Monterosso was born in
Catania, in the autonomous region of Sicily in Italy. His great aunt was a well-known opera singer, and his father wrote about opera and encouraged his children in musical pursuits.
In Italy Sicilian
rockabilly musician Vince Mannino was an early mentor to Monterosso Monterosso began performing live at the age of 14. He performed as sideman to singer
Carmen Consoli on an Italian tour in December 2004. In 2013, Monterosso performed in the theatrical production
Chi erano i Jolly Rockers? (Who Were the Jolly Rockers?) alongside Claudio "Greg" Gregori of the theatre duo
Lillo & Greg; Lillo & Greg were also featured as part of the production. The production played April 2–21, 2013 at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome. Monterosso recorded an album of semi-autobiographic songs that re-imagined himself as an Italian immigrant to the United States in the 1940s. When cabaret owner Maria Freitas heard the songs, she suggested building the album into something larger. The production was later directed by Claudio "Greg" Gregori, and played at Catania's Teatro MUST (formerly known as
Teatro Angelo Musco) in March 2018, and again at Teatro Manzoni in Rome in December 2019. Italian author and attorney Alessandra Tucci wrote the novel ''Le sei corde dell'anima'' based on Monterosso's life.
In the United States In 2016, Monterosso moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and began working with local artists such as John Paul Keith, Gary Hardy, Brandon Cunning and Jason D. Williams. The project was a tribute to the 1956
Million Dollar Quartet session, and featured
Gina Haley (daughter of
Bill Haley) as guest vocalist.
"Steady Girl" single On 8 July 2019, Monterosso recorded the single "Steady Girl" b/w "Waiting for a Beer" at
Sun Studio in Memphis. A collector sold a 78 rpm acetate who in turn reissued the tracks as a 7-inch single in 2019. The two tracks were discussed as potentially being the earliest known
garage rock recordings. Monterosso's cover version streamlines the original song, and is coupled with an original song entitled "Waiting For a Beer," the latter recorded in a
country & western /
honky tonk style. by Black and Wyatt. While there, he had Rome-based engineer Matteo Spinazzè recorded an album on location in an 18th-century house in
Trecastagni owned by his family. The album was recorded in summer 2020 with a backup band featuring childhood friends of Monterosso's. The album was recorded live, and minimal overdubs were added later. A video for "The Ballad of Zorro" was filmed in Sicily by singer-songwriter Fabio Abate.
"Simple Song of Freedom" charity single In January 2022, in the latter stages of the
COVID-19 pandemic, Monterosso watched
Beyond The Sea (2004), a
biographical film about the life of singer
Bobby Darin. Prior to watching the film, Monterosso was only familiar with Darin’s major hits. He was intrigued by Darin’s anti-
Vietnam War protest song “Simple Song of Freedom,” which was featured in the film, and developed a concept for re-arranging and re-recording the song. Two weeks later, the
Russo-Ukrainian War became headline news and a major topic in social media. Monterosso decided to move forward with production of this re-recording due a promoter friend based in Latvia, who encouraged him and other musicians to do something about the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The “Simple Song of Freedom” project was underwritten by Dorothy Orgill Kirsch, a major Memphis arts patron and widow of Memphis Arts Council co-founder William F. Kirsch Jr. Inspired by the 1985 charity single “
We are the World,” Monterosso assembled a “who’s who” of musicians from Memphis and abroad, including
Carla Thomas,
Kallen Esperian, Larry Dodson (
The Bar-Keys),
Rev. Charles Hodges, as well as members of the choirs of
Stax Music Academy and the
First Baptist Church of Memphis. A total of 30 musicians and 30 singers were utilized for the project. complete with a monologue quoting
Mother Teresa at the end of the film. The music video debuted at the
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art on 20 December 2023, The project received official recognition from The City of Memphis.
