Billy Torello
Il Passato ha gli Zoccoli

Billy Torello is the alter ego of Angelo Bignamini from Italy. He's a drummer in the psych band The Great Saunites and records grinding noise with the Lucifer Big Band. While this is all heavy and grim stuff, his recordings as Billy Torello is superb folk and blues with a low bow to the omnipresent masters of solo acoustic steel string guitar – John Fahey and Robbie Basho.

While most of the tracks on Il Passato ha gli Zoccoli have a familiar touch of primitive fingerstyle guitar, Torello surprises with the uplifting folk number Quanto Può Mancare Una Catena and the Animal Collective, freaky folk like title track Il Passato Ha Gli Zoccoli.

Another highlight is Il Figlio Calvo, a raga like piece in best vein of Robbie Basho or Richard Osborn.

While Il Passato ha gli Zoccoli is on bandcamp only for streaming (free download at the Free Music Archive, Torello's debut (?) Ultime Notizie dalla Tartaruga - Chitarra Vol. 2 is up for grabs on the band camp ground.

It's a bit more heavy on the lapsteel and it sounds a bit thinner compared to Il Passato ha gli Zoccoli. But it's a nice listen nonetheless.

If you enjoyed all the other guitarists from Italy that I posted before (Roberto Menabò, Enrico Marcandalli, Egle Sommacal or Maurizio Angeletti) then you should not miss Billy Torello.

Thanks again to Simone Romei for recommend this to me.