Mike Guggino and Barrett Smith, of the Grammy Award winning Steep Canyon Rangers, are releasing their first full-length album June 14 entitled Mia Dolce Farfalla, a beautiful instrumental album of Italian dance music, or ballo liscio.
The title track is the one original tune on the album that Mike wrote and dedicated to his wife. The farfalla, or butterfly, has long been a symbol of the mandolin and it's fluttering tremolos. Mike and Barrett recorded together in Black Mountain over the months of the pandemic with Seth Kauffman of Floating Action at the helm.
Mike and Barrett have been performing traditional Italian folk music on the mandolin and guitar for nearly two decades. The duo first met in college, while both were studying jazz and classical music but also getting their feet wet in bluegrass and American folk music. When Mike and Barrett aren't touring with the band, they host "Italian Night" performances at local restaurants, music venues, and house concerts. Over the years, these widely popular events have provided them the perfect setting to develop their own unique musical expression of these exotic, Italian folk songs. The pandemic allowed them the time to finally record some of these songs.
The duo will celebrate the album release at 185 King Street in Brevard, NC on June 14.
Listen
From the album, the title track "Mia Dolce Farfalla."
Track Listing
- Nonno's Theme I
- Tarantella Napoletana
- Speranze Perdute
- Mia Dolce Farfalla
- Nonno's Theme II
- Aida
- Elvira
- Sicilian Mazurka
- Nonno's Theme III
- Mazurka Per Caterina
- Tarantella Potenzese
- Nonno’s Theme IV
- Amorino
- Tenebre Infinita
- Amore e Follia
- Nonno's Theme V
Additional Information
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