HARMONICOWBOY
VIDEO: GARY'S 2008 WMA FESTIVAL COWBOY OPRY PERFORMANCE
Gary's CD "Harmonicowboy" is under GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATION consideration for "Best Traditional Folk Album"! Click Here To Purchase CD
Gary Allegretto was recently honored by True West Magazine's Source Book "Best of the West Award",
crowning him "Best Harmonicowboy of 2009" and saying...
"... This harmonica wrangler has a versatile technique that is sure to impress the cowboy hat off your head."
In addition, Gary is a nominee finalist for the 2009 WMA "Best Instrumentalist Award".
Ralph and Tamara from Ralph's Back Porch Western Radio Show recently wrote:
"Gary Allegretto has everything it takes to be a STAR in Western music! With talent, charm, personality and a wagonload of good, solid songs and music, he's someone who is rising to greatness. His ability to make a harmonica sing is becoming legendary!"
HERE'S WHAT SOME OTHER FOLKS HAVE SAID ABOUT...
GARY'S PERFORMANCES:
“Gary Allegretto plays harmonica the way Casey Tibbs rode broncs.”
~Dave Stamey, Nationally Acclaimed Cowboy Performer
“…A real crowd pleaser…a show by himself, with his ability not only with his harmonica, but also a great singer and guitar player. A real triple threat!”
~Visalia Cowboy Cultural Committee
“Harmonica extraordinaire…someone who can truly make that harmonica talk…his harmonica runs the gamut from that high, sweet, lonesome sound of the plains, to steam locomotives, to cowboy boogie. An absolute must-see!”
~The Bear Valley Buckaroos
"The tall handsome stranger rode in and took the place by storm. If that sounds like a Western scenario, it was. Only it was the 2008 WMA International Western Music Festival, he was armed with a harmonica and he certainly knows how to shoot it!!"
~Rick Huff, Cowboy Columnist
“If you have ever sat by a campfire and played a harmonica…or wanted to…this is the music you wished you were making.”
~Gary Robertson, Cowboy Poet and Conejo Cowboy Show Producer
GARY'S CD:
“Gary Allegretto is in a class by himself and ‘Harmonicowboy’ is a downright winner... as a matter of fact, I'll stake my shaky reputation on it!”
~ Pat Richardson, Academy of Western Artists' Best Cowboy Poet Award
"Harmonicowboy is exceptional! I just finished listening to it and I want to tell you that it's one of the best I've heard front to back. Great job!"
~Lindalee Green, WMA President, California Chapter
"I love this CD! ... in fact, I think we played it about 10 times in the car the other day! It 's really great material that's fun to listen to. I'm blown away by Gary's masterful talent."
~Marvin O'Dell, Cowboy Music DJ, Heartland Public Radio
“Great piece of work! The songs are well written... vocals, orchestration, and arrangements are great... and Gary sure enough can sing and play the hell out of a harmonica!”
~ Les Buffam, WMA Songwriter of the Year Award Winner
"Make no mistake...the effect of "Harmonicowboy" is Fun with a capitol F... infectious and irresistible... about as "cowboy" as it gets."
~Rick Huff, The Western Way
GARY'S HARMONICA WORKSHOPS:
"Gary was a hit with our crowd! After our audience heard Gary perform, the harmonicas for his workshop sold out in less than an hour. We were all very impressed at Gary's great ability to teach us ‘greenhorns’ to play the harmonica."
~ Dave Sievers, Big Bear Cowboy Gathering Committee
"Gary's ability to teach young and old alike to play the harmonica was a real plus for our attendees. Not only was his Harmonica Workshop a huge success during the WMA Festival, he delighted everyone with his performance on the Friday Night Opry!"
~Marsha Short, WMA Membership Director
"Everybody’s favorite Harmonicowboy, Gary Allegretto, taught a three-hour Harmonica Workshop. With free harmonicas courtesy of the WMA, there were people of all ages learning harmonica “the cowboy way!” Gary tours internationally as a performer and has a great way of bringing the complete novice to playing a tune in almost no time at all. And that he did!"
~William Merritt, 2008 WMA Festival Article for cowboypoetry.com
When Gary Allegretto was a kid his grandfather, a woodsman in the Appalachian Mountains, gave him a gift that would change life ~ his harmonica. It immediately became his prized possession and consuming passion. Endless hours of self-instruction eventually produced songs and a sound that would often take him to the land of his dreams ~ the American West.
