Tony Z

A longtime presence on the New England blues club scene, Hammond B-3 specialist Tony Z also spent two years as a member of Boston guitarist Ronnie Earl's road ensemble, the Broadcasters. Born and raised locally, Tony Zamagni first played organ while attending St. Patrick's School in Roxbury. Early experience came with the Boston group Combat Zone, after which he performed with the Platters for a decade. During the second half of the 1980s he devoted considerable effort to forming his own touring unit and worked as a session musician at TK Records in Miami, where he appeared on an LP by the band Miami. Introduced to Ronnie Earl by mutual acquaintance trumpeter Bob Enos, Zamagni joined the Broadcasters from 1989 to 1991.

He relocated to Chicago in 1991 and spent the next three years with guitarist Larry McCray while also contributing to sessions for Son Seals, Saffire, Little Smokey Smothers, and Lee "Shot" Williams. His debut album, Get Down With the Blues, appeared on Rounder's Tone-Cool label in 1995. Self-produced at Streeterville Studios in Chicago, the recording featured guitar from former Roomful of Blues member Duke Robillard, drumming by Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, saxophone from Houston Person, harmonica by Sugar Blue, and bass by former Albert Collins sideman Johnny B. Gayden. Buddy Guy, sufficiently impressed, recruited Tony Z for his touring band. The second Tone Cool release, Kiss My Blues, followed in 1998 and included guitar by Cornell Dupree, another appearance by Bernard "Pretty" Purdie on drums, bass from Chuck Rainey, saxophone by Lenny Pickett, and harp on two tracks by Kim Wilson. Thereafter he continued touring both with Buddy Guy and as a solo artist, presenting his singular interpretation of the B-3 sound.