The Don Diego Trio
"​Diego is a ripping guitar player!"
Jim Heat (Reverend Horton Heat)
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"Diego is a great guitar player!"
Deke Dickerson
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"I first met Don Diego about six years ago when he invited me to come to Italy to play with his band the Adels. I’d already heard about this red hot guitarist and vocalsit from Sicily throught the Rockabilly Grapevine and I was happy to go out and stand toe to toe with him and play some good Rock ‘n’ Roll. I was amazed at just how great the band was... it was easy for them to play whatever I wanted to play... but I was even more amazed at the incredible talent that is Don Diego. As good a guitar man as anybody in the world, he is a true musician with his own untouchable style. He is also true to his music, which when you hear, you will instantly realize comes directly from his heart. I’m proud to say that over the years we have become great friends and we rip it up together as often as the fates allow. I hope we continue to do so, well into our old age and beyond!"
Mark Harman (Space Cadets, Restless)
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"I have worked with Don Diego he is a dedicated musician who can bring fire and humor into both his show and his playing. He’s good, perhaps a little too good. Truly a guitar threat from Sicily!"
Chris Casello
Don Diego Geraci: guitar and vocals
Andy Caligaris: drums
Giulio Farinelli: double bass
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The Don Diego Trio rose from the ashes of the band Adels, a neo-rockabilly band founded in 1994 by Diego Geraci. After that group was disbanded, Diego decided to embark on a new solo project in a more traditional country style. Thanks to their collaboration with multiple agents (Surfing Airlines, BWC Music, Billy Booking, 88 Booking) and the band members’ own skill in booking gigs, the group’s horizons expanded beyond the Italian borders to encompass the rest of Europe – and, just a few years later, the United States.
The sound of the band is focused on Diego's guitar work. He is a a twang fanatic, a master of the telecaster and has a deep knowledge of the “Travis Picking” technique. All these skills literally flow into their show, passing from the classic Bakersfield Country, to the Texas Western Swing, into the traditional rockabilly feel without forgetting the land from where he comes from, the Sicily island (and it means that a lot of “South Italy” flavour is guaranteed during their performances).
In addition to their own shows, the musicians also offer their services as a backing band for other artists, usually Americans, at various festivals. This particular skill has ensured the Don Diego Trio a place at some of the genre’s most important festivals and collaborations with some of the most prominent artists on the scene today.
In addition to their focus on rockabilly, country and honky tonk music, the band is also working on a parallel project of traditional surf music and 1960s instrumental rock’n’roll, called The Coguaros, in which the musicians transform into their alter egos by putting on Mexican luchadores masks. This double life allows the Don Diego Trio to offer more shows, greater availability to a wider range of festivals, and to broaden their horizons beyond their origins as a band.
The Don Diego Trio has been nominated in the category of “Best Rockabilly Band” for three consecutive years at the Ameripolitan Awards (2016, 2017 and 2018) organized by Dale Watson, the American roots-music guru.
Upon learning about this band of Sicilians who play American music, the director, journalist and author Vittorio Bongiorno decided to follow the musicians on their second tour of the United States. Bongiorno translated this experience into the documentary film “Greetings From Austin.”
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The Ameripolitan experience
The Don Diego Trio, thanks to his musical direction, has been nominated as “Best Rockabilly Band” at the 2016 and at the 2017 Ameripolitan Awards, flying to Austin, Texas, to take part at this incredible music week dedicated to the classic side of the american music. They’ve played all around Texas for the showcases of the awards, and they also played as the house band at the famous after party at the Continental Club, backing artists like James Hand, James Intveld, Chris Casello, Rosie Flores, Joel Paterson, AdamLopez, Dale Watson, Jack Grelle, Ags Connolly, Marti Brom, Pat May, and many many others...
They even played at the famous Broken Spoke, at the Big T Roadhouse, at the C-Boys (hosting, in both places, the world famous "Chicken Shit Bingo"), at the ABGB. They also played their own show at both the Continental Clubs in Austin and in Houston. And they even did an intimate show into the Western Flyers' house, in front of the bosses of the Bob Wills Association (a community for the preservation of the western swing music all over the world, created by Bob Wills' daughter).
