Delta Wires

From 1965 to 1970, the USA had one real "Integrated" blues band, The Butterfield Blues Band. Among their feats (besides reliance in their first line-up on cousin Billy Boy Arnold and drummer Howlin 'Wolf), these lads introduced Dylan to electricity during the famous festival at Newport. Led by the first white harmonica able to compete with Little Walter, they introduced the incorporation of a brass section, on a par with the electric guitar and keyboards. Fatally lost in the influence of drugs, Paul Butterfield eventually lost everything from his wife to his home and even his group, before dying 25 years later. A mess in short, which leaves one nostalgic, and with a bitter taste.

Via the Magic of the Web: Oakland, California (in the famous bay of San Francisco), a septet had preserved the formula unbeknownst to the rest of the world. An E-mail launched as a bottle in the sea can now correct this omission to the European public, for this Anthology (recalling nearly four decades of the course of DELTA WIRES) takes things from where Butterfield's "In My Own Dream" and "The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw" albums had left them: a fiery breath of blues, carried by brilliant brass and the virtuosity of a top-notch harp playing leader, the kind of revelation that the most jaded aficionados can only realize once every twenty years ... Imagine a cross between Count Basie Orchestra and J. Geils Band origins: it is simply stunning!
Patrick Dallongeville, Presto! Magazine, France, June 2013 - Presto! Magazine

From 1965 to 1970, the USA had one real "Integrated" blues band, The Butterfield Blues Band. Among their feats (besides reliance in their first line-up on cousin Billy Boy Arnold and drummer Howlin 'Wolf), these lads introduced Dylan to electricity during the famous festival at Newport. Led by the first white harmonica able to compete with Little Walter, they introduced the incorporation of a brass section, on a par with the electric guitar and keyboards. Fatally lost in the influence of drugs, Paul Butterfield eventually lost everything from his wife to his home and even his group, before dying 25 years later. A mess in short, which leaves one nostalgic, and with a bitter taste.

Via the Magic of the Web: Oakland, California (in the famous bay of San Francisco), a septet had preserved the formula unbeknownst to the rest of the world. An E-mail launched as a bottle in the sea can now correct this omission to the European public, for this Anthology (recalling nearly four decades of the course of DELTA WIRES) takes things from where Butterfield's "In My Own Dream" and "The Resurrection Of Pigboy Crabshaw" albums had left them: a fiery breath of blues, carried by brilliant brass and the virtuosity of a top-notch harp playing leader, the kind of revelation that the most jaded aficionados can only realize once every twenty years ... Imagine a cross between Count Basie Orchestra and J. Geils Band origins: it is simply stunning!
Patrick Dallongeville, Presto! Magazine, France, June 2013 - Presto! Magazine

Before picking up a harmonica to play the contemporary blues, Ernie Pinata immersed himself in the roots of the music. As a college student, he became interested in cotton-field hollers and work songs, the same a capella numbers sung by African-American slaves as they toiled in the fields that preceded the blues.

An art major at Oakland’s California College of Arts and Crafts in the early ’70s, Pinata learned about the early phases of the blues after convincing his professors to let him embark on an interdisciplinary study of the music. After hours spent researching the music in the UC Berkeley library, the budding harmonica player and vocalist formed the Delta Wires to explore the stuff he was studying.

“The band started as a project, which was an anthology of blues music,” he says.

The Delta Wires began with field hollers and then moved into the country blues of artists including Son House and Charley Patton, the acoustic guitarists credited with pioneering the Delta Blues style. Then, the band started to emulate Muddy Waters and play the electrified version of the music that is still called the Chicago Blues.

When the Delta Wires performed their first gig at his college’s art gallery, Pinata led his new group through a set of numbers encompassing blues’ early history—from the hollers to the works of greats like Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Johnson. Before launching into each number, Pinata explained to the audience the origin of the song.

“I had to really have it together,” he says. “I was getting college credit for this shit, and all my teachers were there.”

Luckily, the crowd was receptive to the Delta Wires first performance. “It was wild,” he says. “Everybody was excited. We were like the school band.”

Pinata believes that his study of the blues was as important as his other coursework. “Blues—c’mon, it’s an art form,” he says. “The history of art is the history of people, you know.”

Pinata also felt that playing all the early phases of the music gave him a greater understanding of the blues. “You appreciate what these people did, and you respect the music,” he says. “You have a respect for the roots of the blues.”

While Pinata was still attending school, the Delta Wires graduated to performing in clubs around the Bay Area. The bandleader recalls playing venues including Berkeley’s Mandrakes and Oakland’s On Broadway. “They were hard to play, because they were so good,” he says.

Even on the day he graduated from college, Pinata had a gig that evening with the Delta Wires. After a party at his grandfather’s house, Pinata played West Oakland’s Continental Club.

Since then, the Delta Wires have made history on their own. The band has picked up a “Best Live Band” nod from the readers of the East Bay Express, which calls the band’s shows “a powerhouse performance marked by riveting horn riffs.” And the Delta Wires have developed somewhat of a local following—the band has performed at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival seven times.

