Pappo's Blues -

Pappo’s Blues was an Argentine blues-rock/hard-rock band that released seven numerically-titled studio albums between 1971 and 1978. Anchored by its namesake guitarist frontman, the band featured a revolving door of top local talent, including guitarist/bassist David Lebón and bassist Alejandro Medina.

Members: Pappo (guitar, vocals), Black Amaya (drums), David Lebón (bass, guitar), Héctor “Pomo” Lorenzo (drums), Carlos Alberto Machi Rufino (bass, 1973), Alejandro Medina (bass, 1974-?), Isa Portugheis (percussion, 1974-?), Eduardo Garbagnatti (drums, 1974-75), Eduardo Beaudoux (bass, 1974-75), Dario Fernández (drums, 1978)

Background

Norberto Aníbal Napolitano (10 March 1950 – 25 February 2005), known as Pappo and also billed as El Carpo, emerged from Buenos Aires’ late-1960s rock circuit as a guitarist focused on blues and rock ’n’ roll vocabulary. Early listening centered on British groups and U.S. electric blues, and his first high-profile steps came through rotating roles in local bands, including stints with Los Abuelos de la Nada and Los Gatos, where he recorded albums in 1969 and 1970.

In 1970, he moved from side work into a dedicated vehicle under his own name, forming Pappo’s Blues as a power trio with bassist David Lebón and drummer Black Amaya. The lineup concentrated on a stripped, guitar-led band format with Pappo as primary writer and frontman, and it carried directly into the group’s first studio sessions. Pappo’s Blues recorded their self-titled debut during December 1970–January 1971 at Estudios Phonal in Buenos Aires and issued it on Music Hall in 1971, setting the baseline for a project that continued with frequent personnel changes around Pappo as the constant member.

Pappo’s Blues

Pappo’s Blues released their self-titled debut album in August 1971 on Music Hall.

The album documents Pappo’s first full-length release after his time with Los Gatos, built around original material written by Pappo. Pappo fronts the trio on vocals and electric guitar, adding piano, while bassist David Lebón (credited at the time as “Davies”) and drummer Black Amaya complete the lineup.

On Pappo’s Blues (a.k.a. Volumen 1), the trio runs on stripped, low-frills capture and tight eye-contact between guitar, bass, and drums. “Algo Ha Cambiado” opens at a hard pace with wah-heavy riff cycles and a long lead line that rides over clipped snare accents and a forward bass figure. “El Viejo” drops into a slower, twang-leaning frame, then “Gris y Amarillo” snaps back with rougher attack and shorter, dirtier turns.

“Hansen” sits under a vocal effect that stays on top of the mix, but the track pivots once the solo starts, with the bass line pushed forward and the band tightening around the guitar’s peak phrases. “Adiós Willy” breaks the sequence with a brief piano feature, then “El Hombre Suburbano” returns to a brisk, barroom pulse with blunt phrasing and quick chord shifts. “Especies” leans on a dense, weighty riff and feverish solo pressure, with a vocal tone that recalls Alejandro Medina in its raw edge. The closer “Adónde Está la Libertad” stretches to full length, sets up direct social lines over steady verse motion, then opens into an extended jam tail where wah returns and the band holds a firm, insistent pulse as the solo runs long.

A1. “Algo ha cambiado” [Something Has Changed] (4:25)
A2. “El viejo” [The Old Man] (2:43)
A3. “Gris y amarillo” [Gray and Yellow] (3:48)
A4. “Hansen” (4:40)
A5. “Adiós Willy” [Goodbye Willy] (Instrumental) (1:40)

B1. “El hombre suburbano” [The Suburban Man] (2:20)
B2. “Especies” [Species] (4:30)
B3. “Adónde está la libertad” [Where Is Freedom] (9:00)

The band recorded the album at Estudios Phonal in Buenos Aires between December 1970 and January 1971. Jorge Álvarez and Pedro Pujó produced the sessions, with Billy Bond credited as recording manager; the album was recorded in stereo, though the original Music Hall vinyl edition appeared in mono.

Pappo’s Blues 2

Pappo’s Blues released their numerical second album in July 1972 on Music Hall.

