Manny Fizzotti
“A very good guitarist with real blues feeling , lots of talent and a lot of good taste, a really good musician that can play blues and variations on blues in many styles with taste and credibility”
(Bruce Iglauer - Head of “Alligator Records” in Chicago)
“Among the best blues guitarists and songwriters of his generation”
(Edoardo “Catfish” Fassio – “Sweet Soul Music Award “ winner, “Rock and Blues International” magazine)
“Fizzotti’s versatility and technical ability are extremely impressive, he is obviously an outstanding guitar player and a good singer with a warm and enjoyable voice” (Rhys Williams - Blues Blast Magazine)
“A highly talented and respected guitarist and vocalist”
(Russ Cottee – “Blues in Britain” magazine)
“Great playing!”
(Jim Simpson - Head of “Big Bear Records”, “Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival” and first manager of “Black Sabbath”)
“An endearing singer and tasty guitar player”
(Henry Yates - “Classic Rock” magazine)
“Obviously a talented guitarist”
(Cliff McKnight - “Nothing But The Blues” podcast)
“A top notch contemporary blues man”
( Pete Feenstra )
“One of the most tasteful guitarists on the European blues scene”
(Marty Gunther – Blues Blast magazine)
Manny Fizzotti, long time London resident, is one of Italy’s foremost and most versatile blues guitarists.
He graduated “with honours” at the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, where he also played as a session guitarist at Shanghai Recording Studios working with Mike Carnevale (sound engineer for Eric Clapton, Greg Allman, Jeff Beck and Keith Richards) and performed at world famous blues clubs such as Harvelle’s in Santa Monica.
One of the busiest artists on the London blues scene he performed at well known clubs such as the “Ronnie Scott’s Bar”, the “606 Club”, "St Harmonicas Blues Club", “The Bull’s Head”, the “12 Bar Club”, the “Troubador”, the “ Boom Boom Club”, “The Hideaway”, the “Ain’t Nothin’ But Blues Bar” and “The Eel Pie Club” and he had the pleasure of being invited to play with the "Dennis Greaves Band", "Nine Below Zero" and the great Chicago blues ambassador Billy Branch!
Manny also plays with Giles Robson (Memphis Blues Music Award Winner and first and only British or European blues artist to appear on Chicago’s legendary Alligator Records!) and Alan Glen (one of the British top blues harmonica players, best known for his work with The Yardbirds, Nine Below Zero and Little Axe and who has played on over 50 albums, and recorded/performed with John Mayall, Zoot Money, Alannah Miles, Jeff Beck, Steve Vai, Slash, Steve Lukather, Paul Jones, Skunk Baxter and Dr Feelgood.
In March 2014 Manny played a string of concerts in Moscow as part of "The Great British Rhythm’n’Blues Invasion", among famous artists such as Ian Siegal, Will Johns, Todd Sharpville, Big Joe Luis, Bex Marshall, Eddie Martin, Dani Wilde and many others.
In 2013 he recorded a CD with the “New Atlantic Soul Machine”, a band featuring Eddie Tan Tan Thorton, who played the trumpet with Georgie Fame, Boney M and also with The Beatles on “Got to Get You Into My Life”!
Manny’s been featured on “Blues Matters!”, “Blues in Britain”, “Classic Rock” and “Guitar Techniques” magazines and he’s listed on the “South of England page” on the European Blues Union website among artists such as The Rolling Stones, Chris Barber and Savoy Brown!
He recorded 6 CDs and performed at major European festivals, among them twice at the “Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival” (where he also played in live connection to Atlanta in the US during the program "Good Morning Blues" hosted by UK Bob on WRFG Radio), “Vallemaggia Magic Blues” in Switzerland, “The International Jimi Hendrix Festival” in Budapest and in Italy at “Elba Meets Pistoia Blues”, “Sanremo Blues”, “Green Hills in Blues”, “Torrita Blues Festival”, “Narcao Blues” and “Liri Blues Festival”.
His last album “Nobody Understands” has been reviewed in a very positive way on international magazines such as “Rock and Blues International”,"Blues Blast", “Rootstime”, “La Hora del Blues”, “Blues Matters” and “Blues in Britain”. It’s been broadcasted by radios all over Europe, South America and the USA and it’s been at N.17 on the UK Blues Radios Top 40!
In Italy he appeared on major TV shows and performed in big stadia with Cristiano De Andre and toured with harp virtuoso Fabio Treves, who played with the likes of Mike Bloomfield, Paul Jones, Alexis Korner, Warren Haynes, Sunnyland Slim and Frank Zappa!
In his live performances (solo, as a duo, as a trio or as a quartet – acoustic or electric) Manny mixes up some blues classics and his own blues compositions sometimes playing also mandolin and 5 string banjo and, when he plays a dobro guitar with slide in real “Delta Blues style”, he takes the listener back to the smoky atmosphere of the Mississippi juke-joints.
He can also step out of the blues and play songs by the likes of The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Rory Gallagher, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley and a few jazz numbers.
