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Foto: Roberto Scorta (Wikimedia Commons/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)
Blues Rock
Roberto Ciotti
This artist is no longer with us.
Born: 20. februar 1953 · Died: 31. desember 2013• Italy• Active: 1970–2013
BluesBlues RockElectric BluesDelta Blues
Rome-born electric blues-rock guitarist and composer, often called "the Italian Eric Clapton", whose 1989 soundtrack for Gabriele Salvatores' Marrakech Express made "No More Blue" an Italian blues classic.
Instruments
Guitar, Dobro, Vocals
Labels
Cramps Records, Time Music
from
Italia
Born
20. februar 1953
Musical Influence
As one of Italy's defining blues-rock guitarists, Ciotti brought international blues and Delta influences into Italian popular music through his soundtrack work, his long residency at Rome's Big Mama club, and decades on the European festival circuit — a legacy honoured by the Pistoia Blues Award (2009) and remembered in Italian music press as foundational to the country's blues scene (Source: Wikipedia; official site).
Formative experiences
- •1953: Born 20 February in Rome, Italy (Source: Wikipedia; Treccani).
- •1970–1972: Plays in the jazz-rock group Blue Morning alongside saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco (Source: official site).
- •1972: Begins studying acoustic Dobro and Delta Blues (Source: official site).
- •1970s (through 1977): Works as session and touring guitarist for Francesco De Gregori and Edoardo Bennato (Source: Wikipedia; official site).
- •1978: Releases solo debut album "Supergasoline Blues" (Source: Discogs; Wikipedia).
- •1980: Opens concerts for Bob Marley at Milan's San Siro Stadium and Turin's Stadio Comunale (Source: official site).
- •1983–1984: Tours with former Cream drummer Ginger Baker (Source: official site).
- •1983: Appears as a guest in Bertrand Tavernier and Robert Parrish's documentary "Mississippi Blues" (Source: Wikipedia).
- •1989: Composes the soundtrack for Gabriele Salvatores' film "Marrakech Express"; "No More Blue" becomes his signature song and wins the Sanremo Blues Award and the Roccella Jonica film-score prize (Source: Wikipedia; official site).
- •1990: Composes the soundtrack for Salvatores' "Turné" (Source: Wikipedia).
- •1999: Releases "Walking", which sells more than 20,000 copies (Source: official site).
- •2009: Receives the Pistoia Blues Award (Source: official site).
- •2011–2012: Travels repeatedly to Senegal to explore Afro-blues fusion at the Saint-Louis Jazz Festival (Source: Rockol).
- •2013: Releases final album "Equilibrio Precario"; dies in Rome on 31 December after a long illness (Source: Wikipedia).
Instruments & Equipment
Stories & Anecdotes
"In 1980, Ciotti opened concerts for Bob Marley at Milan's San Siro Stadium and Turin's Stadio Comunale (Source: official site)."
"He appeared as a guest, with an interview and a live performance, in Bertrand Tavernier and Robert Parrish's 1983 documentary "Mississippi Blues" (Source: Wikipedia)."
""No More Blue," written for Gabriele Salvatores' 1989 film "Marrakech Express," became one of the best-known Italian blues songs and remained his signature piece for the rest of his career (Source: Wikipedia)."
Collaborators
1970s (through 1977)
Session and touring guitarist for the Italian singer-songwriter (Source: Wikipedia; official site).
1970s (through 1977)
Session and touring guitarist (Source: Wikipedia; official site).
1989–1990
Film director; Ciotti composed the soundtracks for Salvatores' "Marrakech Express" (1989) and "Turné" (1990) (Source: Wikipedia).
Watch & Listen
Featured
ROBERTO CIOTTI - NO MORE BLUE - VIDEO CLIP
Official video for his signature song from the 1989 Marrakech Express soundtrack.
YouTube
ROBERTO CIOTTI - SUPERGASOLINE BLUES - FULL ALBUM (Cramps Records, 1978)
ROBERTO CIOTTI - NO MORE BLUE - FULL ALBUM (Time Music, 1989)
Roberto Ciotti - blueStories
Roberto Ciotti - No More Blue (tratto da "My Blues Live", Stazione Birra)
Roberto Ciotti - blues
Roberto Ciotti - Bella Chica (tratto da "My Blues Live", Stazione Birra)
No More Blue - Roberto Ciotti
Watch & Listen
Henter videoer fra YouTube…
Discography
| Year | Title | Producer | Studio | Label | Chart | Sales | Musicians | YouTube | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Supergasoline Blues | — | — | — | — | — | — | Debut solo album, released on Cramps Records (Source: Wikipedia; Discogs). | |
| 1979 | Bluesman | — | — | — | — | — | — | Second studio album (Source: Wikipedia). | |
| 1982 | Rockin' Blues | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album (Source: Wikipedia). | |
| 1989 | No More Blue | — | — | — | — | — | — | Soundtrack album for Gabriele Salvatores' film "Marrakech Express", released on Time Music; his commercial breakthrough (Source: Wikipedia; Discogs). | |
| 1992 | Road 'n' Rail | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album (Source: Wikipedia). | |
| 1994 | King of Nothing | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album (Source: Wikipedia). | |
| 1996 | Changes | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album (Source: Wikipedia; Discogs). | |
| 1999 | Walking | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album; sold more than 20,000 copies (Source: official site). | |
| 2002 | Behind the Door | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album (Source: Wikipedia). | |
| 2010 | Troubles & Dreams | — | — | — | — | — | — | Studio album (Source: Wikipedia). | |
| 2013 | Equilibrio Precario | — | — | — | — | — | — | Final studio album, released the year of his death (Source: Wikipedia). |
Famous songs
01No More Blue
02Supergasoline Blues
Awards & Recognition
1989
Sanremo Blues Award
Best blues song, for "No More Blue"
1989
Roccella Jonica film-score prize ("Giovani & Giovani")
Best film score, for "Marrakech Express"
2009
Pistoia Blues Award
Career recognition