User:Valli Boldini/sandbox

Francesco Boldini (born 12 October 1964) in Spinea, Italy is an eclectic classically trained musician and producer. He has lived professionally with music since 1982, performing concerts in Italy and abroad.

From an early age he studied classical guitar with Angelo Amato (a pupil of A. Segovia) and in 1983 participated in numerous concerts along the Riviera del Brenta. He then added blues, rock and funky to his curriculum.

Career Music is a gift or a passion. Francesco definitely has the gift and also a passion for music.

1984 Together with some musician friends he forms the BLOODY NOSE band with whom he starts playing in the first ever clubs and pubs of northern Italy, for example The Tag[1] known at the time as an "underground" venue. On one of these evenings he meets the harmonicist Willy Mazzer [2] and and recently deceased drummer Orazio De Salvo [3] who asks Francesco to play with the De Salvo Blues Band.

1985 Francesco has numerous television appearances with the Riviera del Brenta Guitar Orchestra and as a soloist, in the soundtrack of the same. Together with the harmonicist Willy Mazzer, Bebo Baldan [4] on drums and Eugenio Masiero on bass, he founded the group Honeybee, offering a free blues repertoire in various clubs in Italy.

1986 - Concert activities continue and various other collaborations with local bands.

1987 Francesco moves to London after meeting his future wife Valli Henry-Boldini [5]. They marry in London in June 1989. After living in London for numerous years, they make their home in Venice, Italy where they have lived since 1994/95

Whilst in London Francesco played with numerous bands, artists for example, Henry De Foe [3] and recorded a Motown piece on his very first day in London with Eric Robinson and renowned British producer and good friend Andy Wright [2] in Trident Studios, Soho [6]

1988 - In February he returns to Italy for a short vacation in which some music jam evenings were organized with old friends, in one of these, the guitarist Tolo Marton [7] asks him to join his band. The Marton summer tour ends with 77 dates in all the major blues festivals in Italy, and several "jam sessions" with American artists such as: Phil Guy, [8] of the Blues Brothers Reunion.

1994 Francesco returns to Venice in 1994 where he begins playing with various bands - mainly blues.

1995 - He begins a collaboration with the guitarist Fabio Furlan, proposing a repertoire of South American music, and performing in many Italian classical music venues

1996 He records his first CD Searchin' with group members Dario Sgobaro [9] on bass and Paolo Callegaro [10]on drums. The lyrics were written by his wife Valli Henry-Boldini.

1997 Francesco continues his music collaboration with The Headhunters Group.

Not long after, Francesco follows up with a live CD, which was recorded in Vascon, Italy and then he recorded Missin' 2Day after being on tour and delusioned by the Italian live Music circuit. The lyrics were once again written by his wife Valli Henry-Boldini.

1999 A summer tour with Ron[11] in all the well known "piazze" in Italy as well as TV appearances., while at the same time playing with his own band, F B Group in Germany and Italy.

2000 A Summer tour with his own F B Group and a summer/winter theatre tour with Ron.

2001 - A further tour with Ron (winter/summer) along with 2 TV shows on RAI 2 as guitarist in Ron's band together with the Beppe Vissicchio [12] orchestra in which numerous Italian artists were guests. The activity of the trio and with Willy Mazzer and the Headhunters Group continues.

2002 - He plays a final winter tour with Ron. In May, he auditions for Gianluca Grignani [13]and is chosen as head of the band as well as lead guitarist. He does the summer tour as well as numerous live and non-live TV promotions, such as MTV,[14] Festival Bar,[15] radio and live concerts.

2003 - A theatrical tour with Gianluca Grignani as well as recording guitars etc on Grignani's latest album entitled Succo di Vita.

He records his original compositions on another album produced by Roberto Rusconi dedicated to water, collaborating with musicians such as Billy Hart, Cameron Brown, Marisa Monte, Ursula Rucker.

2003 In November, he opens for the Biréli Lagrène [16]concert in Conegliano.

Naturally, at the same time, Francesco continues both with the F B Group, various colloborations but above all as a solo guitarist in various Italian clubs.

2004 - A further winter tour with Gianluca Grignani.

2004 Tours in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, with the Organ Voodoo band.

2005 The pre-production of his next CD begins. Live activity continues in Italy and abroad.

2006 March - A new CD entitled Missin ’2Day is released, with all his own music compositions and lyrics by his wife Valli Henry-Boldini.

2007 Francesco concludes his activity as a session musician and begins studio productions of some bands and solo artists. He begins playing with The Venice Gospel Ensamble headed by Luca Pitteri[17]

2008 Francesco records his 4th CD entitled Plus 42 and collaborates with two well seasoned British musicians, namely drummer Sam Kelly [8] and bassist Spy Austin [12], lyrics by Valli Henry-Boldini. He continues his activity as a producer participating in the realization of 9 CDs.

A collaboration begins with Stefano Dall’Armellina, songwriter from the Treviso area.

2009 - Francesco consolidates his activity as producer realizing a further 6 cd as arranger and artistic producer: He continues his live activity playing in theatres and local Italian clubs as well as summer festivals in Germany.

2010 - Sees the production of a Venetian music CD entitled Inno a Venezia by Orchextrana [18]with Luca Foffano [19] and the production of one by Maria Dal Rovere [20]. Live concerts continue with Stefano Dall'Armallina.

2011 to date Numerous collaborations with Alessandro Safina [21], Luca Foffano, Blues festivals in Italy, Germany and Europe.

He's also produced young and upcoming bands and solo artists as executive producer, writing music/arranging/recording together with his lyricist/co-pruducer wife Valli Henry-Boldini- the latest being Luca Brighi in 2017-2019

2019 At the moment he is recording 12 tracks as bass and guitar player for an renowned American artist (to be cited when allowed) with producer Darren Tate[22].