Emiliano Degl'Innocenti

Bio

Emiliano Degl'Innocenti is a singer and guitarist born and raised in Pistoia, Italy. His love for Black American music started early, sparked by the Blues Brothers film and the Pistoia Blues Festival happening right in his hometown.

He picked up the guitar at 15 and never put it down. He collects, customizes and builds guitars, and has been playing live across Italy and Germany ever since. He started with Mississippi Delta Blues, then developed his own style blending Soul, Funk, R&B and DownHome Blues.

His influences range from Bukka White and Big Jack Johnson to Cornell Dupree, Magic Sam and Jimmy Smith — but his first hero was Steve Cropper, which made him a deep connoisseur of the Memphis sound and the STAX Records catalog.

This led him to play guitar for Eddie Floyd (2009), The Miracles, and Ben E. King (2010). His longest and most meaningful collaboration was with bluesman Guitar Crusher, lasting 15 years. He has also worked with McKinley Moore, Ben Perkoff, John Henry, Lee Scratch Perry and the Berlin-based Rhythm & Beat ORGANization.

Projects

Evil Panther & Cool Cat

Genuine Blues Duo

Emiliano Degl'Innocenti — guitar & vocals · Niccolò Pizzicori (detto Pantero) - upright bass & vocals

An authentic, high-energy performance featuring a repertoire that starts from the rural American blues of a century ago and, guided by a range of artists (from the most well-known to the lesser-known), reaches all the way to the present day.

a little rehearsal during the photoshooting

Mud Machine

Groove & Blues Trio

Emiliano Degl'Innocenti — guitar & vocals · Rick Landi — keys & bass · Il Secco — drums

In February 2020, Emiliano met the Janus duo (Rick and Il Secco) at a jam session and was struck by their drive and tightness. They started playing together as a trio, covering a wide range of material from archaic blues to '60s soul and R&B classics, with plenty of room for hypnotic improvisation.

Tough Times, Muddy Grooves — 8 originals and one translated cover. Il Popolo del Blues (2025).

fooling around with flying home

Tough Times, Muddy Grooves — 8 originals and one translated cover. Il Popolo del Blues (2025).

Telegram →Instagram →

Big Monkey

Rock & Roll

Emiliano Degl'Innocenti — guitar & vocals · Francesco Ceccanti — guitar · Alessandro Berti - bass · Simone Tognoni - drums

Blues, Rock & Roll, Surf, R&B with a monkey feeling.

Fried Brains

Blues & Spiritual Duo

Laura Piunti — vocals · Emiliano Degl'Innocenti — guitar & vocals

Together since 2016, the duo has built a distinctive, original sound. Their repertoire spans 100 years of popular music — from early blues and spirituals to songs from the catalogs of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Nina Simone, with a special focus on the Staple Singers.