John Tropea

John Tropea (born January 7, 1946 in New York City) is a guitarist with extensive experience in the rock, pop, and jazz genres. Tropea has written for and played with major recording artists from around the world. In his long career, his contributions to other artist’s successes have been numerous, including his solo work with Eumir Deodato, (2001 theme), projects with Laura Nyro, Harry Chapin (Cat’s in the Cradle), Paul Simon (Fifty Ways), Eric Clapton (Journeyman), Dr. John, and many others.

Career

Tropea began guitar studies at the age of 12. His musical education continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied jazz guitar, harmony, Musical composition, and big band arranging. Immediately after arriving in Boston, Tropea began playing live R & B and jazz gigs with many different bands in the area, including The Three Degrees. Influenced by Wes Montgomery, Johnny Smith, Luiz Bonfá, Pat Martino, and George Benson, it was at this time that Tropea began to absorb those influences into an original style of his own. Also among his mentors at the time were the great Hammond B3 Organ players Jack McDuff and Jimmy Smith.

Tropea

Tropea (Italian pronunciation: [troˈpɛːa]; ancient Trapeia; Τράπεια in Ancient Greek) is a municipality located within the province of Vibo Valentia, in Calabria (southern Italy).

The town is a famous bathing place, situated on a reef, in the gulf of St. Euphemia connected with the mainland by a narrow strip in the Tyrrhenian Sea, toward the south with respect to Vibo Valentia and northward with respect to Ricadi and Capo Vaticano.

History

The history of Tropea begins in Roman times, when along its coast, Sextus Pompey defeated Octavius. In the south of Tropea, the Romans had built a commercial port, in the locality of Formicoli (from the name Forum of Hercules), mentioned by Pliny and Strabo.

The legend says that it was Hercules who, returning from Spain (Pillars of Hercules) stood on the Coast of Gods and made Tropea one of his ports.

Due to its peculiar position as terrace on the sea, Tropea played an important role during Roman, Norman and Aragonese times. In the surrounding areas have been found tombs dating back to the Magna Graecia period.