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American blues musician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rod Piazza (born December 18, 1947,[1] Riverside, California) is an American blues harmonica player and singer.[2] He has been playing with his band The Mighty Flyers, which he formed with his pianist wife Honey Piazza, since 1980.[3] Their boogie sound combines the styles of jump blues, West Coast blues and Chicago blues.
Rod Piazza | |
|---|---|
Rod Piazza with Honey at the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 18, 1947 Riverside, California, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Instrument(s) | Harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Labels | ABC-Bluesway, Murray Brothers, Black Top, Tone-Cool, Delta Groove |
| Website | The Mighty Flyers' website |
Piazza grew up in Southern California, where he studied blues records and perfected his harmonica work. He originally started on guitar, an instrument he began playing at the age of six or seven.[4]
In the mid-1960s, Piazza formed his first band The House of DBS, which later changed its name to the Dirty Blues Band. The band signed with ABC-Bluesway and released two albums in 1967 and 1968.[1] The band broke up in 1968, and Piazza formed Bacon Fat that year.[1] Piazza's idol and mentor, George "Harmonica" Smith joined the band and they had a "dual harp" sound. Bacon Fat released two albums the following two years. Piazza left and worked in other bands before going solo in 1974.[2]
He formed the Chicago Flying Saucer Band the following year, which later evolved into the Mighty Flyers.[2] The band recorded their first album in 1980. Piazza started touring and recording as Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers Blues Quartet, after the departure of long-time bassist Bill Stuve in the early 2000s. Piazza has recorded twenty-four studio albums between 1967 and 2009, including the live concert DVD Big Blues Party in 2005 (recorded at the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California). In addition, he has appeared as a guest performer on over twenty-one releases since 1968.[5] Between 1995 and 2001, Rick Holmstrom played in the Mighty Flyers.[6]
Piazza has toured blues clubs, concert venues and festivals in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Spain, among other countries. He and his wife currently live in Riverside, California.
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