Giosa-Varela Band

January 3, 2026 @ 7:00PM — 9:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar

The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center: 605 Main Street Middletown, CT 06457 Get Directions

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Giosa-Varela Band

This show will have :

- Frank Varela on guitar, Rudi Weeks on bass, and Bryan Caudle on drums in addition to Morgan Giosa.
Morgan Giosa is a blues guitarist, visual artist, nature photographer, and web developer from Windsor, Connecticut.

From an early age, Morgan was raised around music and the arts. Morgan has naturally and intuitively discovered his passion in blues guitar and the visual arts through this frequent exposure to creativity.
A self described "old soul", Morgan feels his music is most rooted in inspiration from the electric psychedelic blues of the 1960s (artists such as Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, Jerry Garcia, and Jimi Hendrix are among his heroes), as well as influenced by the greatest electric bluesmen of all time (particularly B.B. King and Albert King).
Morgan has been composing original music with the guidance and collaborative input of his mentor, guitar virtuoso Frank Varela. The two, alongside drummer Alex Giosa and bassist Rudi Weeks, recorded the album "Feelin' Fine Today", released in November 2023. Songs from the album were featured on numerous radio programs including The Local Bands Show on 99.1 WPLR FM out of New Haven, CT and the New Music Alliance Radio Hour out of Springfield, MA. The opening track from "Feelin' Fine Today", "Hapless Blues", was named a semifinalist in the International Songwriting Competition in 2024.”


Frank Varela has dazzled audiences for many years with his guitar prowess. He is known among his peers as a unique master guitarist who ignites the interest of every listener. His imaginative compositions, arrangements of standards and numerous recording engagements has brought years of recognition, including favorable reviews in the nationally renowned publications such as "Jazz Improv" magazine.

The legendary Larry Coryell compared Frank Varela's playing to Jeff Beck and Grant Green in the liner notes of a Mystery Feet recording. This recording featuring Larry and Frank playing together on one of Frank's original tunes entitled Angelina Park.
Frank Varela's ability to inspire others is reflected in the improvement of many professional guitar playing peers who study privately with him to bring their playing to a different level. He takes pride in mentoring so many players including a long engagement teaching blues phenom Jake Kulak who Frank taught from Jake's first lessons at age 11 through to his acceptance into Berklee School of Music and Morgan Giosa who has performed at various CT and MA venues and recorded an album of original music with Frank and other veteran musicians.

Links: Website | Facebook | YouTube

Bryan Caudle has been playing drums since he was nine years old and started playing professionally at age 15. He has performed with a diverse array of bands ranging from rock, pop, jazz, blues, country, world music, classical and various marching bands. He has performed in several countries and has shared the stage with many world class musicians. He began teaching percussion privately in 1990.


"Rudi Weeks has been a professional musician and teacher of music for over fourty five years. He has performed with such 60s greats as The Contours, The Crests, and Ronnie Spector, and Folk and Bluegrass legends Tom Paxton and Tony Trischka.
He also toured internationally with the Dirty Dancing Concert Tour.

His extensive freelance performance and recording experience includes projects with over thirty ensembles, performing styles that range from classical, big band swing, jazz, Latin jazz, to world beat, R&B, funk, and rock.
He served as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Performing Arts Division and as an adjunct bass faculty member for Amherst College. He currently teaches at Holyoke Community College Music Department, Downtown Sounds in Northampton MA, Guitar Center in West Springfield and at his home.
He is a 20 year veteran of the popular Motown group Souled Out (currently called Center Stage)/ Magic of Motown/ Motor City Magic, and a 26 year veteran of the highly acclaimed Andean influenced world music group, Viva Quetzal."


This concert and other Buttonwood Tree events brought to you by our generous donors, volunteers, and the following organizations:

Music Academy – The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center

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