The Delgado Brothers - Learn to Fly (2009)

Greetings from Memphis. The new CD was waiting for me when I got home Saturday after my show. Thanks for sending it, and let me tell you, it is TERRIFIC!!!! I am not blowing smoke up your backside; I really think this is a great record. I always judge a disc on four criteria: originality, diversity of tunes, the "groove" or sound to it, and how many of the tracks will I use on Soul Stew. Okay, so the last criteria is self serving, no doubt, but that is a consideration for me when listening to new music. The originality speaks for itself, the diversity is excellent, wonderful hooks and grooves throughout ( several tracks are dripping with Memphis soul ) and there are at least 8 tracks I will spin on the show. If a disc has 3 or 4 tracks that I use I consider that really good. So 8 is a motherlode! We have got to get you to Memphis somehow! I really appreciate you calling me and sending this wonderful record my way. Please tell Bob, Steve and the other guys that I send my best and what a helluva record!! Best in Blues, Brett Fleming WEVL FM 89.9 Memphis Soul Stew Saturdays 6 - 9 p.m. central time --Brett Fleming / Soul Stew WEVL FM 89.9 Memphis

Learn to Fly (Bell Asher Records) is the first disc in six years by The Delgado Brothers. It's been way too long for these East L.A. cats who just don't venture into the studio often enough. If you're already on The Delgado Brothers bandwagon, then you'll know what to expect here. If not, then understand that these guys don't play anything resembling straight blues. In fact, their sound is really hard to categorize. Let's just call it 'Delgado Brothers music.' The CD commences with the catchy, Santana-ish title cut, with brothers Steve and Joey sharing the vocals. Victor Bisetti's Latin percussion work sets the appropriate tone here. The soulful "I Wanna Know" with some nice guitar work from Joey Delgado and vocals shared by Steve Delgado and guest Sherry Pruitt. Dave Melton adds slide guitar to Joey Delgado's sensitive vocals on the love song, "Be the One" the extra guitar accompaniment compliments the rest of the band quite nicely on this tune. Steve then sings about a girl, "Melissa" that he used to love, perhaps from afar. Has anyone seen her? Sherry Pruitt joins in again with her gospel-influenced voice. The listeners get a real treat when The Chambers Brothers provide their street corner background vocals behind Steve's plaintive singing on the slow number "If the World" Take it to church, my friends! Just when you think that maybe you've figured out The Delgados' sound, they take it down Louisiana way on the funky, second line number "Lafayette" The band also shows an ability to put out a classic soul sound on "All I Have" with lead vocals by Steve backed by Sherry Pruitt, Joey Delgado and John Avila. The closing cut could perhaps be autobiographical, as Steve sings of his love for his brother (or brothers, perhaps) on "Oh, Brother". It's a slow number with sparse accompaniment that brings Learn to Fly to a satisfying end. For more info on this wonderful group, check their site Perhaps you will join me on their bandwagon --- it's indeed a happy place. --- Bill Mitchell --Bill Mitchell Blues Bytes

Los Angeles jazz, rock and blues jams are frequently heavily infused with latin percussion; Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Alvin Lee guitar licks; George Duke, Willie Dixon, Berry Oakley and James Johnson bass runs; and horns. Oh yes, the horns. Although they rarely take the lead, they act as point and counter-point. Quick blasts of power followed by torrents of blues guitar licks. When the music slows an Angeleno mestizo Eagles sound a mixture of country, blues, folk and rock - predominates. And, of course, all of it is layered in an often hypnotic blues, country or latin-tinged rhythm punctuated by lead and background vocals. That summarizes The Delgado Brothers and the contents of their September 2009 release, Learn to Fly. The Delgado Brothers are actually brothers. Bob plays bass. Joey sings and plays guitar and Steve sings and plays drums. The brothers add David Kelley on keyboards and Victor Bisetti on percussion and drums to round out the working band. For Learn to Fly the boys also called in Tower of Power trumpeter Lee Thornberg to write the horn arrangements and play trumpet, flugel, French horn and valve trombone along with saxophonist Paulie Cerra and trombonist Arturo Velasco. Hawthorne, CA slide guitarist Dave Melton was brought in to assist on one track "Be The One" Ramon Bands and Ray Solis add latin percussion. As a special treat The Chambers Brothers provide background vocals on the track If The World. The first track on the album is "Learn to Fly" Santana-esqe guitar riffs waif over driving latin smooth jazz rhythms backed by mellow horns and fronted by Steve Delgado s vocals with the help of his brother Joey. Next up, an up tempo funk blues piece called "I Wanna Know" sung by Steve with the help of San Pedro blues goddess Sherry Pruitt. "I Wanna Know" contains some incredibly tasty guitar work by Joey. Steve slows the tempo down with "In Time", a song executed in a manner reminiscent of the early Ten Years After song "Let The Sky Fall". Those incredible Santana-like guitar licks and latin rhythms return in the track "Man Without A Plan" The song "Be The One" is radio candy. Think vintage Doobie Brothers, Little River Band or Little Feat. Then comes a funk-inspired blues bass-laden dance tune Melissa with its "What Is Hip"-like Tower of Power horn arrangement and counter-vocals. The brothers back it down a notch with the slow blues number "If The World" The Chambers Brothers background vocals help turn it into a soulful, gut-wrenching mood piece. Then it is time to visit Louisiana with the catchy New Orleans jazz Hand Jive number "Lafayette." A country blues love song "Our Love Is Complete" follows on the heels of the trip to the bayou. The album moves on to Motown with "All I Have" returns to the West Coast with" All About The Love", a folksy jazz alternative rock crossover song, and concludes with&"Oh Brother," an autobiographical tear-jerker of a ballad about brotherly love. For 30 years The Delgado Brothers have been living and playing in Los Angeles. Their sound is clean, clear and distinctly Angeleno a fusion of all the pop, jazz and rock music styles that, over the years, have come to record in LA. With a distinctive mixture of styles, and east Los Angeles latin-tinged rhythms, The Delgado Brothers capture in their music the demographic mix of the Southland and they might just capture you. - Old School RedGage --Red Gage