Angelo is an Italian and Greek masculine given name meaning "angel", or "messenger". Angelo is also an Italian surname that has many variations: Angeli (disambiguation), Angela (disambiguation), De Angelis, D'Angelo, Angelini, Angelino (disambiguation), Angelina (disambiguation), Angelucci, Angeloni, Angeletti (disambiguation).

Angelo as a given name may refer to:

• Angelo Badalamenti (born 1937), American composer
• Angelo Bertelli (1921–1999), American football quarterback
• Angelo Bronzino (1503–1572), Italian Mannerist painter
• Angelo Bruno (1910–1980), American mobster
• Angelo Buono, Jr. (1934–2002), American serial killer
• Angelo Cataldi (born 1951), American sportcaster based in Philadelphia
• Angelo Dundee (1921–2012), American boxing trainer
• Angelo Fusco (born 1956), Provisional Irish Republican Army member
• Angelo Garcia (born 1976), Puerto Rican Singer (ex-member of Menudo)
• Angelo Lano, American FBI agent who headed the Watergate investigation
• Angelo Mariani (disambiguation)
  • Angelo Mariani (conductor) (1821–1873), Italian conductor and composer
• Angelo Mathews, Sri Lankan cricketer
• Angelo Mosca (1938–present), wrestler and Canadian Football Player
• Angelo Ambrogini Poliziano (1454–1494), Florentine classical scholar and poet
• Angelo Secchi (1818–1878), Italian astronomer
• Angelo Torres, cartoonist and caricaturist
• Angelo Oliviero Olivetti (1874–1931), Italian revolutionary syndicalist

As a surname it may refer to:

• Ernest Angelo (born 1934), Texas businessman and politician
• Jeff Angelo, Iowa politician
• Jerry Angelo, Chicago Bears general manager
• D'Angelo (born 1974), American musician
• Beverly D'Angelo (born 1951), American film actress and singer
• Henry Angelo (1760–1839), British fencing master
• Mark Angelo, Canadian conservationist
• Michelangelo

Spellings[link]

The following forenames are related to the forename Angelo:

• Greek: Aνγελος (Ángelos)
• Italian: Angelo
• Portuguese: Ângelo
• Spanish: Ángel

Places[link]

• San Angelo, city in Texas, United States of America
• Santo Angelo, Brazilian city

Other uses[link]

• Angelo, a character in the William Shakespeare play Measure for Measure
• Angelo, a character in the William Shakespeare play The Comedy of Errors
• Angelo (song), a UK number one single by Brotherhood of Man
• Avenging Angelo, a film
• Angelo (poem), a poem by Pushkin
• Angelo (The Pretender), a character in the TV series the Pretender, portrayed by Paul Dillon
• Locations in Rome, Italy
• Castel Sant'Angelo, a castle in Rome
• Ponte Sant'Angelo, a bridge in Rome
• Angelo A fictional character in Dragon Quest VIII
• Locations in San Angelo, Texas, USA
  • Angelo State University
  • San Angelo Colts

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Francesco Renga
Ambra Angiolini and Francesco Renga in 2009
Background information
Born	(1968-06-12) June 12, 1968 (age 44)
Origin	Udine, Italy
Genres	Pop, Pop rock, Soft rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1986–present
Website	www.francescorenga.it

Pierfrancesco Renga (born June 12, 1968 in Udine, Italy) is an Italian singer-songwriter. He won the Sanremo Music Festival in 2005 with the song Angelo.^[1] He also took part to Sanremo Music Festival in 2009 with Uomo senza età^[2] and in 2012 with La tua bellezza.^[3]

Discography[link]

Album[link]

• 2001 Francesco Renga (ITA #46)
• 2002 Tracce (ITA #6 - Platinum 100,000+)
• 2004 Camere con vista (ITA #4 - 2X Platinum 200,000+)
• 2007 Ferro e cartone (ITA #1 - Platinum 120,000+)
• 2009 Orchestraevoce(ITA #7 - Platinum - 100,000+)
• 2010 Un giorno bellissimo (ITA #7)
• 2012 Fermoimmagine

References[link]