In addition, the group has put out four albums, including 2002’s Tears Like Rain, which included guest spots from Latin-jazz percussionist legend Pete Escovedo, and Vince Welnick, formerly of The Tubes and Grateful Dead.

~ ~ ~
The Delta Wires’ latest CD is titled Them That’s Got. The title track is a cover of the slinky, jazzy Ray Charles number that reveals the Delta Wires as a well-oiled machine. Meanwhile, the band’s take on Fenton Robinson’s funky soul song “Down Home Girl”—with its watery harmonica solos, guitars licks and ascending and descending horns—also shows the group’s proficiency at playing complicated numbers.

Though complex, “Down Home Girl” has some simply amusing lyrics. Pinata starts the song by singing: “Lord, I swear/ the perfume you wear/ is made out of turnip greens. Every time I kiss your lips/ it tastes like pork and beans.”

Less horn-heavy numbers include the original “Saturday Night in North Beach,” which is a showcase for Pinata’s harmonica playing, and the leaner, bluesier “Devil Got My Woman.”

Having started their career by playing field hollers, Pinata says, the Delta Wires have evolved into something totally different. “Of course, we are as modern as we can be now,” he says.

These days, the horn section is an integral part of the band’s sound. “I will not play unless I have three horns,” the bandleader says.

When asked what kind of blues the Delta Wires currently play, Pinata is decidedly non-academic.

“I just think it’s good-feeling music,” he says. “It’s big band blues.”

THE DELTA WIRES play Sly McFly’s, 700 Cannery Row in Monterey, Saturday, Feb. 17, at 9pm. 649-8050.




© 2006 Milestone Communications Inc. All rights reserved. - Monterey County Weekly

Before picking up a harmonica to play the contemporary blues, Ernie Pinata immersed himself in the roots of the music. As a college student, he became interested in cotton-field hollers and work songs, the same a capella numbers sung by African-American slaves as they toiled in the fields that preceded the blues.

An art major at Oakland’s California College of Arts and Crafts in the early ’70s, Pinata learned about the early phases of the blues after convincing his professors to let him embark on an interdisciplinary study of the music. After hours spent researching the music in the UC Berkeley library, the budding harmonica player and vocalist formed the Delta Wires to explore the stuff he was studying.

“The band started as a project, which was an anthology of blues music,” he says.

The Delta Wires began with field hollers and then moved into the country blues of artists including Son House and Charley Patton, the acoustic guitarists credited with pioneering the Delta Blues style. Then, the band started to emulate Muddy Waters and play the electrified version of the music that is still called the Chicago Blues.

When the Delta Wires performed their first gig at his college’s art gallery, Pinata led his new group through a set of numbers encompassing blues’ early history—from the hollers to the works of greats like Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Johnson. Before launching into each number, Pinata explained to the audience the origin of the song.

“I had to really have it together,” he says. “I was getting college credit for this shit, and all my teachers were there.”

Luckily, the crowd was receptive to the Delta Wires first performance. “It was wild,” he says. “Everybody was excited. We were like the school band.”

Pinata believes that his study of the blues was as important as his other coursework. “Blues—c’mon, it’s an art form,” he says. “The history of art is the history of people, you know.”

Pinata also felt that playing all the early phases of the music gave him a greater understanding of the blues. “You appreciate what these people did, and you respect the music,” he says. “You have a respect for the roots of the blues.”

While Pinata was still attending school, the Delta Wires graduated to performing in clubs around the Bay Area. The bandleader recalls playing venues including Berkeley’s Mandrakes and Oakland’s On Broadway. “They were hard to play, because they were so good,” he says.

Even on the day he graduated from college, Pinata had a gig that evening with the Delta Wires. After a party at his grandfather’s house, Pinata played West Oakland’s Continental Club.

Since then, the Delta Wires have made history on their own. The band has picked up a “Best Live Band” nod from the readers of the East Bay Express, which calls the band’s shows “a powerhouse performance marked by riveting horn riffs.” And the Delta Wires have developed somewhat of a local following—the band has performed at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival seven times.

In addition, the group has put out four albums, including 2002’s Tears Like Rain, which included guest spots from Latin-jazz percussionist legend Pete Escovedo, and Vince Welnick, formerly of The Tubes and Grateful Dead.

~ ~ ~
The Delta Wires’ latest CD is titled Them That’s Got. The title track is a cover of the slinky, jazzy Ray Charles number that reveals the Delta Wires as a well-oiled machine. Meanwhile, the band’s take on Fenton Robinson’s funky soul song “Down Home Girl”—with its watery harmonica solos, guitars licks and ascending and descending horns—also shows the group’s proficiency at playing complicated numbers.

Though complex, “Down Home Girl” has some simply amusing lyrics. Pinata starts the song by singing: “Lord, I swear/ the perfume you wear/ is made out of turnip greens. Every time I kiss your lips/ it tastes like pork and beans.”

Less horn-heavy numbers include the original “Saturday Night in North Beach,” which is a showcase for Pinata’s harmonica playing, and the leaner, bluesier “Devil Got My Woman.”

