Paolo Giordano Biography
Paolo Giordano was born in Pescara, Italy in 1962, and began playing guitar at the age of fourteen. By the end of the 70s he was playing with local bands, enriching their music with his love of the blues and southern rock. The discovery of masters such as John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Ry Cooder and many others encouraged Paolo to develop a keen interest in acoustic guitar, and eventually a unique fingerpicking style. At the end of the 80s, after many years of intense work, he earned his place at many important festivals, playing his own music and also sharing stages with guitarists such as Pierre Bensusan, Peter Finger, Alex De Grassi and Michael Hedges.
His stature grew in '91-'92 when he toured with Lucio Dalla, opening the concerts with a medley of his own compositions. Dalla later called Giordano "one of the best guitarists in Europe." In 1992 Paolo took part in the International Guitar Master festival in Turin, Italy (with Leo Kottke, Pete Seeger, Egberto Gismonti and others) and played at the Time Zones festival in Bari, sharing the bill with Ralph Towner. In 1993 he was a featured guest at the French Convention ADGPA (Atkins-Dad Guitar Player Association) and at the end of '94 he released his debut album Paolo Giordano (Step Musique/New Sounds), featuring bassist Michael Manring, percussionist Michael Spiro, and singer Patti Cathcart from the famous Tuck & Patti duo. The album was met with critical acclaim throughout Italy and Europe.
In 1995 and '96, while maintaining a hectic teaching and performing schedule, Paolo was featured on Biagio Antonacci's Il Mucchio album, and also accompanied the famous pop singer on major TV appearances including Help! (presented by Red Ronnie on TMC), Good Vibrations (with Ezio Guaitamacchi onTele+3), and Uno mattina (with Lucio Dalla on Rai1).
In 1999 his fame as an acoustic guitar acrobat spread as far as the United States, where he made some brief appearances, later to return in 2001 for an enthusiastic full scale tour.
2000 saw the release of Kid in a Toy Shop (Step Musique), which featured extraordinary contributions by Michael Manring on bass, Jacqueline Perkins on vocals and Alex Acuna on percussion. The album shows a significant evolution and consolidation of Paolo's unique style: its a synthesis of virtuosity and sonic mastery, personalized by the depth of feeling Paolo expresses in his work.
In January 2001, Paolo appeared at the NAMMs All Star Guitar Night in Anaheim, California. He returned to the US twice in 2002, including a tour and DVD recording with Michael Manring. The same year he toured Italy with Bob Brozman and Woody Mann, and played with Manring at Acoustic Guitar International Meeting in Sarzana.
2003 saw Paolos greatest performance to date: the birth of his daughter! He took a break from the road for over a year, taking care of his daughter and practicing his new technique: how to be a father. However, he made time to join Manring on one Italian tour, took part in the Italian Fingerstyle All Stars, and played a few other gigs in Italy. At the end of 2004, Paolo returned in full force, performing in Marseille and at the Acoustic Music Festival in Pescara, Italy.
In May 2005, a transcription of Paolos composition First Pint was included in the book Master Anthology of Fingerstyle Guitar, Vol. 3 (Mel Bay Publications), and he became an official endorser of Martin guitars and Mark Acoustic amplifiers.
Paolo's music, although deeply influenced by his intense studies of classical music, forges exciting new directions for acoustic guitar. His extraordinary technique, which has won him international critical acclaim, is never an end in itself, but merely the medium through which he expresses his compelling artistic statement.
For more information, check out Paolo Giordano's website.