About Me
The immediate descendant of Reggio Emilian immigrants, he collects melodies and lyrics from family and friends reflective of the reality of the uprooted and resettled. Growing up in the Hilltop Community of Columbus, Ohio, he learned to sing in Latin before he could read in English, and he performed in beer and coffee bars before he liked most of the drinks on the menu.He has had the privilege of performing with some of the last quarter century's most respected artists who interpret songs of peace and struggle. This list includes Guy and Candy Carawan, Barbara Dane, Mimi Fariňa, Beverly Grant, Si Kahn, Michela Musolino and Baldemar Velasquez. He has also had the honor of performing with some of the southeastern U.S. premiere traditional musicians, including Lonny Austin, Tommy Jarrell, Paul Taylor and Joe Thompson. A solo as well as ensemble musician, his musical performances draw upon source material from lands and peoples on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the waters of the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico.His early work included performing with the Ohio-based groups "Streetroot Ensemble" (with Kath Narcross Burgess and David Stone, as well as Lori Michaels, Jimmy Paul, Billy Strickland and Paul Williams); the "Scioto Valley String Band" (with Bill Desmond, Mike Eberle and Mike Sisson, as well as Barry Chern, Richard Kolb, Bob Loechler and Chas Williams); and the street and dance hall busking "Turkeys in the Straw." Today, he performs with the music Americana ensemble, "Mebanesville" (www.Mebanesville.com), as well as Piedmont North Carolina's "most punctual" old time string band, "Durham Rangers."With paesani in the Greater Alamance County community and on the campus of Elon, Larry has helped to co-found Tavola Italiana--a local society promoting the appreciation of the history, culture, language and fellowship of Italy and the Italian diaspora.