With Tav Falco In 2014, a friend of Monterosso's informed him that veteran rock and roll performer Tav Falco was in Rome and was interested in recording there. Monterosso immediately offered his services and was hired. The album, titled
Command Performance, was released in 2015 on the UK label Twenty Stone Blatt Records. Monterosso is credited for artistic production and also as a member of Tav's Falco's Panther Burns. He also co-wrote the album's songs "Master of Chaos" and "Memphis Ramble" with Falco. Monterosso toured The United States with Tav's Falco's Panther Burns in October–November 2015. Entitled "The Whistle Blower Tour", the tour featured
Mike Watt and
Toby Dammit, both former members of
Iggy and the Stooges, as members of The Panther Burns. Two singles, "Sway" b/w "Where the Rio Dolorosa Flows" and "Me & My Chauffeur Blues" b/w "Whistle Blower Blues," were recorded while on the tour and were released by Org Music. Both singles feature Monterosso on guitar. In July 2017, Falco entered Sam Phillips Recording Service to record the holiday-themed album
A Tav Falco Christmas, with Monterosso producing, arranging, and playing guitar. Watt and Dammit participated in the recording, playing bass and drums respectively. The album was released on vinyl LP in the US by Org Music on
Record Store Day Black Friday, 24 November 2017. The
Los Angeles Times called it "gloriously demented enough to act as a tonic for anyone who can't bear the thought of another dose of sugary sentimentality." A track from the album, "Santa Claus is Back in Town," was included on the 2021 digital compilation album
XO for the Holidays, Vol. X. In April 2018, Falco recorded the sessions that would become the album
Cabaret of Daggers at Terminal 2 Studio in Rome, with Monterosso producing and playing guitar once again.
Cabaret of Daggers was released by Org Music on limited edition yellow vinyl on Record Store Day November 23, and on black vinyl and digital formats November 30. Monterosso also played guitar on Tav Falco's Panther Burns' 2018 "Contamination" tour. Tav Falco's Panther Burns celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2019 with a US tour. Dubbed the "40th Anniversary Howl," the tour took place in May and June of that year, with its prime show taking place 21 May in Memphis at Lafayette's Music Room. Monterosso played guitar on this tour. Monterosso performed with Falco and British television and radio personality
Jools Holland on
BBC Radio 2's
The Jools Holland Show on 15 December 2019. In 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic, Falco began a musical collaboration with Mike Watt at the latter's suggestion. The project developed into a five-song EP entitled
Club Car Zodiac, which featured Watt, Toby Dammit, and Argentine surf guitarist Didi Wray amongst others. Monterosso produced, arranged, and played guitar on the album.
Club Car Zodiac is released as a purple vinyl 12" 45 rpm EP by Org Music on Record Store Day Black Friday, 26 November 2021. In 2022, Tav Falco's Panther Burns undertook an extensive US Tour, which began on 25 August in San Francisco and featured dates in 34 US cities. Monterosso backed Falco on this tour, along with bassist Guiseppe Sangirardi and drummer Walter Brunetti. Monterosso's trio opened for Falco as an instrumental act, playing songs from Monterosso's recent album
Take It Away along with other cover songs. On the Nashville stop of their 2022 US Tour, Tav Falco Panther Burns recorded a live-in-the-studio session at
Bridgestone Arena Studios. The session was recorded 27 September 2022, and featured Monterosso on lead guitar and backing vocals. The sessions were first broadcast as "Cabaret of Daggers Special" on
SiriusXM Outlaw Country (Channel 60). Org Music then released the sessions as the album
Nashville Sessions: Live at Bridgestone Arena Studios in 2023. Soon after the release of
Nashville Sessions, Tav Falco Panther Burns embarked on yet another US tour, entitled the "Ride the Snake Tour". Monterosso played guitar on this tour as well. In late 2023, Monterosso began work on production of a Tav Falco solo album entitled
Desire on Ice. The album drew from previous Falco-penned original songs, reinterpreting the songs in new and unusual ways. Basic tracks for the album were recorded in February 2024 at
Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis. Monterosso worked as a session musician on the album in addition to being its producer. to positive reviews, including a 5/5 rating from
Mojo magazine with a special inset, an 8/10 rating from
Uncut with a full page writeup, ==Personal life==