The album continues Pappo’s power-trio framework, built around blues-based forms and extended electric-guitar passages. Norberto “Pappo” Napolitano writes the full set and leads on vocals and guitar, adding piano; bassist Carlos Pignatta and drummer Luis Gambolini cover the core rhythm section, with Black Amaya contributing drums on some tracks.

Here, Pappo stays compact and direct with a rough, foregrounded guitar assault. “Tren De Las 16” opens with a steady drive and a vocal line that sits bluntly on top of the rhythm, then “Llegará La Paz” thickens the attack with heavier distortion and wider dynamic swells. “Insoluble” locks into a head-nod pulse, with tight rhythm-chord cycles and bass fills that answer the guitar accents, while “Tema I (Hay Tiempo Para Elegir)” pushes the record’s most forceful stretch: dense riff weight, high-gain bite, and long solos that turn through sharp phrases without losing forward motion.

“Desconfío” resets the pace with piano as the lead instrument and a more exposed vocal tone, then Side B restores momentum on “Pobre Juan” before “Blues de Santa Fe” leans into extended lead playing as the main event. “Tumba (Cementerio)” carries the longest arc, built on a persistent riff and a sustained jam rise that hints at the album’s most abrupt progression shift, then cuts off with a fade that leaves the final turn unresolved.

A1. “El tren de las 16” [The 4:00 Train] (2:40)
A2. “Llegará la paz” [Peace Will Come] (3:33)
A3. “Insoluble” [Insoluble] (3:56)
A4. “Tema I (Castillo de Piedra)” [Theme I (Stone Castle)] (2:50)
A5. “Desconfío” [I Distrust] (2:48)

B1. “Pobre Juan” [Poor Juan] (3:31)
B2. “Blues de Santa Fe” [Santa Fe Blues] (4:38)
B3. “Tumba (Cementerio)” [Tomb (Cemetery)] (7:03)

The band recorded the album at Estudios Fonal in Buenos Aires after lineup changes that followed the first LP, with Pappo bringing in Gambolini and Pignatta while also using Amaya on drums for selected titles. Juan Gatti designed the cover artwork.

Volumen 3

Pappo’s Blues released their numerical third album in November 1973 on Music Hall.

The album documents another full lineup reset, shifting the rhythm section to bassist Carlos Alberto “Machi” Rufino and drummer Héctor “Pomo” Lorenzo. Pappo writes and sings the set almost in full and leads on guitar, while Rufino takes the lead vocal on “El sur de la ciudad” and shares a co-writing credit with Pappo on “Sándwiches de miga.”

Volumen 3 runs saturated guitar tones across bass-and-drum backbones that hit with blunt force and quick turns. “Stratocaster Boogie” opens as a fast, extended run where the lead stays in motion over a steady pulse, then “Pájaro Metálico” tightens into a heavier riff frame with acidic edge and a hard, insistent drive. “Sucio y Desprolijo” snaps into a cut-up opening figure, lands on the album’s most punishing riff, and rides two long solo peaks that keep the tempo hot.

“El Sur de la Ciudad” drops into a slower, classic blues shape with Machi on lead vocal, while “Sandwiches de Miga” returns to thick distortion and hammered rhythm emphasis. Side B keeps the pressure on with “El Brujo y el Tiempo” built around a strong riff-and-backbeat block, then “Trabajando en el Ferrocarril” shifts into a brief, upbeat detour with small guitar details between vocal lines. “Caras en el Parque” climbs on its descending support figure and a standout solo that carries the track’s main lift, and “Siempre es lo mismo, nena” closes in a tense blues atmosphere, punctuated by a devastating mid-song solo and a final run that locks the band into a firm, suspense-leaning cadence.

