Robi Zonca
So Good

Probably the name Robi Zonca, an excellent guitarist and vocalist, might not mean much to the general public, but enthusiasts of blues and industry insiders recognize this musician as one of the main figures in the Italian blues scene and beyond.

With numerous and prestigious collaborations both in Italy and abroad with artists of the caliber of Tolo Marton, Treves Blues Band, Ginger Baker, Ronnie Jones, Andy J. Forest, and many others, he has carved out a significant space and credibility, and the step towards independent production and publishing is the logical consequence of such passion, experience, and talent.

He debuted in 2003 with the album "Do You Know?" which was immediately appreciated and broadcast by the many coveted specialized radios in the States and Europe, marking only the beginning of a musical journey full of success and satisfaction that led him to record three more albums up to this new and excellent "So Good", freshly published.

A brilliant, fresh, and fun album alternating electric blues in perfect Chicago Blues style with smooth and melancholic ballads, an elegant and classy work, and it couldn't be otherwise given the quality of Zonca's band, also graced by some illustrious guests such as Fabrizio Bosso on trumpet, Luther Kent on vocals, and "Jantoman" Aguzzi, already a member of Elio e S.T., on keyboards.

The title track "So Good" opens the proceedings with an engaging riff that strongly conveys Texas Blues, and it's an excellent start for an album that immediately proves to be very pleasant, an impression confirmed by the subsequent "Feel Like Dancing" which takes us onto absolutely overwhelming funky blues tracks with brass and the crystal-clear, elegant guitar of Zonca as absolute protagonists, brass that becomes even more impactful in "Feel Like Dancing Reprise" at track no. 10 with the amazing participation of Fabrizio Bosso in a piece where funky and jazz  fuse sublimely, with the only "flaw" being the piece is too
short for my taste.

Alongside sunny and electric tracks, as I was saying, we also find fascinating and melancholic ballads with a great atmosphere, such as "Save My Soul" with the splendid duet of Robi Zonca and Sabrina Kabua, and especially the beautiful "Don't Let The Sun Catch Your Crying", which brings us back with our hearts to the banks of the Mississippi with the warm and melancholic voice of Luther Kent, reminding us of the origins of blues and the strong emotional sensations that have always distinguished it.
Ultimately, a beautiful and entertaining album with 11 tracks that flow pleasantly and without tone drops, elegantly in sounds, voices, and all compositions, a work meticulously crafted and permeated with genuine passion and love for blues in all its facets, in both the more intimate and typically southern transitions and the more electric and urban atmospheres typical of Chicago and Detroit blues, further and yet another demonstration that in Italy there are excellent musicians who do not fear any comparison on an international level, what unfortunately lacks is visibility, a certain culture and musical education, and spaces to perform, but this is a discussion that would lead us too far.

Not to be missed!

I conclude with a couple of videos and a special thank you to Robi Zonca for the much-appreciated and friendly collaboration, sympathy, and great availability.