Robert Finley

La Traverse presents: Robert Finley.

After a lifetime of hard work, Robert Finley has become one of the voices of contemporary blues. After spending decades playing music on the streets and leading the gospel group Brother Finley and the Gospel Sisters, he released his first album at the age of 62. Six albums later, Finley has established himself as a modern-era bluesman with a powerful, gravelly voice steeped in gospel.

Opening act: Francesco Piu / Lakeetra Knowles, soul-blues duo — Italy/Arkansas.
With more than nine albums to his name, Francesco Piu has collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel and Eric Bibb, and has opened for artists such as Robert Cray and Joe Bonamassa in Europe and the United States. He is a blues guitarist and singer with an Italian accent. Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Lakeetra Knowles is a singer whose voice is rooted in gospel—her musical training began in church. An actress and singer in Broadway musicals and television programs, she has worked with numerous blues musicians such as Big Daddy Wilson and Boney Fields. She lives in Milan and regularly collaborates with Francesco Piu.