Marco Fiume (22.03.1972 – 21.03.2002)
We wish here to remember Marco, a young man, a passionate blues player from Italy, who devoted his life to the blues.
His youth and his formation
Marco was born in Cosenza, 1972, March 22nd, and spent all his childhood in Rossano, the town of his mother, on the jonic coast in Calabria. When he was 10 years old, he moved with his family to Bologna, where he completed his studies. Here, still as an adolescent, he began to play the guitar and the love for music was immediately obvious. He first discovered jazz and then blues, through the recordings of the great musicians of this genre. Although at first it seemed a simple hobby, it soon became a true passion that pushed him to be involved more seriously. He began to play occasionally with local groups, like the Blues Bark, and subsequently with the Soul Spoilers. Dissatisfied with his musical evolution and the local perspectives, Marco decided to enlarge his musical culture, and with courage decided to go to America and find the routes of blues. After spending time in St. Louis, New Orleans, Chicago and other emblematic cities of blues music, he finally decided to stay in Los Angeles, California, in order to learn directly from his role models, the great players of the great West Coast. With great determination he learned and assimilated a culture unrelated to him, but that he greatly loved and admired. Thus later he was able to play at the same level as the best American guitar players. From this moment, everything happened very quickly.
His Models
Alex Schultz, Marco, Junior Watson
The American blues and jazz players of years ’40 and ’50 like T-Bone Walker, Johnny “guitar” Watson, BB King, Tiny Grimes, Charlie Christian and Barney Kessel were Marco’s role models and primary references. His passion for this musical genre increased, so as a tribute to Barney Kessel he wrote an instrumental piece entitled “Kesseland”. Marco also highly admired a lot of contemporary Californian players such as Kid Ramos, Charlie Baty, Rick Holmstrom, Alex Schultz and above all his idol, Junior Watson who themselves were inspired by the black players of years ’50. Attracted by Watson and his music, Marco decided to live in Los Angeles.
The life in Los Angeles
Sweet Betty Journey & Marco – Recording information: Pacifica Studios, Los Angeles, CA (09/1997).
In Los Angeles, the city-symbol of the so called West Coast Blues, where all of the most important blues clubs are located, like “Cafe Boogaloo” at Hermosa Beach and “Cozy’s” at Sherman Oaks. This area is a concentration point of many great musicians that play blues, jazz, r’n’b, r’n’r and swing, exactly what Marco loved.
Living in Los Angeles and being besides Junior Watson is type a dream for a young European musician, and thanks to his determination, from 1998 this dream becomes reality. From there onwards, the progression is fast, his musical goal is established, even beyond his own expectations. In fact Marco not only gains high esteem and respect from all the musicians he meets, but he establishes with them deep and important friendship.
In fact, after a few months staying in Santa Monica, Marco already becomes one of the most requested musicians in los Angeles area : he plays with Lynwood Slim, Sweet Betty Journey, Bill Stuve, James Harman, Rod Piazza, Junior Watson (who dedicated his last CD: “If I had a Genie”, to Marco), Rick Holmstrom, Janiva Magness, Jeff Turmes, Candye Kane, Alex Schultz, Jimmy Morello, Johnny Dyer, Jeff Ross (who also dedicated his last CD to Marco “My Pleasure”), Carl Sonny Leyland, Jamie Wood, Lisa Otey, Ronnie James Weber, Robert Lucas, James Intveld, Randy Beckett and many others. However, staying in Los Angeles is not as heavenly as it may have seemed from Italy since the competition and the spirit of competition is very tough. In the USA, and above all in Los Angeles it is difficult to live with the blues only, even playing with the greatest local stars. Even, in the United States, the native land of blues and jazz, the choice to play music so far away from the commercial circuit of both the majors and MTV is a difficult choice and revealing a great passion. Besides the reputation of the places and the excellent musicians, playing blues no one became rich in any part of the world. Thus Marco must play continuously with a lot of groups. He goes also to Hollywood, where he poses for photos chosen for the publicity of a car firm, the KIA. These photos were also used by “Entertainment Studies”, the newspaper of the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and several lnternet magazines, like “Mars Music”. Marco increases his ability to build, repair and modify guitars, an activity he already begun in Bologna. His ability was soon recognized and appreciated by all his musician friends so that still today Rick Holmstrom and many others play guitars built by Marco. In order to square the budget, he gives guitar lessons – one of his latest students was actor Gary Oldman – and acts also as musical correspondent of an Italian web-magazine dedicated to blues music, “Blues Time”.