Michael Angelo Batio
Background information
Also known as	Mike Batio, MAB
Born	(1956-02-23) February 23, 1956 (age 56) Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genres	Instrumental rock, neo-classical metal, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, jazz
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, producer, columnist
Instruments	Guitar, bass, keyboard, vocals, drums
Years active	1984–present
Labels	M.A.C.E.
Associated acts	Nitro, Holland, Jim Gillette, C4, The Michael Angelo Band, Katrina Johansson, Bill Peck, Dave Reffett
Website	www.angelo.com
Notable instruments
Dean MAB1 Armorflame Dean MAB1 Lazer Dean MAB2 Aviator Dean Speed Of Light Double-Guitar Quad Guitar

Michael Angelo Batio ( /ˈbeɪti.oʊ/;^[1] born February 23, 1956) also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is a guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. His work has encompassed many genres, notably metal and its subgenres. Batio was voted the "No. 1 Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003.^[2][3] He was also listed as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time" by Guitar World Magazine, for which he wrote the column Time to Burn, and one of the "20 Greatest Shredders of All Time" by Total Guitar Magazine, both in April 2008. Batio also won the 2009 Guitar World Magazine Readers Choice award in the "Best Shredder" category. In November 2011, Michael won the Guitar World Magazine Readers Choice Award and was voted the "Fastest Guitarist of All Time." Over 440,000 votes were cast.

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Michael Angelo Batio started playing the piano and composing music at the age of five, and first played guitar at the age of ten, reportedly playing faster than his teacher within two years.^{[citation needed]} At the age of fourteen he started playing jazz guitar, and within two years he had won the Chicago-based "All-State Jazz Solo Award". He attended Northeastern Illinois University and achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Theory and Composition. After he had graduated, Batio looked to become a session guitarist in his hometown. When he asked for a job at a nearby studio, he was given a piece of music and simply asked to play it. He managed to play it adding his own improvisations and fills, making him the studio's primary call-out guitarist.^[4] As a session player, Batio recorded music for such companies as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, United Airlines, United Way, McDonalds, Beatrice Corp. and the Chicago Wolves hockey team.

Holland, the Michael Angelo Band and Nitro (1984–1993)[link]

Batio began his recording career in 1984 when he joined new Chicago-based heavy metal band Holland, an eponymous project set up by ex-Steppenwolf singer Tommy Holland. With major label Atlantic Records, the band released their debut studio album in 1985 entitled Little Monsters, which saw moderate success in the United States. The band split up soon after, and a compilation of material from the Little Monsters sessions, Wake Up the Neighbourhood, was released in 1999 through Batio's label M.A.C.E. Music.

After the breakup of Holland, Batio started his own eponymous band with singer Michael Cordet, bassist Allen Hearn and drummer Paul Cammarata. The Band did not release any albums, though three of their songs appeared on the 1998 Nitro compilation Gunnin' for Glory.^[5]

In 1987 Batio joined glam metal artist Jim Gillette on his solo album Proud to Be Loud, before founding the band Nitro with bassist T.J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. In 1989 Nitro released their first studio album, O.F.R., from which they released two singles, "Freight Train" and "Long Way From Home". The music video for "Freight Train", which received much airplay on MTV, was notable for featuring Batio playing his now famous 'Quad Guitar', a notion which FHM Magazine voted one of the "50 most outrageous moments in rock history".^[6]

1987 was also the year Batio released his first instructional video with "Star Licks Productions" as part of the "Masters Series" and was one of the first recognized rock guitarists to make the jump into video instructional material. This video was the very first "shred" instructional program showing many modern guitar concepts for the first time.

By 1992, Comet and Racer had been replaced by Johnny Thunder and Ralph Carter respectively, and it was in this year that they released their second studio album entitled Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S.. Included on the album was a cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever", which the band also recorded a music video for. Nitro disbanded shortly afterwards.

Solo career (1993–present)[link]

In April 1993, Batio founded his own record label, M.A.C.E. Music, which became one of the first labels online in 1996.^[7] He used this label when he began recording his first album, No Boundaries, which he released in 1995. Batio's second studio release was Planet Gemini in 1997, which showed a very progressive, experimental side to his playing. In 1999, Batio released his second instructional video, Jam With Angelo, which came with his third studio album as a companion CD: Tradition. This was quickly followed by a fourth full-length album in 2000, Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity, which was credited to "Mike Batio and Rob Ross", the latter being the drummer.