As soon as he reached adolescence, Gary set out to live this dream by studying
Forestry at Northern Arizona University. He found work as a forester in the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico. With a harmonica always in his vest pocket, rucksack, or on the dashboard of his pickup truck, he worked as backcountry ranger and a USFS “Hotshot” forest firefighter all over the West. Soon he was working and playing harmonica at gatherings on friend’s ranches in Colorado and Wyoming where a cattle round up or branding would end with a campfire jam session. He even worked as a “bouncer” in a couple rough honky-tonks in Santa Fe, often sitting in with the bands. In time he was himself performing on the stages of festivals and cowboy venues and his nickname “Harmonicowboy “ was born.
MUSIC:
Down the road, Gary has performed in shows alongside top-notch cowboy performers and friends such as Dave Stamey, Pat Richardson, Gary Roberson, Curly Musgrave, Les Buffam, Red Steagall, Rusty Richards, and many others. He’s been featured at many Cowboy gatherings including Albuquerque, Big Bear, Tehachapi, Visalia, Los Olivos, Thousand Oaks, and more. His many recording credits include songs on Dave Stamey’s recent album “Old Friends”. Allegretto has also performed on stages overseas and his music has been featured in film and television. Among his many vocational adventures, he’s been a “Marlboro Man” and worked with Johnny Cash in a commercial. His songs can be found on the soundtrack of the national PBS television program "Road Trip Nation". Gary was recently filmed and interviewed for the harmonica documentary film "Pocket Full Of Soul”. He has received awards for his harmonica playing and is endorsed by Hohner, the world's top harmonica manufacturer. Of special note, Gary's latest release "Harmonicowboy" is under Grammy Award Nomination consideration for Best Traditional Folk Album.
WORKSHOPS:
In addition to his captivating performances, Allegretto offers venues the unique option and opportunity to provide entertaining harmonica workshops. His workshops include new harmonicas & lessons for folks of all ages and ability levels ~ a rare opportunity to learn from a professional. Through Gary’s friendly techniques, folks are always amazed when they learn their favorite western songs - in minutes. He was recently invited to perform and teach harmonica workshops at the 2008 Western Music Association festival in Albuquerque. Other venues he’s performed and taught workshops at include the Big Bear Cowboy Gathering, Augusta Heritage Center, California Traditional Music Society's Folk Festival, the Folk Alliance Conference, Telluride Blues Camp, Riverfront Blues Festival, John Gindick's Harmonica Jam Camp, and Stax Music Academy in Memphis.
To see video of Gary's recent workshop with school children in Visilia, CA. visit:
www.visaliatimesdelta.com/section/videonetwork
THE COWBOY WAY:
Of special note, Gary is the founder and director of Harmonikids, a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization that provides music therapy with harmonicas and lessons to special needs children internationally. Allegretto has provided aid to special needs children from the Tsunami refugee camps of North Sumatra, Indonesia to the Katrina evacuee trailer villages of Louisiana and many points in between. Harmonikids has received widespread acclaim in the media including The Today Show, Child magazine, Vogue, Blues Revue, and Living Blues Magazines.
For more information about Gary's unique charitable work visit: www.harmonikids.org
FOR CONTACT INFO AND BOOKINGS PLEASE VISIT:
www.westernmusic.com
gallegretto@earthlink.net
HEY GARY, I SURE DO APPRECIATE YOU TAKIN' THE TIME TO STOP BY. YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME. I LISTENED TO YOUR TUNES, I LIKE! THANKS AGAIN AMIGO. 'TIL THEN, SWL
Thanks for "spacin" with me. Give me a holler if your cowboy adventures bring you to No. CA. Would love to plug ya in for one of our gigs up here. Harmonica On!
Howdy! I'm Ralph and we host a Western/Classic Country/TEXAS honky-tonk radio show right here at www. ralphsbackporch. com every Monday & Friday night 7 until 9 PM LIVE!
WE NEED YOUR MUSIC & POETRY!
Will you send us some for airplay?
Ralphs Back Porch 617 S Liberty San augustine TEXAS 75972
Thanks for adding us to your List of Friends! We sure do appreciate it...and you know you're always welcome when you visit "Our Space"...So stop by any time!
Happy Trails...
Donna, Rhonda & Janet "Sisters of the Silver Sage"
