, Sardinisn, Celtic". He is a composer, teacher, and researcher of traditional music and instruments.

With the horizon's line as a challenge and attraction, Beppe is continually composing his personal mosaic of sounds and flavours. From his unique background as an Italian musician in love with both American roots music as well as the music of his native country, Beppe has travelled the world and even crossed the "Iron Curtain" to dazzle and charm music enthusiasts everywhere. After eleven CDs, DVDs, teaching books and collaborations with many other top-flight musicians, Gambetta is increasingly known as one of the true live master innovators of the acoustic guitar.
North America

While Beppe still lives in his native Genova, he travels to North America at least four times a year. He has performed in prestigious festivals in the U.S. and Canada such as Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, Merlefest in North Carolina, the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas and those in Winnipeg and Edmonton. He's appeared on such radio shows as All Things Considered and E-Town.

Beppe has performed in prestigious rooms like the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In his career he has performed with some great heroes of the folk scene, such as David Grisman, Gene Parsons, Doc Watson, Norman Blake and with the band Men Of Steel: an international guitar summit (Dan Crary, Tony McManus and Don Ross) of different guitar schools with complex musical interactions. A tour with banjo player Tony Trischka resulted in his 1991 live album Alone and Together.

With America in his heart and his roots in the sun and the olive trees of the Mediterranean sea, he naturally and seamlessly bridges the shores of the two continents, creating in spite of the interposed ocean a musical "koiné" (fusion) where country music and Ligurian tradition, emigration songs and folk ballads, mandolins and harp guitars not only co-exist but interact, weaving a deep dialog unaware of any rigid classification.

Gambetta's playing and singing stand out for their intimate emotions, communication, research in tone, sobriety and humor. An inspired music that modestly avoids relying solely on his high level of technical excellence, but also reveals the innermost feelings of a brilliant, playful mind that is always firmly exploring and innovating while staying firmly routed in tradition.

This is Beppe's Mel Bay Artist Interview with Erica Lee. He also teaches a Mel Bay Pro lick and tremolo technique.

www.melbay.com -
www.beppegambetta.com

Produced by Rob Haines -
http://www.robhainesstudio.com