Mike DeLaCerda

Mike De la Cerda. Great Musician. Unrecognised Superstar! - Robert Bannerman

Mike DeLaCerda
Last Night On Earth
Summerland Key Florida United States, Mike's got a little Hendrix in his bones! -M- added to station 2/22/2007 11:14:14 PM New Blues - JAM NIGHTS ROCK

June 11, 2004.

We went to Skip's jam at Harbor Lights last night. Skip Griffin plays all the horns from bari to soprano and sings. Well.

Chief Billy's Reifersens were there and opened the show. They are fantastic. ...Chief Billy is as fine a bassist as you'll ever hear. His writing and singing are also first rate.

The big surprise was lead guitarist Mike DeLaCerda. This man is phenomenal. He's been around the industry and played and done sound for the best. His lead can sooth or scorch, whatever the song calls for. The New Orleans native has got it, take my word.

This is a super creative group of musicians. The jam is great fun. Nobody is overly serious, we're all just having a super good time.

Mike sings an excellent blues number (is there anything the man can't do?) with Skip and Alex blowing hot. Johnny Winter's Mean Town Blues is a treat. - Key West - The Newspaper

Mike DeLaCerda
Last Night On Earth
Summerland Key Florida United States, Mike's got a little Hendrix in his bones! -M- added to station 2/22/2007 11:14:14 PM New Blues - JAM NIGHTS ROCK

Mike De La Cerda
American Gypsy
Vision Records

Frequent readers of Rockzillaworld are familiar with what our mission statement says, but for those occasional readers, let me point you to that line right below our banner. You see it there? Those seven little words sum up our existence; "shining a light upon music that matters."
Well friends and neighbors, to shine a light on this particular record, I'm gonna have to roll out that giant 10 gazillon megawatt search light we keep out back for times just like these. Because this album is big. Not big like modern city skyscrapers kind of big, but big like the Himalayas, timeless and classic. You know...BIG.
In American Gypsy, New Orleans native turned Key West denizen Mike De La Cerda has incorporated the sounds and riffs and gadgetry of hundreds of blues-rockers before him. His education at the hands of past masters shows in every track of this album. It is filled with fat, juicy guitar riffs backed with full, round bass and monster percussion. Hints of Hendrix here, traces of Alvin Lee there, and even certain elements of blue eyed soul-rockers such as Rare Earth. But don't think that this is some living-in-the-past-wish-I-had-been-there kind of album, for it is far from it. This is a very modern, state of the art, intensely personal record.
It is also an ambitious record. Not only does De La Cerda wear the hats of musician, singer and songwriter, but he produced this project as well. All too often I have found that self produced records tend to be one dimensional, since the artist seems more focused on some personal vision of what they want for the album, rather than concerning themselves with what their listening public may be wanting to hear. This is not true with American Gypsy. De La Cerda has maintained his personal vision, whatever that may have been, while delivering a multi-dimensional, listener friendly, kick ass rock and roll album.
American Gypsy does pay tribute to some of De La Cerda's musical forbears. He does covers of Bob Dylan and Johnny Winter songs. One notable cover is the treatment that he gives to Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced," coaxing pseudo-psychedelic sounds while delivering a version unique to the original. So unique, in fact, that in my first listening to this CD I thought to myself that the lyrics sounded familiar, though the score didn't quite register with me. That was until De La Cerda reached that famous musical refrain, "...are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced? Well I have." This is a tribute worthy of note, with musical licks borrowed from the master while the pupil inserts his own touches to prove that he has learned all too well. In "Tribute to George Harrison," De La Cerda proves just how well he understands the physics of his guitar and the gadgetry he uses by actually making the guitar sound like a sitar.
This album, however, is not about paying homage to the artists that have gone before. It is about building on the foundation that they laid a musical effort so ambitious and large that it seems to encompass the breadth and scope of modern music. On some of his original tracks, De La Cerda infuses elements of soul, blues, jazz, and plain old honest rock and roll. There is some guitar gadgetry and some straightforward searing white-hot licks. There are trumpets and saxophones, pianos and meaty sounding Wurlitzer's, all blending with De La Cerda's soulful voice and lyrics to make this one hell of a rock and roll album.
On a scale from one to five, this album gets six stars.
The spotlight is off; you can remove your sunglasses. - By Scott Snidow

MIKE DELACERDA
American Gypsy (Vision Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

The weather report usually chronicles storms moving into Key West, but the news this time is a storm on its way out of the islands, in the person of guitar shredder extraordinaire Mike Delacerda. Put on his new CD, American Gypsy, and you too will soon be blown away.

