Lineup
Giacomo Turra is an Italian musician born in 1997.
Intrigued by the vinyls of his father, Giacomo started playing guitar at the age of 13,
learning by jamming on his favorite artists like Stevie Wonder, George Benson and Herbie
Hancock. In 2018, he started his solo musical project, exploring R&B, Funk and Jazz and
releasing his first singles under the name JMT between 2019 and 2020. In March 2020,
during the pandemic lockdown, Giacomo started posting video performances on his
Instagram account, soon becoming an Artist for D'Angelico Guitars and gaining hundreds
of thousands of followers. In July 2021, Giacomo released "The Groove Sessions", a
compilation of Funk and R&B covers recorded with renowned musicians and singers from
all over the world like Brandon "TAZ" Niederauer, Phoebe Katis, Jessica Burdeaux,
George Collins and Augie Bello. On November 12th, 2021, Giacomo played his first
international show at the Paradiso in Amsterdam for the Soul Live in front of 2500 people.
In December 2021, Matteo Dallape on drums, Francesco Dallago on bass and Anna
Pollinari on vocals and keys joined the project as part of the band for Giacomo Turra. On
August 26th, Giacomo released his first original single “Get Into The Groove” with Vokall
Records. The following day, Giacomo and his band played their debut show, opening for
Joss Stone, Candy Dulfer and many more artists at the summer edition of the Soul Live
Festival in the Netherlands, in front of 5000 people. On October 21st, Giacomo released
his second original single "Sweet Life", in collaboration with Italian R&B singer Filippo
Perbellini. In November 2022, Giacomo and his band went on their first headliner tour in
Italy, with sold out shows in Milan, Bologna and Rome. In January 2023, Giacomo
released his signature guitar pickup model with Italian company Mama Pickups. In
February 2023, Giacomo announced the release of his signature Envelope Filter pedal in
collaboration with Canadian brand SolidgoldFX. Later that month, Giacomo and his band
played two sold out shows at The Zone in Tel Aviv, Israel. In March 2023, Giacomo
opened for French artist Mezerg in front of 1000 people at Fabrique in Milan. Later that
month, Giacomo Turra and his band announced a tour in May in the United States, with
shows in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Philadelphia and Nashville.
This guy---and his band mates---knows how to rock. Fantastic guitar work. Jazzy sounds. It was nice to disappear in the world of music they created.
Turra’s viral videos are certainly super impressive with great supporting musicians and a unique approach to funk playing. The licks online are creative and super syncopated which is fun. In Los Angeles, the band seemed to be really enjoying the fact that they had made it to Hollywood. However, at the small Peppermint Club, the playing was not nearly as crisp and polished as online, and some of the production decisions, including the sheer volume of everything and the heavily effected saxophone doubling a good amount of the guitar lines, was a bit off putting. I think this is lack of touring and live show experience. Once the band “settles down” and the guitar can shine clearly but within the mix, this will work better. The funk hits survey style will have an excited audience, and slowing down a bit and letting Turra shine with things he feels super comfortable playing live, showcasing the unique phrasing and percussive approach, will make this an overall better show.
Fantastic show at the Mercury Lounge. First time seeing the band in person and it didn’t disappoint. Intimate venue, fantastic sound. Worth every second.
Fantastic italian funky guitarist and group. .......................
An unbelievable and totally enjoyable performance by Giacomo Turra and the Funky Minutes in NYC! Amazing musicians and performers. I loved their seamless transitions from song to song and the energy they brought to the stage. They clearly enjoy playing together, and that rubs off on the audience. Bravo! I’ve become a big fan and will look for more opportunities to see them live in the future. They are definitely a must see! Come back to New York anytime and bring in the funk!!
There's a reason there aren't any live videos of this guy - the IG posts are recorded and heavily edited. The live performance doesn't even come close to what I expected based on his videos. Too bad.
