Band picture

Biography

Freddie “Cannonball” Albertoni is a Swiss bass player who has been on the Swiss-Italian blues scene for 15 years. He was the founder of a renowned local blues/rock band called ‘The Flag’ and for many years a bass player for legendary Swiss bluesman Bat Battiston. In autumn 2018, Federico Albertoni decides to take the frontman role, to start singing and to form his own 100% blues band: Freddie & The Cannonballs. The experienced and talented musicians who joined his sextet are his musical brother Mad Mantello (guitar), drummer Roberto Panzeri, Cristiano Arcioni (organ) and saxophone players Nigel Casey and Olmo Antezana. Having a small horn section allows Freddie’s band to have the swinging sound of the blues of the 50s and to combine it with modern sounds too. The band’s repertoire features many original songs as well as a substantial tribute to Jimmie Vaughan. The band’s first record, i.e. an EP entitled “F” which features four original songs, came out in June 2019. Freddie & the Cannonballs then had the chance to perform at two major Swiss blues festivals: Bellinzona Blues and Lugano Blues to Bop. In May 2020 the band has the great honour of being selected as one of the four finalists of the 2020 Swiss Blues Challenge, which was later postponed to July 2nd 2021 due to the unfortunate Covid-19 situation. On May 28th our organist, friend and brother Cristiano Arcioni tragically dies.