Biography
Diego, born in 1975, began playing classical guitar very young (in 1986), then move on, like all his peers grew up in the early 90s, to rock first, and blues then. In 1994 he founded the Adels, first as a power trio oriented to a rockin’ Texas blues sound, then, over the years, in a neorockabilly formula known and appreciated throughout Europe. He played with them until the early months of 2014, when he decided to focus on his own project. He’s also a master of swing manouche and traditional rockabilly (the first kind played along with the “Golden EraQuartet” and the second with thedrumless trio “Rockin’ D and theFabulous Roosters” or the "Don Diego and the Two Steps" trio). Over the years he has performed with a lot of artists like Ray Campi, Hayden Thompson, Deke Dickerson, Slim Jim Phantom, Marvin Rainwater, Sonny George, Johnny Powers, Jan Svenson (aka Wildfire Willie), Johnny Falstaff, Chris Casello, Mark Harman, Mouse Zinn, Jack Greele, Ags Connolly, Jimmie Lee Maslon, Levi Dexter, Rip Masters, Pep Torres, Jake Penrod, Dale Watson, Earl Jackson, Kristyn Harris, Lew Lewis, Go Getters, Jake Allen, Clem Sacco, AndyJ. Forest, Rockin' Bonnie, Dave Phillips, Mack Stevens, Marti Brom, Rockin’ Piano Sam, Breelan Angel, TexasMartha, John O’Malley, Tony Marlow, Micky, Violetta Zironi, Antonio Sorgentone, James Thompson, Herbie Goins, Rudy Rotta, and many others!
He has played in some of the biggest festivals in Europe and in Texas (Ameripolitan Awards TEXAS-USA, Good Rockin’ Tonight FR, Walldorf Rockabilly Weekend DE, Highschooll Hop SW, Shut Up and Bop DE, Summer Jamboree IT ,City,Jamboree DE, Rockabilly Convention DE, TrashtownRockabilly CH, Rockabilly Festival HU, Hot Guitar Party Festival SP, Volcan Rockers SP, Block Country Festival CH, Vintage Roots IT, Pistoia Blues IT, CustomParty IT, Rock and Roll Party IT, Maverick RnR IT, Kustom Weekend IT, DieciGiorni Suonati IT, Summer Vintage IT... and many, too many others to be
named all!).
He has done several times as opening act for artists of the highest level, as Brian Setzer (Rockabilly Riot tour 2011), Reverend Horton Heat (CustomParty 2013), BB King (Italian Tour 2002), Johnny Winter (Pistoia Blues2003), Jethro Tull (Pistoia Blues 2003), Paladins (Summer Jamboree 2013), Deke Dickerson (Rockabilly Weekend 2014), Los Straitjackets (Rome 2015), Nekromantix (Custom Party 2014), Restless (too many times to be mentioned!), Go Getters (also with them too many times to remember), The Jets (many times), Dave Phillips and the Hot Rod Gang (several times), SpaceCadets (Farewell Show); was often invited on stage by the headliners for memorable jam sessions (like the one with the Reverend Horton Heat or with the Restless, youtube is full of videos that testify their burning guitar duels).
Host of the“Guitar Killers Show”in France from 2013 to 2018, as a “master of ceremonies”.
He was invited by the supreme Deke Dickerson to take part in the first European Guitar Geek (Walldorf Weekend 2014).
He was also invited by the famous Go Getters as an additional guitarist for their tribute show to Ronnie Dawson (a hero for Diego and Peter, the GoGetters’ leader).
Don Diego works for the most important guitar magazine in Italy (Accordo.it), talking about classic sounds, vintage guitars and a lot of interviews. He’s also the artistic director of several festivals in southcentral Italy and creator of the“Guitar Friendzy”, an exhibition dedicated to the custom instruments and vintage in Sicily. He recently created the“Twang Festival”in Milan, a reunion of twangin’ pickers. He’s also member of the “house band” in different festival all over Europe. He has recorded several cds with the Adels (13to be exact) and has an experience of almost 200 live shows a year.
He has done workshops throughout Italy talking about the techniques and tricks of history’s most famous rockabilly guitarists.