Gerardo Balestrieri

Originally from Naples, Gerardo Balestrieri incorporates the vibrant colors and texture of his native lands music into his kaleidescope of cultures in his music. With a deep, sardonic baritone often infused with bittersweet longing, he sings of love, clowns and musical scripture, longing for homelands and of social irony.

His travels throughout Eastern Europe and Greece have inspired his accordion and clarinet playing, and his open character has led him to wed Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and Western European music. His earlier album, I Nasi Buffi e la Scrittura Musicale, blends french chanson italian poetry, greek rembetikoh, and his own style. His latest, Un Turco Napolitano, is an hommage to his native Naples with a turkish band, blending two different- and yet surprisingly similar,passionate musical cultures.

Gerardo is joining members of Fishtank Ensemble (Fabrice Martinez on violin, his old friend and musical comrade back in Italy) and Doug Smolens on guitar. Rounding out his US ensemble are Roland Martinez from France on bass (Fabrice's brother) and Sean Tergis of the San Francisco turkish ensemble Delikanli on percussion.