Judge Gazza

Judge Gazza is a retro swampy punk blues band originating from Syracuse New York. The band brings it's growling vocals, raw bare bones Peavey powered slide guitar and pounding Converse Chuck Taylor hill stomp rhythmic beats to the back corners and sidewalks outside punk rock shows and the campfires of metal band summer festivals all over Central and Western New York. Joined by Ryan O'Connell on drums in the spring of 2017, the addition of this incredible drummer brings the level of energy up about five notches to Judge Gazza shows. Ryan comes to the band out of the punk scene of Sewercuse and brings all of the dirt and raw energy of that vibrant scene to the band. Judge Gazza plays homemade cigar box guitars made mostly from parts he acquires around Syracuse. Empty cigar boxes from Rocky's News, lumber from Lowes and Home Depot, nut's and bolts from the Village Ace Hardware store and scrap guitar parts from the "junk bin" at Gorham Brothers music. The band's influences come from the north Mississippi hill country blues musicians such as Mississippi Fred McDowell, Bukka White, Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. More modern influences come from Left Lane Cruiser, Molly Gene One Whoman Band, Bob Log and Reverend Peyton. Judge Gazza is an electrical engineer by day and village justice by night. He began his do it yourself musical career as a kid shorting out electrical outlets in his bedroom after bedtime just to watch the spark and listen to his dad stomp down the cellar stairs to reset the breakers. In the mid 70's while in high school he began building bass guitar amplifiers and electronic synthesizers. In the 80's he moved on to speaker systems, stages and spandex trousers for his western NY hair metal band Damon. He took a 25 year sabbatical from music to "grow up", finish college and settle down. During the 2000's he turned his I can do that style building toward Harley choppers as an early member of the Quad Cam Bastards chopper club. A few years ago after downsizing his life and finding himself in a small apartment with no garage he set aside the motorcycles in favor of a cramped wood shop in the corner of his kitchen where he began to make and play homemade musical instruments. Judge Gazza's first EP is on cassette tape via LRS Records in Syracuse NY. Judge Gazza & Co. Cigar Box Guitar Blues