In 2001, Batio released a CD with his band "C4," covering songs from his Holland years and including the original "Call to Arms." It was his 1st all vocal CD since recording with Nitro.

In 2003, Batio released his first DVD, the title release in his Speed Kills series, followed by the second, Speed Lives, in 2004. It was also in this year that Batio released a compilation album, Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2, which featured songs from Tradition and Lucid Intervals.

In 2005, Michael released his highly anticipated cover/tribute/studio album, Hands Without Shadows, which featured guest appearances from such musicians as Mark Tremonti (of Alter Bridge fame), Rudy Sarzo (of Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake and Dio fame) and virtuoso newcomer Bill Peck. In 2006, DVD Speed Kills 2 was released, in addition to the first in the new Hands Without Shadows series, Performance. Batio's latest release came in 2007, when his first two albums - No Boundaries and Planet Gemini - were remixed and remastered with additional drums, for an album entitled 2 X Again; the title of a song from the first album. Angelo also released three DVDs in 2007: Speed Kills 3, 25 Jazz Progressions and MAB Jam Session.

In 2011, Michael debuted his multi media show "Hands Without Shadows - A Tribute to Rock Guitar" in Las Vegas. In 2012 Michael is touring the world with this show. It is a chronological tribute to rock guitar.

Film appearance[link]

In 1991, Batio's guitar work appeared in the low budget horror film Shock 'Em Dead, recording tracks for the soundtrack as well as playing the guitar parts of the demonically possessed main character Angel Martin in close ups.^[8]

Style[link]

Batio is ambidextrous, a skill he taught himself. This enables him to play two guitars at the same time either in synchronization or using separate harmonies. This includes playing completely different parts at once, as shown while playing his famous Double-Guitar. Though naturally left-handed, he plays as right-handed when playing one guitar. Batio invented and often demonstrates the "Over-Under" technique,^[9] which involves flipping his fretting hand over and under the neck rapidly, playing the guitar both regularly and like a piano.

Batio gave lessons to guitarist Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave fame) while at college. Morello has credited MAB with teaching him in a feature article in Guitar World Magazine in 2005. Michael also gave lessons to guitarist Mark Tremonti after Creed broke up and Tremonti wanted to learn more techniques. Batio is also widely known for his extremely fast and well articulated alternate picking, which he credits to his use of anchoring, or planting the fingers he does not use while picking on the body of the guitar to restrict motion.

Batio has an advanced knowledge of music theory, having a deep understanding of complex scale combinations and time signatures which assist him in his compositions. Batio has cited F-sharp minor and F-sharp phrygian dominant as one of his favorite keys. He has described F sharp minor as a "demonic" key, giving a dark, evil sound.

Equipment[link]

Guitars[link]

Batio has an extensive collection of guitars, which he has collected since the 1980s including a Dave Bunker "Touch guitar" (double neck with both bass and guitar, similar to the Chapman Stick), a mint condition 1968 Fender Mustang, a 1986 Fender Stratocaster 1962 re-issue and several other vintage and custombuilt guitars. Among his custom made guitars is a 29 fret guitar made of military grade Aluminium, which makes the guitar very light. He stated in a Guitar World Magazine video interview (featuring his recording studio in 2008) that he has "around 67 guitars" and he humorously added that he would like 67 more.^[10] Batio currently has over 100 guitars in his collection. For live performances Batio is an exclusive user of Dean Guitars, both electric and acoustic.^[11] In 2007 he designed and developed a signature guitar with Dean, known as the MAB1 Armorflame.^[12] Another signature piece of equipment Batio developed is the "MAB Hands Without Shadows" pickup, which he uses in his Double Guitar when touring. The pickup is specially designed for shred guitar, and provides the clean tone Batio is accustomed to. The Armorflame, Batio's signature guitar, uses EMG 81, 85 and SA pickups, as his signature Dimarzio pickups were still being developed at that time.

