A few days ago, on November 6, Marco Filotti, also known as Jimmy, was on stage with Capossella at the Dos Theater and wrote in a Facebook post: “It’s always nice to play with my dear friend Vinicio.”
Beginnings in the sixties
Today, Wednesday, December 6, Jimmy Velotti passed away from us. During the night, illness took him at the age of 78. A life spent on guitar strings, crossing genres without much artistic paranoia. He is also one of the artists who remember him in these hours Paolo Contewho writes on Facebook: “The passing of Jimmy, a loyal friend and wonderful artist, is a great pain for me. The right man with great human sympathy and empathy leaves with him. “The whole world that knew him will regret him and never forget him.”. In the 1960s Filotti was with the Meteors and then with other rhythm groups, and in the early 1970s he was together with Fio Zanotti behind the name Jimmy MEC and released a 45 rpm single for Fonit Cetra entitled Il Messia Of clear rock origin. Many colleagues and friends began requesting his guitar. Because his creativity and friendliness are so infectious.
Collaborating with big names in Italian music
In the midst of the punk explosion he wrote the rock opera Giulio Cesare A few years later he produced an album for Italy’s most famous crazy rock band, Skiantos, The album is “Pesissimo”. Meanwhile, he had already collaborated with Lucio Dalla, Francesco Guccini and Andrea Mingardi. His skill is so great that the list of artists who want him is growing beyond measure: Claudio Lolli, Sergio Indrego, Ornella Fanone, Luca Carbone, Gianni Morandi and Stadio. For about ten years he was Paolo Conti’s guitarist The lawyer from Asti even dedicated Jimmy’s song to him while he was dancingWhich concludes the 1987 album Aquaplano. Veloti begins to devote himself to his passion for jazz, recording some solo albums in the 1990s. The first orientation was already made in 1984 with “Jimtonic”. His sarcasm in the album of the same name from 1993 and in “Si fidi c ho il fez” from 1995 Record companies and producers are still considered a reference today when it comes to giving an example of a great musician who knew how to communicate with the instrument and with the audience without restrictions of musical genre.
Writing with the book “Onyricana”
In recent years, Jimmy has devoted himself to writing, describing the beginnings of his career in Bologna and also the world of dreams. “Onyricana”, the book published by Il Calamaro in 2019, is introduced by Filotti with these words: “Dreams have neither logic nor duty, let alone finality; Perhaps they have nothing but the representation of paradox, and here I find myself… smelling the scent of an ancient dream, among the last trees, beyond the hills.” A book with a cover designed by Paolo Conti and an introduction by Francesco Guccini: “Every time I write an introduction to a work by Filotti… I refer to… He carries within him the characteristics of genius because, with his extraordinary ability, He was able to cross his legs by placing his feet on the ground … Marco Velotti aka Jimmy is my friend and this makes my life happier and less painful.” Velotti is no longer here. Bologna loses a living monument. Italy loses a brilliant musician. The world is losing a person who understands the meaning of life.
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