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Rocco DeLuca: Cathartic, Rocking Blues

Rocco DeLuca.
Rocco DeLuca.

Armed with a steel dobro resonator guitar and an unwavering passion for music, Rocco DeLuca and his band The Burden offer an intensely cathartic, emotionally charged take on blues -- and especially the classic blues-rock tradition. Now, with the release of their debut album, they're ready to win over audiences well beyond their native California.

DeLuca's father was a touring guitarist for Bo Diddley, so it's not suprising that DeLuca began playing guitar at 7. After opening shows for the likes of Taj Mahal, John Mayall and John Lee Hooker, he finally recorded a 2004 demo, which eventually found its way into the hands of actor/producer Kiefer Sutherland, who signed him as the first artist on his new Ironworks label.

DeLuca formed his backing band The Burden in 2005 in order to fully flesh out his raw sound for his debut album, I Trust You To Kill Me. Propelled by DeLuca's fiery dobro work, the powerful vocals and clever songwriting of tracks like "Gift" and "Swing Low" demonstrate that this is the record DeLuca always wanted to make.

Copyright 2006 XPN

David Dye is a longtime Philadelphia radio personality whose music enthusiasm has captivated listeners of World Cafe® since 1991. World Cafe is produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania.