The Delta Sonics music takes a Chicago Blues base and seasons it with Swing, Delta, N’awlins R&B and some early Rock n’ Roll . They were Westword’s best blues band in Denver the last six of eight years. The band made the semi-finals in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis 2012.The band has also played in Kansas City, St. Louis and New Orleans among other cities.
Averaging 250 gigs a year before 2020, they’re comfortable playing large events and concerts as well as smaller venues. The band has played the Taste of Colorado, the Boulder Creek Fest, the Greeley Blues Jam, Pearl St. Blues & Brews, the Five Points Jazz Festival, Triniddadio, Bohemian Nights, the Cherry Creek Arts Fest and many others.
Al Chesis supplies vocals & foot stomping showmanship but it’s his harmonica playing that grabs you. He has been a Hohner endorser since 1992. Bob Pellegrino supplies the dazzling, slide guitar. Bob was the Colorado Blues Society’s best slide guitar player in three years in a row. Alissa Chesis on bass and Stefan Flores on drums ‘drive the bus’.
The Sonics have been THE Mile Hi ‘go-to’ band for touring Blues national acts for nearly 15 yrs. The band has backed national blues acts like Big Bill Morganfield, Steadyrollin’ Bob Margolin, Ronnie Baker Brooks, grammy -nominated Lurrie Bell, grammy -nominated John Primer, the late Pinetop Perkins, and the late Bo Diddley.
The Delta Sonics opened for BB King (twice), Robert Cray (three times), and Jimmy Vaughn (twice) among many others.
Al Chesis also guests on Big Head Todd’s album “Black Beehive” on the cut “I Get Smooth”
https://cityparkjazz.org/general-info
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Volunteers Needed – Bucket Brigade!
Our volunteers are the heart of City Park Jazz, and we especially need Bucket Brigade volunteers to help collect donations during the concert. It’s the most fun you’ll ever have volunteering — while supporting this important cultural lynchpin of Denver’s music scene! And you’ll get to meet so many awesome people! https://cityparkjazz.org/volunteer2
City Park Jazz is a 501(c)3 non-profit. YOUR donations make the series possible. As you know, we’ve incurred some significant additional costs this season, due to the loss of the bandshell in a fire last March. Help us keep City Park Jazz going strong and free for everyone with a donation! If every person who attended a show brought just $5, we’d cover the costs every week! Look out for the bucket brigade at the set break and help us out so we can keep City Park Jazz going forever! If you’d rather, you can donate online, too. It’s really easy to do—just tap that button below! https://cityparkjazz.org/united4jazz
Important note about parking:
PLEASE remember to ONLY park in designated parking spaces within City Park, and NEVER off the road or on any grass. City Park Jazz (and you!) could face fines if attendees do that, and our budget is already very tight!
We recommend getting to City Park Jazz at least an hour prior to show start if you plan on driving — and we strongly urge attendees to use ride-share, public transportation, carpool, ride your bikes (and use our free bike corral provided by our corral sponsor, Z Cycle Shop!), or walk. And let’s all work together to keep the crown jewel of Colorado’s urban park system beautiful for all of us as well as future generations!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
As you may have heard, the City Park Bandshell, which was built in 1929, replacing an older structure, was completely destroyed in a fire early in the morning of March 26. As it was a City property in a historic district, Denver government and the Parks and Rec division has their hands full planning the demo and rebuild — and it leaves City Park Jazz without a stage or power for this season. (Important reminder: City Park Jazz is a completely independent 501c(3) non-profit organization — we are NOT a city division.)
Our current best estimates put the costs of mobile stage rental and power supply to support our needs at approximately $30,000 for the season — which is an additional cost we will have to incur outside of our usual season expenses.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Donate! Every dollar you can pitch in — which is a tax-deductible donation* — will help us cover these significant costs and ensure this season will be everything you’ve come to love about summers in Denver. https://cityparkjazz.org/united4jazz
Photo: Delta Sonics Blues