A1. “Stratocaster Boogie” (Instrumental) (1:35)
A2. “Pájaro metálico” [Metal Bird] (2:21)
A3. “Sucio y desprolijo” [Dirty and Sloppy] (4:33)
A4. “El sur de la ciudad” [The South of the City] (2:28) – Rufino
A5. “Sándwiches de miga” [Tea Sandwiches] (3:02) – García, Rufino

B1. “El brujo y el tiempo” [The Sorcerer and Time] (2:17)
B2. “Trabajando en el ferrocarril” [Working on the Railway] (1:08)
B3. “Caras en el parque” [Faces in the Park] (3:50)
B4. “Siempre es lo mismo nena” [It’s Always the Same, Baby] (6:05)

The band recorded the album live at Estudios ION in Buenos Aires with engineer Carlos Piriz, with no overdubs, under the production of Jorge Álvarez and Billy Bond. Pappo tracked his guitar with Claudio Gabis’s Fender Telecaster through an Argentine-made Robertone amplifier pushed to maximum volume, with no additional effects noted beyond incidental noises on “Sándwiches de miga” and handclaps on “Trabajando en el ferrocarril,” while Cristina Villamor created the cover artwork.

Volumen 4

Pappo’s Blues released their numerical fourth album in July 1973 on Music Hall.

The album expands the personnel again, bringing in players associated with Billy Bond y La Pesada del Rock and Roll alongside returning members from earlier Pappo’s Blues lineups. Pappo writes the material except where noted and leads on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, with David Lebón returning on rhythm guitar and caja bass, Alejandro Medina covering bass, and Black Amaya on drums; “Con Elvira es otra cosa” uses the Volumen 3 rhythm pairing of Machi Rufino and Pomo Lorenzo.

Volumen 4 loosens into mixed pacing: short rock ’n’ roll cuts (“Fiesta cervezal,” “Con Elvira es otra cosa”) sit alongside longer, open-form stretches. “Semilla de sésamo” rides a jam structure with the band circling a central figure while the guitar keeps shifting the emphasis, and “Sol de armónica” expands into a long, gargantuan blues where harmonica takes the front seat for much of the run. The sharpest edge comes on “Gato en la calle negra” and “Abelardo el Pollo,” where lo-fi drum sound and oddly shaped riffs push the songs forward under Pappo’s blunt, cartoonish vocal presence. The album closes with “El palacio de la montaña en invierno,” an acoustic instrumental that strips the texture down to quiet, exposed detail, with David Lebón on acoustic bass anchoring the final piece.

A1. “Fiesta cervezal” [Beer Party]
A2. “Gato de la calle negra” [Cat of the Black Street] – Pappo, Tony Gibson
A3. “Abelardo el pollo” [Abelardo the Chicken]
A4. “Semilla de sésamo” [Sesame Seed]

B1. “Con Elvira es otra cosa” [With Elvira It’s Something Else]
B2. “Sol de armónica” [Harmonica Sun]
B3. “El palacio de la montaña en invierno” [The Palace of the Mountain in Winter]

The album was recorded in 1973 and includes guest participation from La Pesada figures, with Isa Portugheis adding percussion on “El palacio de la montaña en invierno.” David Lebón also appears on that track on rhythm guitar and bajo de caja, while Rufino and Lorenzo return specifically for “Con Elvira es otra cosa.”

Triángulo

Pappo’s Blues released their fifth album, Triángulo, in August 1974 on Music Hall.

The album shifts to a new trio lineup, with bassist Eduardo Daniel “Fanta” Beaudoux and drummer Eduardo Garbagnati joining Pappo for a six-track set that includes multiple instrumentals and expanded writing credits. Pappo fronts the sessions on guitar and vocals, while Beaudoux co-writes two titles and Garbagnati shares a co-credit on “Mirese adentro.”

On Triángulo, the band leans into darker weight and longer, jam-built forms, with riffs that hit hard and sections that shift by feel more than by neat verse cycles. Most tracks run on impenetrable, late-night momentum, then the two-part “Hubo Distancias En Un Curioso Baile Matinal” stretches into the album’s central arc, where extended playing and abrupt turns keep the tension up across its length. “El buzo” closes the set as an acoustic instrumental, built on sparse picking and phantasmal vocalizations that give the track a faint, baroque tint.

