peterboroughGambetta opens Peterborough Folk Music season

Peterborough Folk Music opens the 2024 series with Beppe Gambetta Friday, March 8, at 7 p.m. Bass Hall at Monadnock Center

Tickets are $25 in advance, and $30 at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Gambetta is a guitarist, vocalist, researcher and composer born in Genova, Italy, in 1955 who developed a style of concert presentation that brings American and European roots to speak together with one voice. He blends grooves with melodies, giving new life to sources from different times, periods and places.

He first came to the United States in 1985 and then returned in 1988 to travel with the first available Sony digital DAT machine. He recorded a collection of duets with 12 guitarists in the American bluegrass/folk genre, including Norman Blake, Mike Marshall, Charles Sawtelle, John Jorgenson and David Grier. In 1989, Gambetta performed at the Porta Festival in Czeckoslovakia and started collaboration with American banjo player Tony Trischka.

In the 1990s, Gambetta started to tour on a regular basis with American guitarist Dan Crary, who introduced him to the organizers of the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kan.. Gambetta's performances at Winfield opened the door to him becoming a regular part of the American festival scene.

In 1993, he met and collaborated with Gene Parsons, a former member of the folk-rock band,The Byrds. Parsons performed on Gambetta's first solo American CD “Good News From Home.” In this album, Gambetta started to blend his love for American roots with elements of European tradition.

In the late 1990s, he launched a project to research the forgotten music of the Italian string virtuosi of the turn of the century. He focused on reviving the music and rebuilding the instruments of Genovese harp-guitarist Pasquale Taraffo (1887-1937). This work led to the recording of “Serenata” in 1997 and “Traversata” in 2001 with classical mandolinist Carlo Aonzo and American mandolin player David Grisman.

He has continued his research along the path of musicians and emigrations, including producing shows of Italian revival in Europe, the United States and Argentina.

In 2001, Gambetta and his wife Federica Calvino Prina inaugurated “Beppe Gambetta Acoustic Nights,” a series of annual concerts that bring together different international musicians each year, planned around a special musical theme, each spring at the 1,000-seat Teatro della Corte in Genova, Italy.

From 2002 to today, Gambetta has focused mainly on his solo career, touring in Europe and America. For his 14th CD, “Where The Wind Blows” in 2020, he wrote, arranaged and sang all the songs in collaboration of American bass player Rusty Holloway and percussionist Joe Bonadio.

The CD title track, “Dove Tia O Vento,” was a finalist in the Best Song category at the Italian Awards Premio Tenco 2020.