Official Bio:
Allegretto’s harmonica performances have captivated audiences from the stages of venues and festivals worldwide and his recordings have received multiple Grammy Award nomination considerations. His music has topped the Blues and Roots radio charts internationally. On stage his live shows have attracted guest performances by famous musicains such as Prince, Mick Taylor, Warren Haynes, David Lee Roth, Rick James and celebrity musicians such as Queen Latifah, Bruce Willis, and Dennis Quaid. He is the 2011 recipient of the Blues Foundation’s prestigious “Keeping the Blues Alive” award. He’s been praised in the pages of prominent Blues press including Blues Revue, Blueswax, Living Blues, Big City Blues, Blues Matters, and more. Critics have called his musicianship “world class”, “masterful”, ‘jaw-dropping”, and “exemplary”. His songs can be found on film and television productions including the soundtracks of Johnny Depp’s film “Rum Diary” and the national PBS television program “Roadtrip Nation”. Gary is prominently featured in the KBA award winning harmonica documentary film “Pocket Full Of Soul”. He has performed nationally & internationally both backed by his all-star electric band and/or acoustically. His performances never fail to catch the intrigue of his audiences, often including prominent musicians and occasional celebrities. For two decades Hohner, the world’s top harmonica manufacturer, has enthusiastically endorsed Allegretto.
Allegretto is also a renowned Blues educator and recipient of the Blues Foundation’s prestigious 2011 KBA Award in education. Recently Gary was chosen unanimously to be the first harmonica instructor at the Pinetop Perkins Foundation’s Master Class 2012. Of special note, Gary is the founder and director of Harmonikids (see www.harmonikids.org) which is a 501(c)3 non profit charitable organization that provides music therapy with harmonicas and lessons to special needs children internationally. His work has earned him the aforementioned 2011 KBA award and 2010 Artists for a Better World award. Allegretto has provided aid to special needs children from the earthquake devastated Port Au Prince, Haiti, to the tsunami refugee camps of North Sumatra, Indonesia to the Katrina evacuee trailer villages of Louisiana and many points in between. Harmonikids has received widespread acclaim in the media including The Today Show, PBS News programs, as well as Vogue, Blues Revue, Blues Matters, Big City Blues, and Living Blues Magazines. For more information about his unique humanitarian work please visit www.harmonikids.org.