Calling on admirers like saxophonist Dicky Landry and pianist Ivan Neville for an assist, Delacerda has put together 16 tracks, blending original material and well-chosen covers, that display his wide ranging talents, encompassing six, twelve, acoustic, electric and resonator guitar work that ranges from sensitive to explosive, and is never less than stunning.

Every slinger eventually attacks Hendrix, but few put a personal stamp on the effort the way Delacerda does on "Are You Experienced." Fewer pay appropriate tribute to George Harrison, but Delacerda does the late Beatle more than justice with "Tribute To George Harrison." "Come On Pt. II" reinvents "Let The Good Times Roll" (with an impressive assist from trumpeter Kermit Ruffins), taking a classic miles beyond its previous horizons.

In fact, that's the key to every track on the album. It's not that Delacerda isn't working in a milieu that's been widely explored time and time again. It's that he expands the horizons of the familiar with the sheer force of his talent, not only as a player, but as an interpreter. He's a pretty damn effective singer, on top of it all.

And he's got a great album to prove it. John Sinclair provides the warning. "Mike Delacerda is a dangerous guitar slinger..." he writes. He's right, but the danger isn't to his audience, it's to his contemporaries who will find the bar set to new heights by American Gypsy.

Track List:

Mean Town Blues * It's Alright, It's OK * Tribute To George Harrison * Sunshine Bridge * Are You Experienced * Blue Moment * Where's The Justice * Song Over The Line * Come On Pt. II * Last Night On Earth * E Harmonic * In Everything Change * Metro Car * Eastern Parkway Station * Apparition Bayou * Born In Time

© 2004 - Shaun Dale
- Reviewed by Shaun Dale

Mike DeLaCerda
American Gypsy
By Dan Bliss

New Orleans blues guitarist, Mike DeLaCerda, has spent much of his career behind the scenes. For years he ran sound and performed roadie functions for such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughn and B.B. King. But Mike didn’t allow this less glamorous, laborious side of rock go to waste, finally releasing his first solo album this summer. Collaborating with Ivan Neville on piano, bassist Jimmy Messa, and Brian Mitchell on drums, DeLaCerda creates a formidable lineup collectively steered under the direction of producer Rob Fraboni.

American Gypsy is a compilation of strong original tracks, mingled with covers by DeLaCerda’s mentors. His distinct interpretations of Johnny Winter’s “Mean Town Blues,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced,” Earl King’s “Come On,” and Bob Dylan’s “Born in Time” give new life to the classic blues standards. Complimented with some standout tracks of his own, including “Sunshine Bridge” and “Where’s the Justice,” he hints at a subtle Wallflowers sound - delivering a solid blues album from beginning to end.

A well-produced record, clean and flowing, it’s apparent Mike’s years as a roadie helped mask that this is only a debut effort. - glidemagazine.com

Mike DeLaCerda
American Gypsy
(Vision)

Mike DeLaCerda sounds an awful lot like Jimi Hendrix. His voice, that is. His guitar is pure white-boy blues--well, as white as Buddy Guy, I suppose. DeLaCerda does bow to convention and construct most of his songs along blues 'n' boogie lines--definitely on the rock 'n' side of the divide--but his playing has soul to spare.

And then there comes some like "Tribute to George Harrison," which is as fine a guitar noise composition as I've heard in a while. It doesn't sound a whole lot like Harrison, even when he's borrowing a bit from the Dark Horse, but it is inspired nonetheless.

What I like is the ringing tone he gets on his guitar. He's not afraid to play loud or heavy or anything like that, but his playing always dances rather than pummels. For me, that's the key difference between rock and blues. Both can be exceptional, of course, and both are inextricably intertwined, but there are differences. At the heart of things, DeLaCerda proves himself a bluesman.

And an accomplished player and songwriter. He does have a few covers here (including an interesting take on "Are You Experienced?"), but his songs shine as well. DeLaCerda has obviously put in his dues. Now he's ready to roll. - A7A #257 Reviews

MIKE DELACERDA
American Gypsy (Vision Records)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

The weather report usually chronicles storms moving into Key West, but the news this time is a storm on its way out of the islands, in the person of guitar shredder extraordinaire Mike Delacerda. Put on his new CD, American Gypsy, and you too will soon be blown away.

Calling on admirers like saxophonist Dicky Landry and pianist Ivan Neville for an assist, Delacerda has put together 16 tracks, blending original material and well-chosen covers, that display his wide ranging talents, encompassing six, twelve, acoustic, electric and resonator guitar work that ranges from sensitive to explosive, and is never less than stunning.

Every slinger eventually attacks Hendrix, but few put a personal stamp on the effort the way Delacerda does on "Are You Experienced." Fewer pay appropriate tribute to George Harrison, but Delacerda does the late Beatle more than justice with "Tribute To George Harrison." "Come On Pt. II" reinvents "Let The Good Times Roll" (with an impressive assist from trumpeter Kermit Ruffins), taking a classic miles beyond its previous horizons.

