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Mike Delledera
Roots, Reggae, Funk, Jazz, Rock
About Me
BROOKLYN, NY 2014
Singer, songwriter, and ace guitarist Mike Delledera’s debut full-length album,
WakeUpSideDowntown (Ivy Productions, Inc.), released May 13th, brims with epiphanic
genre-bending, virtuoso musicianship, expansive expressiveness, and topnotch
songwriting. On it, the Brooklyn-based artist is backed with longtime friends, bandmates
and a roster of New York City’s finest young session cats. It’s a masterful debut from an
artist on the verge.
“I’m really excited for everyone to hear this record; the songs were burning a hole in my
heart and mind,” says Delledera. And after a successful Kickstarter campaign, Delledera
was able to create the album he artistically envisioned.
The nine-song record showcases an imaginative musical mind capable of fusing bluegrass,
swampy funk, stained-glass gospel, and brawny rock with clever song structures, thought-
provoking lyrics, pop-rock hooks, and exploratory musicianship. It’s an album enhanced
by dynamic background vocals, live horns, cello, violin, and fortified by a powerhouse
rhythm section and fearlessly adventurous guitar. Kindred spirits are the Grateful Dead,
Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Steely Dan, Jason Mraz, and
Jack Johnson. Delledera is a song-focused musician with chops to improvise into the
stratosphere and the restraint to keep things earthbound and funky. Relix Magazine has
described Delledera’s artistry as a “wild adventure of song, dance and musical
imagination.”
Standouts on the album include the country-tinged “Silver Ruby Diamond Blues,” the
Crescent City funk of “Sugar Face,” and the profoundly political “Main Street USA.”
Reflecting the album’s diverse stylistic palette is a refreshingly eclectic approach to lyrical
content. The uplifting “Silver Ruby Diamond Blues” is a paean for the less fortunate. Here
Delledera sings: We’re On The Rise/Shine From The Mountainside/All Your Hopes And Love
And Dreams/From The Ground Up To The Sky. “That song is about people who don’t have
much, but can still find a way to live richly,” Delledera says. “Main Street USA” is an
emphatic rock track about the ninety-nine percent bolstered by an insightful and impactful
rap section by Brooklyn hip-hop artist CX. “Sugar Face” is sweetly romantic in sentiment.
And the lilting reggae of “Bounce” is irresistible as it beckons you to “let go” and dance and
sing to the music.
Delledera’s prodigious musical chops date back to studying classical piano since the age of
3. At 13, he picked up the guitar inspired by heavy metal, but soon found what he was
looking for as a musician in classic rock, jazz, and jam band artists. He formalized his
musical explorations through studying jazz, classical guitar, and jazz arranging at Ithaca
College. He holds a BA in Music Industry from SUNY Oneonta. Upon moving to NYC from
Syracuse, Delledera studied rock guitar and composition with iconic guitarist Carlos Alomar
(John Lennon, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop). Mike has shared the stage with platinum selling
artists Rusted Root, as well as fellow jammers Tea Leaf Green, Ra Ra Riot, and DJ Logic,
among many other esteemed artists. Previously, Delledera released the critically acclaimed
Gold Honey EP.
Much of WakeUpSideDowntown was recorded live in the studio and tracked by Grammy-
winning producer Steve Addabbo who truly captured that lightening-in-a-bottle
spontaneity of the jam genre at its most focused, relaxed, and inspired. The core band
features Matt Feick, drums; Brad Whiteley, piano, organ; Joe Wallace, bass; Michael
Kammers, tenor sax; Rosie Lazroe, background vocals; and Regi Ransdell, background
vocals.
It is a special album in that it mixes seasoned musicianship with boundless creative
idealism. It’s no doubt an artistic feat, especially for an artist on the rise. Humbly,
Delledera says: “To have a vision, make it come to life, and exceed what I imagined is really
gratifying. It’s something that I’ve been writing and working on for nearly two years. I’m
proud of this achievement and eager to share these songs with the world.”
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