The musical groups
Rick Holmstrom, Marco & Bill Stuve @ Boogaloo Cafe (Hermosa Beach, CA)
The most personal projects, those where Marco was able to play his favourite style, were the three blues/jazz bands, he founded: the “LO-Fi’S”, the “Marco Fiume Trio” and the “Trio Loco”.
– The LO-Fi’S. instrumental quartet with Marco on guitar, Ron Dziubla on saxophone, Stevie Utstein on piano and Donny Gruendler on drums. The LO-Fi’ S played nearly every Sunday in a Los Angeles club, the Liquid Kitty.
From these exhibitions a self-produced CD arised – recorded live at L. Kitty, February, 24, 2002 -, containing 9 tracks he arranged.
It is in this very band where “The Bluesy Side of Jazz” and “The Jazzy Side of Blues” meet and Marco shows his great musical personality and is able to show all these different styles in a very clear way.
– With a similar style, Marco formed another band, the MARCO FIUME TRIO, again with Donny Gruendler on drums but Jeff Turmes on double bass. The participation of Jeff is very important since Jeff Turmes is among the most required blues musicians in all of West Coast. Highly talented polyinstrumentist (he plays bass, sax, guitar, piano, and sings…!). He was a former member of the James Harman Band for years, and accompanied artists such as Pinetop Perkins ,James Cotton and Jody Williams.
The Marco Fiume Trio recorded a demo on september 24th, 2001 in which we find tracks written and arranged by Marco : “Kesseland”, a tribute to Barney Kessel (one of the musicians who Marco most admired and whom he had the complete record collection of), “Uno Mas” a latin track (at first entitled “Marco’ s Mambo”) that had been recorded by Rick Holmstrom in 2000 for the Tone-Cool Records label, “Marco’s Shuffle”, a lively winning piece and eventually, “Get-O”, written with Jeff Turmes and Donny Gruendler.
– Marco takes part in another instrumental trio, the TRIO LOCO, a group including Ronnie James Weber on double bass and the great pianist Carl Sonny Leyland, an extraordinary boogie-woogie soloist who used to appear in the largest European jazz and blues festivals. The collaboration between Marco and Carl Sonny Leyland was remarkable, leading to a demo 5 track demo.
– Recently Marco played with several other bands, like HOLLYWOOD COMBO, a group which proposes a mix of swing, rock & roll, rhythm & blues according the style of years ’40 and ’50, and BLUE SHADOWS, another blues band which usually performed in the famous King King Club in Hollywood. With this group, a live session was recorded right there at the King King, on March 18th, 2002.
– However the group Marco played more regularly with (from August 26th, 1999 until December 31st, 2001) was the CANDYE KANE Band, the Californian singer whose voice was defined by the Washington Post “a natural wonder like the Grand Canyon”. The “Chicago Tribunes” included his CD “The Toughest Girl Alive” among the first Ten Best CDs of the year.
Discography – Chronology of the Marco records
Sweet Betty Journey & Marco
- Sweet Betty Journey – “They Call Me Sweet Betty” – JSP Records 1997 – JSPCD2101.
- Harmonica Shorty and the Taildraggers – Northside Records 1998 – recorded at The House, Hollywood.
- Candye Kane – “The Toughest Girl Alive” – Buliseye Blues & Jazz – Rounder Records 2000. Marco plays on “Let’s commit adultery”, a piece without piano, unusual in Candye’s discography, allowing more space for Marco’s guitar playing.
