Fabrizio Poggi (pronounced Pohjee) (born 1 July 1958) is a singer and harmonica player. A Grammy Awards nominee[1] who has received the Hohner Lifetime Award, and has been two times Blues Music Awards nominee,[2] Jimi Awards nominee, and during his long career has recorded twenty two albums.He has performed in the US and Europe with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Garth Hudson of the Band, Steve Cropper, Charlie Musselwhite, Ronnie Earl, John P. Hammond, Marcia Ball, Guy Davis, Eric Bibb, Flaco Jimenez, Little Feat and many others.[3] [4] [5]
Fabrizio Poggi's first recordings in the United States date back to 1997 in Texas with "Nuther World".[6]
He was among the first Italian artists to do a long tour in the States.[7] Between 1998 and 2002 he toured in Texas and Louisiana. Among the areas that hosted his performances were The House of Blues in New Orleans; Threadgill's; Antone's; Doctor Rockit's in Corpus Christi; Gruene Hall Gruene Hall;[8] and Luckenbach.[9]
In 2006, he performed at the Center for Southern Folklore, Memphis. On that occasion he played at Ground Zero- the Red's Lounge Clarksdale, the Walnut Street Blues Bar Greenville as well as Greenwood at the Blue Parrot. In the same year, he participated at the CBS television show "Live at 9" from Memphis, and hosted the legendary radio program "King Biscuit Time".
In 2010, Poggi released "Spirit & Freedom", recorded mostly in the United States. Among the guests are The Blind Boys of Alabama; Flaco Jimenez; Garth Hudson (The Band);[10] Charlie Musselwhite; Augie Meyers; Eric Bibb; Guy Davis; Billy Joe Shaver; Tish Hinojosa; Mickey Raphael; Kevin Welch; Kelley Mickwee; Debbi Walton; and Nora Guthrie (Woody Guthrie's daughter).
In 2011, Poggi released "Live in Texas",[11] an album recorded entirely live in Texas. Among the guest musicians on the disc: Flaco Jimenez; Marcia Ball; Floyd Domino; Ponty Bone; Debbi Walton; and Tommy Elskes.
He has published two books: Il soffio dell'anima (blues harmonica and blues harmonica players) published by Ricordi in 2005,[12] and Angeli Perduti del Mississippi (stories and legends of the blues) published by Meridiano Zero in 2010, with the cover designed by Robert Crumb.[13]
In 2011 and 2012, the US magazine, Blues Revue, chose for an insert CD attached to the magazine, along with North Mississippi All Stars, Mavis Staples, Ruthie Foster and Bob Margolin.[14] Harpway 61, an instrumental album dedicated to the harmonica was released in May 2012.[15] Spirit of Mercy a collection of blues and spiritual songs from previous albums Mercy and Spirit & Freedom was released in In February 2013.[16] Actor and musician Dan Aykroyd, the Elwood Blues of the Blues Brothers, called Poggi "an extraordinary harmonica player" in his radio broadcast "TheBluesMobile".[17] In September 2013, he appeared both as a musician and as producer for Guy Davis' Juba Dance, which premiered at the BBC in London.[18] The album came in first place in the ranking of most broadcasts by American Radio, and was nominated in the Blues Music Awards 2014 for Best Acoustic Album.[19] [20]
In 2014, he released Spaghetti Juke Joint featuring Ronnie Earl, Bob Margolin and Sonny Landreth.[21]
2016 found him in Texas again to record Texas Blues Voices[22] with guests Ruthie Foster; Miss Lavelle White; W.C. Clark; Carolyn Wonderland; Shelley King; Mike Zito; Bobby Mack; Donnie Price, and Dony Winn. In February 2016, he played at the Carnegie Hall with Guy Davis, Eric Burdon and Buddy Guy.[23] In March 2017, MC Records released Sonny & Brownie's Last Train by Guy Davis and Fabrizio Poggi. A look back to Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry. Poggi is also the producer of the record.[24]
In November 2017, he was nominated for the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year.[25]
In May 2018, he was nominated for a Blues Music Awards nominee for the album.[26]
In June 2020, Appaloosa Records released For You.[27]
In December 2020 he was nominated as Artist of the Year by the American magazine, Bluebird Reviews.[28]
In February 2021 he was the first European to appear on the cover of the American magazine Blues Blast Magazine.[29]
In May 2021, Appaloosa Records released Hope [30]
In November 2022, Appaloosa Records released Basement Blues [31]
In May 2023 he received a lifetime award from Milano Harmonica Rumble [32]
On June 2024 Appalosa Records releases the single "EVERY LIFE MATTERS" Fabrizio Poggi with Shar White [33]
On June 2024 Arcana Edizioni releases "BELIEVE. Conversations with Fabrizio Poggi" written by Serena Simula (in italian) [34]
| Title | Year | Artist | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Moon | (1993) | Chicken Mambo | Music On | |
| Under the Southern Sky | (1995) | Chicken Mambo | Bon Ton Roulet | |
| Heroes & Friends | (1997) | Chicken Mambo | Bon Ton Roulet | |
| Nuther World | (1999) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Club de Musique | |
| Songs for Angelina | (2001) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Music on | |
| Canzoni popolari | (2002) | Fabrizio Poggi e Turututela | Dunya/Felmay | |
| L'armonica a bocca: il violino dei poveri | (2003) | Fabrizio Poggi | Adolescere | |
| Armonisiana | (2003) | Fabrizio Poggi | Ultrasound Records | |
| The breath of soul | (2006) | Fabrizio Poggi & Francesco Garolfi | Ultrasound Records | |
| La storia si canta | (2006) | Fabrizio Poggi e Turututela | Dunya/Felmay | |
| Still Alive! | (2006) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Ultrasound Records | |
| Mercy | (2008) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Ultrasound Records | |
| Spirit & Freedom | (2010) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Ultrasound Records | |
| Live in Texas CD + DVD Columblues Days | (2011) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Ultrasound Records | |
| Harpway 61 | (2012) | Fabrizio Poggi | The Blues Foundation | |
| Spirit of Mercy: a Collection | (2013) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Ultrasound Records | |
| Juba Dance | (2013) | Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi | Dixiefrog | |
| Spaghetti Juke Joint | (2014) | Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo | Appaloosa Records | |
| Il soffio della libertà | (2015) | Fabrizio Poggi | Appaloosa Records | |
| Texas Blues Voices | (2016) | Fabrizio Poggi | Appaloosa Records | |
| Compilation 2016 con inediti | (2016) | Fabrizio Poggi | Paviaphone | |
| Sonny & Brownie's Last Train | (2017) | Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi | MC Records | |
| For You | (2020) | Fabrizio Poggi | Appaloosa Records | |
| Hope | (2021) | Fabrizio Poggi & Enrico Pesce | Appaloosa Records | |
| Basement Blues | (2022) | Fabrizio Poggi | Appaloosa Records |