Izzo Blues Coalition

The Izzo Blues Coalition is a three-piece ensemble, including Tino Izzo and his longtime right-hand man Bob Telaro. This bold foray into long-neglected territory has yielded ‘Complicated Man’, IBC’s expressive and undeniably ballsy debut record. With Izzo’s seasoned, virtuosic guitar chops and trademark throaty vocal delivery backed by Telaro’s recognizably laid-back, heavy-hitting drum work, the album breaks new ground in the Blues Rock landscape. This unhinged collection of inspired blues recordings marries compositional intricacy with technical prowess, making for a streamlined, exhilarating listen that redefines Izzo as a latent blues rock visionary. This renewed interest in guitar-based arrangements should come as no surprise to those who have been closely following Izzo’s instrumental discography and production work, both of which have consistently employed an organic approach regardless of genre. Having first picked up a six-string at 10 years old, guitar-playing has been Izzo's recurring obsession and an irrevocable facet of his creative process. Having first picked up a six-string at 10 years old, guitar-playing has been Izzo's recurring obsession and an irrevocable facet of his creative process. His initial goal of achieving the epitome of technical skill has over time matured into the belief that expression and listenability should take precedence over flashy affections, and this ethos is evident across 'Complicated Man'. Pairing this intuitive understanding of theoretical side of music with an ear-candy approach to songcraft, IBC sounds like the culmination of a lifelong, genre-spanning obsession with not only the guitar, but music at large. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.