- Rick Holmstrom – “Gonna Get Wild” – Tone Cool Records 2000. Rick Holmstrom is one of the most representative personalities of the west coast blues. He is an extraordinary talent, who played and recorded since the ‘90s with harp player Johnny Dyer, then for many years with Rod Piazza’s group the Mighty Flyers. Marco played guitar on “Wiggle Stick” with the group: obviously Rick Holmstrom, guitar and vocals, Rod Piazza harmonica, Honey Piazza piano, Bill Stuve bass and Steve Mugalian drums – that is, the complete Mighty Flyers! – In this CD Holmstrom plays also his instrumental composition as tribute to the creative vein of Marco, recording his blues-mambo “Uno mas” with a super-group with Rick Holmstrom on guitar, Junior Watson on bass (yes, Junior himself !) and Steve Mugalian on drums.
- Pacemaker & The Blue Vanguards, drummer Bob Newham’s group – “Tales from the basin “– of 2001, self-produced. Marco has participated to two tracks on this CD, in which Bob Newham takes advantage of the collaboration of great musicians like Junior Watson, Rick Holmstrom, San Pedro Slim and Johnny Dyer.
Concerts, tours and Festivals
Marco & Junior Watson (Junior’s Birthday)
Marco played in particular in Los Angeles area Clubs, frequently at the Liquid Kitty, Cafe Boogaloo, Cozy’ s, Blue Café, King King in Hollywood, The Derby, Down Beat, and with Candye Kane to the “Croces” in San Diego. With Candye Kane’s Band, Marco has participated in more than 200 shows in several States of the USA, including the “Waterfront Blues Festival” in Portland, shows in Savannah, Georgia, all of Florida, New York, Key West, San Francisco, New Orleans, San Diego, Santa Fe, El Paso and in many other cities. He came back to Europe during summer of 2000 with the “Candye Kane Band”, to play the most prestigious and important Festivals like the “Belgium Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Festival” in Peer (Belgium) and the Festival “Blues Passions” held in Cognac. In addition, in Cognac, Mark took part to Jimmy Morello’s memorable concert, alternating lead-guitar with Alex Schultz. It is just during these tours and particularly at the Cognac Festival that he started being appreciated in France. Here he participated to “The Donnye and Marie” television show with Candye’s band.
The musical style
Marco & Candye Kane Band @ Festival “Cognac Blues Passions”, 27 luglio 2000.
The musical style of guitar playing is fine and sophisticated but at same time incisive and dragging, strongly marked by either the most genuine blues and more sophisticated jazz and Rn’B than in the years ’40 and ’50. The two fundamental souls of Marco’s style were by one side, an extraordinary love for the classic Chicago Blues, in particular that of years ’50 (Jimmy Rogers, Louis Myers, Robert Lockwood, etc), together with a tendency to a typical jazz approach, as players like Bill Jennings, Floyd Smith, Tiny Grimes, and above all the best one, Charlie Christian. On the other hand, all this was effective thanks to a very strong sense of swing, that always accompanied his performances. The peculiarity that all the musicians appreciated and found playing with Marco was the stylistic coherence, in his own style. In fact he always kept his artistic purity, developing a way to play without compromises blues and jazz, light years away from the useless virtuosity too frequent in a lot of contemporary musicians playing. In a few words, he played only and exclusively what he wanted and the way he wanted. Another fundamental step of the complex evolution of his style is represented by the search of the tone. Marco was undoubtely one of the Italian guitar players who most devoted great attention to the quality of sound. He was an exceptional experimenter, and the continuous search for new instruments allowed him to obtain the tone he wished, that ‘old, round and soft sound ‘, he could hear in his favourite records. In fact, he played practically every type of guitar, obviously preferring the ‘vintage’ models that suited more to his style. His preferred guitar was perhaps an old acoustic Harmony dated from the ’50s that he bought from Junior Watson. Eventually, Marco was a record collector and deeply knew all forms of Afro-American music.
About Marco as a singer, a tape remains of what was recorded during the ”Radio Citta` 103” show, in Bologna, on November 27th, 1998, where he is interviewed and, together with his group, he plays and sings live “Kinky Woman” (Jimmy Vaughan), “Motorhead Baby” (Johnny Watson) and “I’m a Fool” (Binari re-arranged).
Marco @ Liquid Kitty, W Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA.