Italy’s Bluegrass Stuff had a history that spanned 46 years, but when Massimo Gatti, the band’s prime mover, called a halt to the band’s efforts in August 2023 when his son (who also happened to be the group’s banjo player) became unable to perform due to a serious problem with his right hand, the group’s dynamic changed dramatically. “I replaced him with a couple of other banjo players and other members of the band, but it was no longer the same,” Gatti says in retrospect. “I put the band on standby in the hope that my son could one day return to play the banjo. Recently, with my friend and former bandmate in Bluegrass Stuff, Ruben Minuto, we decided to create a new band. After a year of research, we called Colm Murphy (fiddle, vocals), Stefano Cavalloni (bass, vocals) and Fabio Mosetti (banjo, vocals), all of whom were also members of the Bluegrass Stuff in different years, and we created Max Ruben & Ancient Tones in November 2024.
Gatti describes the group as “a bluegrass band that embodies the essence of the American musical tradition, led by two pillars of the Italian bluegrass scene — Massimo Gatti on mandolin and vocals, and Ruben Minuto on guitar and vocals. With an authentic passion and a deep knowledge of the genre, Massimo and Ruben bring to the stage an overwhelming energy and a musical mastery that captures the attention of every audience.”
He then adds, “The repertoire is traditional but with many original songs and instrumentals. We add original vocals and instrumentals, and a taste of Italian flavor.”
The name references the title of a song by Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder within the context of the historical origins of bluegrass. In that regard, the band’s commitment to keeping the tradition alive and also infusing it with a fresh contemporary sound is indicated as well. Gatti lists Bill Monroe, The Johnson Mountain Boys, Flatt & Scruggs, Seldom Scene, David Grisman, and Tony Rice among the band’s other prime influences.
The current incarnation of the band has toured extensively — including in Europe, Japan, and the US — and performed at all the major festival in Europe, as well at the IBMA. They’ve also had opportunity to share stages with Peter Rowan, Bill Keith, Jim Rooney, Jim Eanes, Kenny Baker, Josh Graves, Tim O’Brien, Butch Baldassari, Mike Bub, Katy Kallich, and Sally Van Meter, among the many.
Gatti says the music has also resonated with audiences at home. “We have a great live show,” he insists.
Although Max Ruben & Ancient Tones haven’t spent much time in the studio other than to record a few demos, Gatti himself can claim a lengthy catalog consisting of more than seventeen albums in addition to eight others focused solely on bluegrass music. Max Ruben & Ancient Tones primarily concentrates on original material that still find a fit with various traditional tunes.
That said, the group has a lot to live up to given its link to the legacy of Bluegrass Stuff. That group was initially formed in 1977 and held the distinction of being Italy’s longest-lived bluegrass band, one that helped introduce bluegrass music into Italian culture at a time when that genre was wholly unknown in that country.
“When I started in 1976, no one in Italy knew about bluegrass,” Gatti recalls. “They only knew the Dueling Banjos track from the soundtrack of Deliverance, which happened to be a cult movie, even in Italy.”
Now, nearly half a century on, Bluegrass Stuff continues to be credited with influencing younger musicians who now incorporate bluegrass, old-time, and string band music into their repertoires. At the same time, Bluegrass Stuff furthered their own fame through their various festival appearances, radio broadcasts, reams of print publicity and collaborations with American musicians of special distinction. Or as the liner notes to one of their albums puts it, “The history of the Bluegrass Stuff band is the history of the introduction of bluegrass music into the Italian music scene.”
With Max Ruben & Ancient Tones, that legacy continues.
