Joey Delgado

Rooted in the East LA music scene of the 60’s and 70’s, the Delgado Brothers band has been referred to as L.A.’s best-kept secret.  With their blend of contemporary blues, the band has released four original L.P.’s over the last four decades.  At the Coach House, the Delgado Brothers performed a Livestream concert presented by Alert the Globe.

I stood in front of the stage as Keyboardist Dave B. Kelley, along with Delgado Brothers, Steve, Bob, and Joey, took their places for the show. “Hey everybody, welcome to my birthday party.” Lead guitarist Joey announced while raising a glass of beer.  The band kicked into their first song, “Two Trains.” A track off their most recent album of the same name.  The number had a strong contemporary blues sound with a mid-tempo beat.  Listening to drummer Steve Delgado’s emotive vocal style and tone reminded me of Robert Cray. I was awed with lead guitarist (a.k.a. birthday boy) Joey, who effortlessly delivered a refined yet searing guitar solo.

Their following  number, “Explore your mind,” was  copiously soulful with a jazzy mood.   Followed by “If Only I Could Sing,” which had a pop-infused blues feel. Impressively, keyboardist David B. Kelley played with the dynamic style of Steve Winwood coupled with Billy Preston’s soulfulness.

They slowed the groove down with a delicate, heartfelt ballad titled “If the World.”  Thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and vintage organ harmonics gave the song a classic 60’s-70’s old school charm.   The band announced that the Chambers Brothers(“Time Has Come Today”) accompanied them on the original recording.

Bob Delgado

They dedicated the next song to statesman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who recently passed away. Initially written for Martin Luther King Jr., “450 Mulberry/Never Forget” rolled along with a smooth backbeat shuffle on the drums. Guitarist Joey showcased his stellar blues phrasing on lead guitar while Bob Delgado’s bass playing had a nice funky groove.

My favorite song was “The River.” The rhythm and melody were complex and could best be described as a progressive, soulful blues sound.  The lyrical message spoke to the abandonment and loneliness we all sometimes feel when faced with life’s most challenging moments.

Throughout the show, I was impressed with the Delgado Brothers’ polished, sophisticated style. Their songwriting has an authentic sense of character.  A character that fits comfortably with a variety of musical styles yet encompasses the signature East L.A. sound.  It comes as no surprise that the Delgado Brothers placed first at the Memphis, Tennessee International Blues Challenge in 2016 and that guitarist Joey Delgado won the Albert King award.

Grown out of the Los Angeles music scene of the 60’s, the Delgado Brothers’ musical roots are intertwined and branch out from several Angelino musicians.  Talking with Joey Delgado about the band’s beginnings revealed a compelling journey.  Joey is one of eleven siblings. Five girls and six boys.  “When we were growing up, my older brothers were part of the east L.A. rock-n-roll scene” Joey reflected on those days as being incredible, saying, “Everybody had a band nobody had gangs, nobody owned guns, they had guitars.”  The older Delgado Brothers were in bands that would rehearse in their parent’s living room.  Joey remembers as a young kid, he and his younger brother Steven would watch the musicians rehearse, thinking how cool it was, stating, “That’s how I grew up wanting to be a musician.”

Steve Delgado

The Delgado brother, Eddie, was in a moderately successful East Los Angeles band called The Ambertones.    One of the Delgado brothers went to high school with some of the members of Los Lobos.  Joey spoke about that time, saying, “Los Lobos would play our house parties. My mom would have a birthday party; we’d hire them for a hundred bucks.”  They would play popular cover songs from Jimi Hendrix and others but within the context of their band. Joey reminisced, saying, “They would do Mariachi Jimi Hendrix songs. To hear them do Cross Town Traffic Mariachi style…I wish I had a recording of it.”  Years later, the Delgado Brothers would open for Los Lobos right here at the Coach House along with others like Dickey Betts, Mick Taylor, Johnny Winter, and others.

The first version of the Delgado Brothers band started in 1970.  At that time, five of the brothers were in the band.   They were primarily a cover band who played parties, then moved on to playing nightclubs.  Joey said he wasn’t happy playing covers like Donna Summer, The Ohio Players, and other famous bands from that era. However, it taught him how to play rhythm guitar for different genres.  The type of music Joey wanted to play could be heard at the prominent  jazz club The Baked Potato in Studio City, Los Angeles.  On Sunday and Monday nights, Joey would attend and see such musicians as Larry Carlton (guitarist Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell) Jeff Porcaro,(drummer Toto), and Abe Laboriel (drummer Al Jarreau). “I was like, oh my God, these guys are so incredible. I was aspiring to be that player.”

Unfortunately, in 1979 the original Delgado Brothers called it quits because they were “fed up” with the whole music scene.  Then five years later, in 1984, Joey’s older brother Bob said, “Joe, before I die, I want to start a blues band.”  So that’s what they did, and the current version of the Delgado Brothers was born. This version features three of the Delgado Brothers, Steve(lead vocals and drums), Joey (lead guitar and backing vocals), Bob(bass), and David B. Kelly

The Delgado’s first shot at a record deal in 1986 came about serendipitously.  They played the street scene and opened up for Joe Luis Walker, who was signed to the HighTone Label.  Walker’s producer, Dennis Walker, was in the audience and heard The Delgado Brothers, who did a cover of a song that Dennis Walker wrote.  The Delgado Brothers were not aware of this and were surprised when later, they received a call from the president of Hightone Records, Larry Sloven, who said he was interested in recording them.  This led to the recording and release of their first album in 1987 titled Delgado Brothers.

Dave B. Kelley

The album was not received well and had little to no success. Joey spoke about their first self-titled album, saying, “The issue with that first album is I felt we compromised our art, we tried to be something that we were not.”  The band eventually split up for several reasons.  They all had families and were busy raising their kids, and the industry was becoming stagnant for them.   The Delgado Brothers ended up getting back together in the late 90’s at the request of friend John “Juke” Logan. Joey recalled, ” He called us up and said I’m starting a record company and you’re gonna be on my label.”    They recorded their second L.P., titled Let’s Get Back, in 1999. This time the Delgado Brothers maintained total creative control, and unlike their first album, this one was well-received. When musician John Mayall heard the album from a mutual friend, he ended up recording a few of the tracks for his L.P., Along for the Ride.   Both Joey and his brother Bob had the opportunity to play on the Mayall LP along with such notable musicians as Steve Miller and the late Gary Moore.

Eventually, the Delgado Brothers started their own label titled Bell Asher records. They came up with the name by combining their mother’s name with the street they grew up on.  Under the label Bell Asher, the band released three L.P.’s. A Brothers Dream (2005), Learn to Fly (2009), and their most recent, Two Trains (2018).  They played a few songs off of each album throughout the Livestream concert.

The Delgado Brothers’  performance was a testament to their polished technique and refined approach to the blues.  I look forward to the opportunity to see them again in concert. The Delgado Brothers’ music is available on Amazon, Apple Music and most music streaming apps.    Backstage360 appreciates Joey Delgado taking the time to sit down with us for an interview.  We also thank both Alert the Globe and The Coach House, and we look forward to the opportunity to attend more Livestream concerts in the future.

JenB@Backstage360

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