In the News
Tony D's back from the edge
By Shelley Boettcher (Calgary Herald)
Printed October 10, 1999
From Jann Arden, to his latest recording, bad dates and his recent trip to Bosnia, no conversation topic is off limits to Tony D. The Ottawa-based electric blues guitarist (whose real name is Antonello Diteodoro) performs tonight in Calgary at Kaos Jazz and Blues Bistro.
He'll be accompanied by a full band, including drummer Miche Pouliot, renowned for his work with the likes of Bruce Cockburn, kd lang and Arden. "I won him in a poker game, Jann Arden lost," Tony D says. He's joking of course, but Tony D, 37, has plenty to be cheerful about these days. Described by blues aficionados as one of the top five blues guitarists in the country, he's on the road in support of his fourth album, Live Like Hell.
The recording, which features an appearance by fellow blues guitarist Sue Foley, will be for sale at tonight's show and will hit stores Oct. 25. In addition to covers of songs by blues legends like Albert Collins, it contains a few Diteodoro-penned numbers like Blues for Anna--one of those classic hurtin' kinda tunes.
Tony D admits the song is based on a true story, but he's coy about the specifics. The woman in question is a lawyer, a fan who started showing up at his gigs a few years ago. Before long, the two started dating, and that's where the problems began, he says. She's now trying to sue the government for some reason, and Tony D, well, he's staying clear of her. "Anna was a long time ago. It was an absolutely horrifying relationship," says Tony D. "I've never been asked about her before.....But she affected me quite a bit."
These days, he's steering clear of bad dates, choosing instead to spend time with his two-year old son and work on a television documentary about Canadian blues master Dutch Mason, which he hopes to complete next year. The two musicians played together in the early '90's. "Dutchie's one of my musical heroes....He almost singlehandedly started blues in Canada," he says. "I think people should know his story and his contributions to Canada."
Tony D's been travelling, too. Last year, the Italian-born musician spent eight days in Bosnia with a group of fellow performers, entertaining Canadian peacekeepers. "Was it scary ? Absolutely. We couldn't walk on the grass because of the mines," he says. "You're happy one minute because you're with all these other musicians, and then you're crying the next minute because you're by a mass grave of kids. Stuff like that just breaks your heart."
The experience helped him put his own life into perspective. "I broke down crying when I got home and I didn't know why. But it was a hell of a thing to go through," he says. "Could you imagine being in the war though, what that would do to your head ?.....Now I understand why vets set up legions and get together and talk about the war. They need these people (other soldiers). They've been to the edge of humanity."