GIGS
2023
| 19 FEB | GUY TORTORA TRIO - Broadstairs Blues Bash: Neptune's Hall, 1 - 3 Harbour Street, Boradstairs, CT10 1ET WEBSITE
6 - 8 PM |
| 25 Mar | GUY TORTORA BAND - LOUTH BLUES CLUB: Louth, Lincs - at Louth Conservative Working Mens Club, Queen Street, Louth LN11 9AU Tickets available from multiple outlets - see their Facebook page: WEBSITE
or email: louthbluesclub@gmail.com - Doors 7:15 PM |
| 1 APR | GUY TORTORA BAND - Blues At Barleylands Club: Barleylands Sports and Social Club, Barleylands Road, Billericay CM11 2 UF - 2 - 4 PM at " . . .the greatest little juke joint in Essex" WEBSITE |
| 15 APR | GUY TORTORA TRIO - Orpington Blues Club: THIS GIG HAS BEEN MOVED TO JUNE 9 - Please See Below - |
| 18 APR | GUY TORTORA BAND - Tuesday Night Music Club: 194 Brightin Road, Coulsdon CR5 2NF - Guy & Band return to the award winning TNMC with the new album and some old favourites, too https://www.thetuesdaynightmusicclub.co.uk/ Doors at 7 PM |
| 7 MAY | GUY TORTORA BAND - The Cricketers, Westcliffe On Sea: 225 London Road, Westcliffe on Sea SS0 7JG Tel: 01702 345253 Afternoon session at this fine pub WEBSITE Music at 5 PM - Free Admission |
| 17 MAY | GUY TORTORA BAND - Dusty's Blues Club, Holmer Green: Holmer Green Sports Assn, Watchett Lane, Holmer Green, High Wycombe, Berks HP15 6UF Tel: 07496 079538 Doors: 8 PM Always a great atmosphere at this little club in Bucks! WEBSITE |
| 9 JUNE | GUY TORTORA TRIO - Orpington Blues Club: Orpington Liberal Club, 7 Station Road, Orpington BR6 0RZ Doors: 7:30 PM Tickets from Steven Wherle: 07801 089375 TRIO performance with Janos Bajtala and George Price |
| 18 JUL | GUY TORTORA TRIO - Bletchley Blues Club: Bletchley Conservative Club, Bletchley MK2 2DN 7:30 PM WEBSITE
email: hello@bletchleybluesclub.co.uk |
| 3 AUG | GUY TORTORA BAND - Teignmouth Jazz & Blues Club: Teign Coninthian Yacht Club, Eastcliff Walk, Teignmouth TQ14 8TA Details TBA WEBSITE |
| 7 SEP | GUY TORTORA DUO - Honeysuckle Inn, Ramsgate: Honeysickle Lane, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 8AA Music at 7:30 PM - Free Admission! Presented by Sue Revell and Blues With Bottle Productions. https://placejuice.com/the-honeysuckle-inn-6e29sba |
| 10 SEP | GUY TORTORA BAND - Boogaloo Blues & RnR Weekend: Carrington House Hotel, Knyeveton Road, Bournemouth BH1 3QQ A Boogaloo "Double" Weekend: Blues + Rock and Roll BOOGALOO WEBSITE |
| 28 SEP | GUY TORTORA DUO - The Tuppeny: 58 - 59 Devizez Road, Swindon SN1 4BD - Duo gig with Janos Bajtala on keys WEBSITE Tel: 01793 323643 |
| 8 OCT | GUY TORTORA BAND - CARLISLE ROCK & BLUES FESTIVAL: 12:15 PM Details TBA |
| 2 NOV | TYZACK & TORTORA - Honeysuckle Inn: 31 Honeysuckle Lane, Ramsgate CT11 8AA - Presented by Sue Revell at Blues With Bottle Promotions 7:30 PM https://placejuice.com/the-honeysuckle-inn-6e29sba |
| 11 NOV | GUY TORTORA BAND - Cranleigh Arts Centre: 1 High Street, Cranleigh GU6 8AS Tel: 01483 278000. Guy and Band return to the wonderful Cranleigh Arts Centre - Presented by ECLECTIC LIVE MUSIC. Cranleigh Arts: WEBSITE Doors at 7:30 PM |
| 16 NOV | GUY TORTORA BAND + TYZACK & TORTORA: Blues Bar Tring, Special Guest Ben Tyzack = In spie of what it sways on their website, Blues
Bar Tring has returned to the clubhouse at Tring Park Cricket Club: London Road, Tring HP23 6HA Doors
at 19:00, music at 20:00 WEBSITE |
| 17 NOV | GUY TORTORA TRIO - Brooks Blues Bar: at Parsons Green Sports and Social Club - - - - - CANCELLED ! - - - - - to be re-scheduled later |
| 23 NOV | GUY TORTORA BAND at Cotswold Merrymouth Inn: Stow Road, Burford, nr Oxford OX7 6HR. Blues at the Merrymouth is a new series of events at the Inn. Guy & Band will play here for the first time . . . Doors 7 PM. WEBSITE |
| 15 DEC | GUY TORTORA BAND - St. Harmonica's Blues Club: 17 Chase Side, Southgate, London N14 5BP Guy & Band return to this wonderful N London Club. Music at 8 PM. CLUB WEBSITE |
2024
| 2 - 3 MAR | GUY TORTORA DUO - SWANAGE BLUES WEEKEND: Acoustic Stage - Details TBC |
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Reviews:
(more to follow, as this site is updated)
Anywhere
But Here:
Blues Matters! (UK) -
London-based
California ex-pat Guy Tortora turns in a strong set of singer-songwriter rock, with sufficient blues influences to merit a review in this publication. Sonically and lyrically, we are in Dylan/Young/Browne territory here, with tracks built around intelligent lyrics and fingerstyle acoustic and electric guitar work. This includes some frequently deft slide playing of the tasteful lick variety rather than full-on Dust My Broom barnstorming. Of the two covers, the folkie rendition of The Drifters’ Under The Boardwalk comes off surprisingly well, thanks to the sheer chutzpah of the reinvention, which even includes an accordion solo. I also liked Tortora’s take on the Grateful Dead’s New Speedway Boogie, which stays close to the vibe of the original. But it’s the original compositions that bring home this album’s bacon. The opener, High
Tide Deep Water, reworks an instantly familiar piano riff that probably harks back to a soul single before building up to a harmonica break. Flower Street and Koffeeville are both wistful evocations of homesickness, remembered girlfriends and a lonesome kind of lovin’. Withered On The Vine is a decent stab at a minor blues, while instrumental closer Goodnight & Good Luck is pleasant enough. But undoubted highlight of the CD is Pearl, a celebration of finding true love when you weren’t expecting it. It’s a great song. But any visions of Johanna that conquer your mind while listening to it will not be accidental.
