Marcus Bonfanti - Hard Times (2008/2019)

One man, one guitar, and a lifetime of influences make up Hard Times, the unprecedented debut album by British blues artist Marcus Bonfanti. That lifetime may be just 26 years, but the young Londoner, of Italian and British parentage, has packed enough playing into that time to create a distinctive sound that doffs a cap to the very heart of the blues, but is entirely his own.

With three years touring the world as a sideman and hundreds of gigs with his own blues band, Bonfanti has the heart and soul of a confirmed bluesman, with the face of a rock star. Successful support slot in July 2008 on the Robert Cray tour, opening for Chuck Berry, Ian Siegal, Sandi Thom, Paul Jones, and Dave Kelly.