Billy Gibbons, internationally known as the guitarist and front man for multi-platinum blues-rock legends ZZ Top, is touring in support of his debut solo album. The Afro-Cuban influenced Perfectamundo by Billy Gibbons and The BFG’s will be released by Concord Records , followed by an American tour which includes a stop at The Mahaffey.
The tour ends in Cuba, where Billy will play the Havana Jazz Festival – a perfect climax for an album that was initially inspired by an over-the-transom invitation to perform at last year’s Havana Jazz Festival. For the Perfectamundo tour, Billy’s band, The BFG’s, will consist of Martine “G.G.” GuiGui, Mike Flanigin, Alx “Guitarzza” Garza, SoZo and Melanie DiLorenzo.
“The BFG’s is, quite simply, a stab at something we didn’t previously know to be possible,” Gibbons recently told Rolling Stone. “That ‘something’ was composing and creating sessions to press the limits of the unknown. ZZ Top, by definition, remains a minimalist endeavor with a very straightforward established approach which continues to serve us well … The BFG’s, on the other hand, have now gone on to exploring some uncharted sonic and, especially, rhythmic territory within an accommodating context.
“Deep at the core of everything we do, either as ZZ Top or with the Perfectamundo aggregation, is the blues. That’s the diamond and we found a way to put it into a new, Afro-Cuban setting. It really does come from the same place. The prospect of taking it to Cuba in December is especially exciting should all things work out. Talk about wish fulfillment.”
The Mahaffey Theater, under the management of Big3 Entertainment, is one of Tampa Bay’s top-rated performing arts venues. Home to the Florida Orchestra, The Mahaffey hosts top-quality national and international artists and performances – Broadway, pop, rock, comedy, dance, classical and interactive engagements and exhibitions.
Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, the 2,031-seat cultural jewel boasts spectacular waterfront views and is located only minutes away from white sandy beaches and world-renowned museums. Additionally, the theater supports the highly successful Class Acts program, which enables school children to experience the performing arts through in-theater performances as well as in-school outreach and extension programs.