DAVID OSLER
Rootstime
(BE) -
Bluesman
In a Boneyard, his 2015 album I reviewed here, was his fifth solo studio album. The tracklist of 'Anywhere But Here', Tortora's most recent studio album, contains eight original Americana/Blues/Roots songs and two covers. He recorded the songs in London during the pandemic lockdowns, with the regular members of his trusted band: Janos Bajtala on keys, Pete Hedley on drums & Costa Tancredi on bass.
‘Anywhere But Here’ opens with “High Tide Deep Water”. It is a song with which he and some band members - especially Bajtala from behind the piano - immediately attract attention. What follows next are mainly very atmospheric songs. Tortora's guitar is the mood maker on "Withered On the Vine" and "The Stranger", a song that sounds very autobiographical. During “Pearl” it is best to close your eyes, because then the slide guitar seduces you even more. The groove is certainly not missing on “New Speedway Boogie” and everyone surely knows the Tex Mex (sic) hit by The Drifters “Under The Boardwalk” or, are you ready for a coffee and the beautiful “Koffeeville”? “Good Night & Good Luck” is just about the perfect ending after that and confirms what I said in the beginning.
"With Anywhere But Here Tortora delivers another gem . . . " Eric Schuurmans - Rootstime.be
Live -
Leek Blues & Americana Festival -
. . . Tortora and his band took to the stage in this wonderful, welcoming theatre. Wayfaring Stranger from the album Prodical Songs was the opening number. A fantastic acoustic track . . . it was a brilliant way to start what would be a wonderful night of music. Wonderful vocal from Tortora just washed over the audience, giving a warm feeling. Virtually every song told a poignant story in Guy's own words only to be matched by a wonderful 4-piece band . . .
Stephen Harrison
Blues Bar Tring -
. . . Guy writes songs leaning very much on the Delta and the South: songs about cotton, the Mississippi, Robert Johnson and his grave, and a bit of gospel.It lends a nostalgic authenticity to his performance. He plays with some seasoned musicians: Janos Bajtala on keys, Pete Hedley on drums, and (on this occasion) George
Price on bass. Janos, as always, brought a cultivated atmosphere to the performance and Guy led the line with some lazy bottleneck and fine guitar.
..."Boneyard" Cotton Was King" and "Big Wheel" were great numbers, and Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" an emotional inclusion. The band sounded great . . .
Moz Copestake
Leek Blues & Americana Festival -
Running Horse, Nottingham UK --
Guy plays every conceivable blues style over the coure of the evening, alternating between National steel, acoustic and electric guitars. He plays lots of slide and is one of the toughetst and yet subtlest guitarists I've ver seen. The high quality of his playing coupled with his ferocious attack put me in mind of the superb American band Delta Moon, recent visitors to the venue. Guy's voice is great -- easy to listen to and he delivers the lyrics with great clarity and, yes, passion. they are really worth hearing, too, being thoughtful, often wryly funny and of course musically catchy, spellbinding, hypnotic, etc. I can imagine one or two big stars having a crack at this material. I'll go out on a limb and say Guy is possibly the best writer of new blues since Larry Garner. His band? Gawd, where do `I start? Janos on keyboards was a phenomenal blues player, alert to every single thing that the otehers - especially Guy - did. He provided a real musical foil for Guy's guitar which took the music to considerable heights of excitement. The bassist Brendan was a rock. Yes, I know it's a cliche but it's true. He had the range of skills associated with Jack Bruce and as for the drummer (Neil) he was awesome -- how can someone play as powerfully as him and yet blend in so unobtrusively? I've seen a lot of bands over th eyears and this band were one of the very best. Seriously, they were that good, ask anybody who was there, and do catch them live if you can. Dave Kingsbury
Visit: www.myspace.com/guytortoraband
Bookings: Please visit the Contacts page for details