A1. “Malas compañías” [Bad Company] – Pappo, Beaudoux
A2. “Nervioso visitante” [Nervous Visitor] (Instrumental) – Pappo
A3. “Mirese adentro” [Look Inside Yourself] – Pappo, Beaudoux, Garbagnati

B1. “Hubo distancias en un curioso baile matinal” [There Were Distances in a Curious Morning Dance] – Pappo
B2. “Hubo distancias en un curioso baile matinal (parte II)” [There Were Distances in a Curious Morning Dance (Part II)] – Pappo
B3. “El buzo” [The Diver] (Instrumental) – Pappo

The album was recorded in 1974 with Jorge Da Silva credited as recording engineer. Rodolfo Bozzolo handled the cover art, and guest vocals by León Gieco and Nacho Smilari appear on “El buzo.”

Volumen VI

Pappo’s Blues released their numerical sixth album in 1975 on Music Hall.

The album compiles material drawn from leftover tapes from the 1974 Triángulo sessions, issued by Music Hall while Pappo was in Europe. Built largely from recordings without vocal tracks, it runs as a short, mostly instrumental set credited to Pappo on guitar and vocals, with Eduardo Daniel “Fanta” Beaudoux on bass and Eduardo Garbagnati on drums.

On Pappo’s Blues Volumen VI, the set plays like fragments: five mostly instrumental pieces where the guitar carries nearly every structural cue. “Nervioso visitante” and “El escarabajo” come off closest to unfinished tape, built on partial themes and stop-start motion, while “Abordo” stretches into a dirge-leaning jam and ends with a backward-sound tag. “Slide Blues” stands apart as the most fully shaped performance, driven by layered slide lines that climb from cool, measured phrasing into faster, climactic runs. The overall feel stays modern for the band’s baseline—technical, heavy in places, and unintentionally experimental in how often the tracks drift past clean conclusions.

A1. “Slide Blues”
A2. “Abordo” [On Board] (Instrumental) – Pappo, Beaudoux

B1. “Nervioso visitante (Parte II)” [Nervous Visitor (Part II)]
B2. “El escarabajo” [The Beetle] (Instrumental)
B3. “Los libres pecan por ser libres” [The Free Sin for Being Free] (Instrumental)

Music Hall released the album in 1975 using outtake recordings captured in 1974, with the lineup tied to the Triángulo sessions and the track selection reflecting the absence of completed vocal takes.

Volumen 7

Pappo’s Blues released their numerical seventh album in July 1978 on Music Hall.

The album centers on newly recorded versions of earlier Pappo material, paired with two new instrumentals. Pappo leads on guitar and vocals, backed primarily by bassist Alejandro Medina and drummer/percussionist Darío Fernández, while “Abordo” uses the same recording previously issued on Volumen 6.

“Detrás de la iglesia” and “El jugador” arrive as new instrumentals, framed as direct vehicles for tone, phrasing, and extended lines. The remakes of “El hombre suburbano,” “Tema 1,” “Gris y amarillo,” and an especially long “El viejo” hit with cleaner, more energetic tracking than the earlier takes, with “El viejo” built around standout slide work that carries the track through its longest arcs. Across the album, the playing stays brisk and forceful, with the rhythm section holding a tight, forward pulse while the guitar shifts between compact riffs and longer, climactic runs.

A1. “El hombre suburbano (Reprise)” [The Suburban Man (Reprise)] (2:18)
A2. “El viejo (Reprise)” [The Old Man (Reprise)] (5:48)
A3. “El jugador” [The Gambler] (7:34) – Medina
A4. “Castillo de Piedra (Reprise)” [Stone Castle (Reprise)] (4:21)

B1. “Abordo (Instrumental Reprise)” [On Board (Instrumental Reprise)] (6:32) – Pappo, Beaudoux
B2. “Hansen (Reprise)” (7:15)
B3. “Detrás de la iglesia” [Behind the Church] (Instrumental) (3:44)

Music Hall issued the album in 1978 with Rodolfo Bozzolo handling the cover design. The core sessions pair Pappo with Medina and Fernández, while “Abordo” retains its earlier lineup, with Eduardo Daniel “Fanta” Beaudoux on bass and Eduardo Garbagnati on drums.

Discography: