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Pensa Day 2009 - Italy - with Special guests Chris White, John Illsley, Steve Phillips
THREE LEGENDS AND TWO NEW STARS FOR PENSA DAY 2009
23rd - 27th September - Borgo La Fornace - Italy
I came in Italy very excited because it was my very first Pensa Day. Borgo la fornace is a small, but very elegant and relaxing 5 stars SPA resort set in Tuscany's green heart. They has made a big organization with many surprises, very delicious food and wines, presents, great warm and very complaisant staff, doing everything for their guests to feel comfortable.
I won't post the set list of the 3 concerts now, because I'm sure I'll miss some songs. Will do that later...
The three concerts (24, 25 and 26 September) were built in three parts each...
The first part was performed by Polly Wood & Steve Picken, and also by Federico ( a very young italian finger's style guitar player). I'm not surprised by Polly and Steve because I have seen them last October in London's Bush Hall and also in April for the Sergio Tacchini's night for the International Tennis Tour AOTP. Polly is a young but very talented singer and songwriter and Steve Picken is a fingers style guitarist, both from UK. They played some old and new songs all written by Polly. During the Pensa Day concerts their performance was very artistic, powerful and full of young energy. They owned the hearts of the whole audience from the very first note to the last. Their style - a mix of acoustic, rock, blues and some Latino tunes totally blowed the public away.
I was delighted so much by Federico's beautiful voice and very good guitar playing. I like his songs too much. BRAVO Fede!!
It was GREAT to see Maestro Steve Phillips right away after them keeping his spirit young and so lively with his amazing, convincing and really elegant style of playing, behavior and everything on the stage and in the real life. A classical English gentleman with great smile, big heart and incredibly good with the guitar and singing.
The third part...well, they were John Illsley and Chris White from Dire Straits with Marco Caviglia & Solid Rock Band! What can I say...It was so incredible to feel the STRONG Dire Straits spirit again forced by both Dire Straits legends from the past - John and Chris, enjoying themselves so much together on the stage, especially because they did it for charity again, to rise money for the Children Hospital in Florence. They played three songs from the John's solo albums - First We Take Manhattan, I Want to See the Moon and All I Want Is You. The last two were played live for the very first time! The DS songs were Walk of Live, Sultans of Swing, Money For Nothing, So Far Away, Expresso Love, Where Do You Think You're Going (not in this order).
It was amazing to hear John saying during the all concerts that he had a great BAND with him in Pensa Day!! Here is the House Band members:
Marco Caviglia - Lead Guitar
Fabrizio Bruzzichini - Guitar
Primiano Di Biase - Keyboards
Maurizio Meo - Bass
Salvatore Scorrano - drums
There was a nice guitar exhibition of Pensa Guitars all the days.
Thank you Borgo la Fornace and the sponsor MEYER !! I'm sure the charity concert will help to the children of l'OSPEDALE PEDIATRICO di FIRENZE!
Well, a little bit more breath....THANK YOU John Illsley, Maestro Steve and Chris - Maestro di saxophone...with his incredible modesty he refused to be Maestro, but I'm sure he IS because there are hundreds of mails on his site by people learned to play the saxophone by the DS sax legend Chris White.
