Anybody Know Anything About This?

[okehgaz]

Came across the "Porretta Soul Festival" website while doing some research at work

First i've heard of it!

Anybody been, know anything about it?

Just interested!

[FrankM]

It's an annual festival with the emphasis on Memphis artists and a few live albums have been issued.

[Guest]

Great place - good vibes - out in the open air for usually 3 or 4 nights - lovely food, drink and countryside to see during the day - whole town gets in on act - artists sit around in bars and cafes - very relaxed and always good shows - they have had most of the greats on at sometime.

Could be fitted into a holiday - because it is between Bologna and Florence - easiest way to get there is via Easy Jet/Ryanair and get train down or we hired car. Hotels locally are very cheap in comparison to say Tuscany and you book everyhing through the site - last time I went - as I was booking in Syl Johnson was in front of me booking in as well!!!!!!

Best wishes

Colin Dilnot

[jocko]

Great place - good vibes - out in the open air for usually 3 or 4 nights - lovely food, drink and countryside to see during the day - whole town gets in on act - artists sit around in bars and cafes - very relaxed and always good shows - they have had most of the greats on at sometime.

Could be fitted into a holiday - because it is between Bologna and Florence - easiest way to get there is via Easy Jet/Ryanair and get train down or we hired car. Hotels locally are very cheap in comparison to say Tuscany and you book everyhing through the site - last time I went - as I was booking in Syl Johnson was in front of me booking in as well!!!!!!

Best wishes

Colin Dilnot

link

Hi Colin, I think having seen your picture subsequently we have been in the same hotel at least twice in Poretta, including the Syl Johnson year.

This is the first year in about 6 I have not been there, my mate reported back that Cicero Blake was good on Friday, was just waiting on Billy Preston (assume things were late as usual at Porretta )

Its a great little place, very bizzare on the Saturday/Sunday afternoons sitting at the cafe near the new venue and watching all these american singers & musicians just chilling in the sunshine,

With Syl Johnson my mate who can speak fluent italian helped him change money so he came and sat and had coffee with us, giving us a free cd of him and his brother for helping, decided not to bug him about old records thinking he would have forgotten them but as he talked more about all the hip hop guys who had either paid him or not paid him for sampling, decided to tell him how much his Special Agent track was worth and warn him off people trying to get them, he not only remembered it but sang a few lines off the top of his head, then proceeded to sign Teardrops, it was magical but almost surrreal,

Only in Porretta can you imagine sitting having coffee with Syl Johnson for an afternoon!!!

Unfortunately I missed the James Carr/Shirley Brown/James Govan etc years but still worth a visit. if only for the food and wine and good company .

Cheers

Jock

[Guest]

Hi Jock

You are spot on with your comments about the place - I recall meeting Ann Peebles for the first time when I bumped into her as he was coming out her room!!!

That year I interviewed Syl - we talked for hours and he ended up missing his sound check/rehearsal - the band started playing the rehearsal in the park and the window was open - Syl hears the first song while we are sitting there in the room - he immediately starts singing a long - amazing - I still have it all on MD.

The only reason I haven't been recently was because I had caught people Stateside who were on the bill and couldn't justify the cost!!!! But I would love to go back and would advise anyone to go at least once!!! Did try to talk Graziano, one of the promoters into taking Laura Lee, Percy Wiggins, Willie Walker as a package but he didn't bite.

I actually did get Graziano to interview Laura for Italian TV when we bumped into him Muscle Shoals and Italian film crew in 2003 - it was a good interview and I never did find out whether it was transmitted.

I wish I had seen James Carr!!!!!!!!!! Govan who is a friend still talks affectionately of the place.

Best wishes

Colin Dilnot