Earlier on in his career when he was first endorsed by Dean guitars he also embraced Dean's tradition of popularising Dimarzio pickups and had used Dimarzios in his guitars. These include the Dimarzio PAF, Super Distortion (sometimes using the Super Distortion both in the neck and bridge position, as he did in his Gibson Charvel Circuit Board double guitar. This was the main setup during the recording of No Boundaries). Batio has also used pickups of other brands including Seymour Duncan, namely the Pearly Gates and JB models and also Bill Lawrence pickups. Currently other than using EMGs in his signature guitar he also has a collection of the other brand pickups in his Dean limited edition collectors' models, such as Dimarzio Custom Super Distortions (based on the Super 2 and Super Distortion) in his USA Dean Time capsule Blue Burst ML and the Seymour Duncan pair he used (refer to above) in his USA Dean Collectors edition Hardtail.^[13]

The Double-Guitar

Batio was the inventor of the Double-Guitar, a V-shaped, twin-neck guitar which can be played both right- and left-handed. The first version of this instrument was actually two separate guitars simply played together, as opposed to being one entity. A Flying V was fastened to a snare drum in a left-handed position, while another one was strapped around his shoulder. The next version of the guitar, as designed by Batio and guitar technician Kenny Breit, featured a flight case latch attached to the back of each guitar, which could reportedly be assembled in five seconds. By far his most famous and definitely his most photographed double guitar is his USA Dean Mach 7 Jet Double-Guitar along with its custom Anvil flight case.^[14]

When the Double-Guitar was first used in concert, Batio noticed that the guitars created a lot of feedback when played together. He decided that he needed to invent a way to 'dampen' the strings when both guitars were played at the same time, hence the invention of the "MAB String Dampener", which is now available to buy from M.A.C.E. Music.^[15]

The Double-Guitar was recently named as the 8th "coolest guitar in rock" by online music magazine Gigwise.^[16] His iconic Dean 'Jet' Double-Guitar has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and was put on permanent display in February 2012. This guitar was built by Mike Lipe for Dean Guitars.^[17]

The Quad Guitar

As well as the Double Guitar, Michael Angelo also invented and designed the Quad Guitar.^[18] The guitar was originally built in conjunction with Gibson, and built by Wayne Charvel in California. The top two guitars have seven strings, while the bottom two have the regular six. The first Quad, as used in the video for Nitro's "Freight Train", was stolen in El Paso, Texas after the second show of Nitro's O.F.R. tour. When Batio was performing in November 2004, a young fan named Simon Jones and his father turned up with a guitar case which held inside the two top guitars of the Quad, as found by Mick Seymour. Dean designed and had Mike Lipe build a new Quad Guitar in 2008.

The Quad Guitar was recently named as the 2nd "coolest guitar in rock" by online music magazine Gigwise.^[19]

Effects[link]

Batio's effects pedals are exclusively made by T-Rex, with whom he has also developed a signature model, the "MAB Overdrive".^[20] In his years with Nitro, Batio used Boss overdrive (DS-1, SD-1) pedals.

In the studio, Michael also uses the following effects pedals:

Amplification[link]

Batio typically uses Marshall JCM 2000 amps on tour and for newer studio records. In the studio, he also uses the Marshall JMP-1 preamp and Rocktron Chameleon and Voodoo Valve preamps. During his years with Nitro, Batio used Randall amplifiers. He has been an avid Marshall amp user throughout his career and has used the JCM 800 (mostly Jose Arrendondo modified circuitry, very early in his career) and JCM 900 (especially when recording No Boundaries). Batio's cabinet setup consists of 4x12 Marshall cabinets loaded with Celeston vintage 30s and Greenbacks in mono and stereo.

Other equipment[link]

Strings

Batio uses Ernie Ball guitar strings, favouring the .009 to .042 models for soloing and most rhythm guitar parts while thicker gauge strings are used for detuned guitars. The acoustic gauge is normally .010 to .046 or .011 to .052.

Picks

Michael uses black Dunlop Jazz IIIs as his guitar pick of choice, and has used the 'teardrop' shape of pick since he first started playing. Different picks are sometimes used for acoustic work.

Discography[link]

• No Boundaries (1995)
• Holiday Strings (1996)
• Planet Gemini (1997)
• Tradition (1999)
• Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity (2000)
• Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2 (2004)
• Hands Without Shadows (2005)
• 2 X Again (2007)
• Hands Without Shadows 2: Voices (2009)
• Backing Tracks (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official forum
• Michael Angelo Batio at Dean Guitars
• Michael Angelo Batio on Myspace
• Michael Angelo Batio at Encyclopaedia Metallum