In fact, that's the key to every track on the album. It's not that Delacerda isn't working in a milieu that's been widely explored time and time again. It's that he expands the horizons of the familiar with the sheer force of his talent, not only as a player, but as an interpreter. He's a pretty damn effective singer, on top of it all.

And he's got a great album to prove it. John Sinclair provides the warning. "Mike Delacerda is a dangerous guitar slinger..." he writes. He's right, but the danger isn't to his audience, it's to his contemporaries who will find the bar set to new heights by American Gypsy.

Track List:

Mean Town Blues * It's Alright, It's OK * Tribute To George Harrison * Sunshine Bridge * Are You Experienced * Blue Moment * Where's The Justice * Song Over The Line * Come On Pt. II * Last Night On Earth * E Harmonic * In Everything Change * Metro Car * Eastern Parkway Station * Apparition Bayou * Born In Time

© 2004 - Shaun Dale
- Reviewed by Shaun Dale

american gypsy - all music guide review
There is nothing wrong with being caught in a stylistic timewarp as long as you're good at what you do. Sure, some critics will complain that you sound dated and insist that you should be helping your genre forge ahead, but not everyone is obligated to forge ahead. Inevitably, some musicians will favor a retro approach and take comfort in the sounds of an earlier era, which is exactly what Southern singer/guitarist Mike Delacerda does on American Gypsy; this CD is a total throwback to the psychedelic rock, classic rock and blues-rock of the late '60s and early '70s. Jimi Hendrix is an especially strong influence, and Delacerda also shows his appreciation of the Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter and Bob Dylan (that is, electric rock & roll Dylan, rather than his very early acoustic folk-rock output). Quite frankly, Delacerda isn't a great vocalist -- he's actually a better guitarist than singer, and his strong chops as an axeman are evident on original songs as well as covers of Hendrix's "Are You Experienced," Dylan's "Born in Time" and Winter's "Mean Town Blues." But despite his limitations as a singer, Delacerda gets his emotional points across. Technically, his vocal chops aren't on a par with his guitar playing, but Delacerda brings heart and warmth to his vocals -- and that is more meaningful than someone who can sing his head off but has no soul. How many times have you heard a singer who was technically proficient but emotionally lacking -- someone who inspired you to comment, "Yeah, great voice, but no soul?" Well, a lack of soul isn't a problem on American Gypsy, which isn't a five-star masterpiece but is a generally decent and sincere (if derivative) effort from the unapologetically retro Delacerda. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide - Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

5.0 out of 5 stars
Mean Rockin' Blues Jam..,

By Serena "HangUpAndLive"
(Los Angeles, CA)
This album packs a heavy punch. Front man Mike DeLaCerda pulls deep from his New Orleans blues based roots to bring forth this long anticipated album. American Gypsy is in the taste of all things great. With sounds ranging from Johnny Winters to Jimi Hendrix, its all there. Catch him live, you will not regret it. - Serena Undercofler

american gypsy - all music guide review
There is nothing wrong with being caught in a stylistic timewarp as long as you're good at what you do. Sure, some critics will complain that you sound dated and insist that you should be helping your genre forge ahead, but not everyone is obligated to forge ahead. Inevitably, some musicians will favor a retro approach and take comfort in the sounds of an earlier era, which is exactly what Southern singer/guitarist Mike Delacerda does on American Gypsy; this CD is a total throwback to the psychedelic rock, classic rock and blues-rock of the late '60s and early '70s. Jimi Hendrix is an especially strong influence, and Delacerda also shows his appreciation of the Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter and Bob Dylan (that is, electric rock & roll Dylan, rather than his very early acoustic folk-rock output). Quite frankly, Delacerda isn't a great vocalist -- he's actually a better guitarist than singer, and his strong chops as an axeman are evident on original songs as well as covers of Hendrix's "Are You Experienced," Dylan's "Born in Time" and Winter's "Mean Town Blues." But despite his limitations as a singer, Delacerda gets his emotional points across. Technically, his vocal chops aren't on a par with his guitar playing, but Delacerda brings heart and warmth to his vocals -- and that is more meaningful than someone who can sing his head off but has no soul. How many times have you heard a singer who was technically proficient but emotionally lacking -- someone who inspired you to comment, "Yeah, great voice, but no soul?" Well, a lack of soul isn't a problem on American Gypsy, which isn't a five-star masterpiece but is a generally decent and sincere (if derivative) effort from the unapologetically retro Delacerda. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide - Alex Henderson, All Music Guide