Having started their career by playing field hollers, Pinata says, the Delta Wires have evolved into something totally different. “Of course, we are as modern as we can be now,” he says.

These days, the horn section is an integral part of the band’s sound. “I will not play unless I have three horns,” the bandleader says.

When asked what kind of blues the Delta Wires currently play, Pinata is decidedly non-academic.

“I just think it’s good-feeling music,” he says. “It’s big band blues.”

THE DELTA WIRES play Sly McFly’s, 700 Cannery Row in Monterey, Saturday, Feb. 17, at 9pm. 649-8050.




© 2006 Milestone Communications Inc. All rights reserved. - Monterey County Weekly

San Francisco Bay Area blues legends the Delta Wires take a victory lap after their induction into the Blues Hall of Fame with the release of their historical survey Anthology... the act grew out of a college undergraduate project where [band leader] Pinata was tasked to research and perform an anthology of the great blues music form, tracing it from its Delta roots to its Chicago wired form (thus, the name “Delta Wires”). ...This collection of live and studio tracks culled from six prior albums and obscure concert recordings, likewise traces the blues over the decades, as delivered by Pinata and his band. ...Like the Tower of Power, Delta Wires has had its own horn section, made up of guys who played for another popular Frisco-based act, the boogie rock outfit Cold Blood, and it adds punch and a certain panache you can’t get from small combos. But listening to some of these tracks, especially the earlier ones, there’s enough dirt under the fingernails to make this group bona fide practitioners of the blues. Most of that grit comes courtesy of Pinata himself, whose rousing roots-minded blues harp is the constant in this varied set of recordings that features a changing but consistently good cast of backing personnel. Pinata’s harmonica is smokin’ on cuts such as “Take Off Your Pajamas,” “Tippin’ Into The Blues,” “Don’t Want No Woman” and “Take Your Hand Outta My Pocket,” where he brings down he house. Pinata also handles lead singing for nearly all the vocal songs and while he puts a lot of heart into it, he…did I mention that Pinata is a fantastic harmonica player? ...this retrospective makes a strong case for why the Delta Wires earned a spot in the Blues Hall of Fame.
S. Victor Aaron - somethingelsereviews.com - http://somethingelsereviews.com

"The DELTA WIRES were off the hook! I've seen almost every blues show at Crossroads [Fresno, CA] and ... these guys blew me away... Tight, Hot, Dynamic, Emotional, Soulful, Rippin' through song after song. They had the audience in the palm of their hands right up to the LAST song of the night. Everyone left with a huge smile on their face... delivered with the spirit I love most about the blues...the nicest group of individuals you would ever want to meet". - Don Heflin, President - Central Valley Blues Society

"DELTA WIRES rocked the stage at the 36th Annual (2008) San Francisco Blues Festival, proving what great talents these stalwarts of Bay Area blues truly are. They got the crowd shaking and moving and set the pace for a simmering day of blues."

- Tom Mazzolini, Producer, San Francisco Blues Festival

"Serving up a meaty mix of blues and soul inspired by Bobby Bland's orchestra, as well as by horn-fueled Bay Area outfits like Tower of Power and Cold Blood... With Pinata's searing harp and ... rock-singed guitar creating climax after climax over the rhythm and horn sections' expertly controlled dynamics, the DELTA WIRES brought fresh excitement to time-honored tunes that would have sounded stale in less inspired hands."
- Lee Hildebrand, East Bay Express

"A Powerful, HOT blues band with a rolling sense of rhythm & tons of swing. The DELTA WIRES are seven bright, good musicians, who tastefully and cleverly combine jump, swing, rhythm & blues, rock and soul, with an elegant artistic sensibility which makes an impressive, rockin’ high quality blues band! DELTA WIRES have really got a bright punching sound. Singer, harmonica player and song writer Ernie Pinata leads the band with an audacious, terrific performance. This cd (them that's got) will sound GREAT in your record player again and again. I give you my word... GREAT!" - Vicente Zumel, Radio PICA / La Hora del Blues, Spain

"Hard-driving, intense, with a band that's tight and fierce, this new CD ("Tears Like Rain") from the Delta Wires will leave you breathless!" - -Kathleen Lawton, KCSM-FM, "Crazy 'Bout the Blues"

"Hard-driving, intense, with a band that's tight and fierce, this new CD ("Tears Like Rain") from the Delta Wires will leave you breathless!" - -Kathleen Lawton, KCSM-FM, "Crazy 'Bout the Blues"

"breath-taking solos with guts and heat...incredible intensity! ...excellent musicians...a magnificent delivery!"
- Philippe Le Guennec, Blues & Co. Magazine, France

"breath-taking solos with guts and heat...incredible intensity! ...excellent musicians...a magnificent delivery!"
- Philippe Le Guennec, Blues & Co. Magazine, France

"This Bay Area seven-piece infuses traditional Delta Blues with rock guitar energy and a swinging brass section. At a blues festival, this is the band that blows away the headliner with their charm and energy" - RealMusic Review - Europe Edition UK RealMusic

"They blow hard from the get-go, a tight horn section blending comfortably with the spirited, intense harmonica from lead man Ernie Pinata…as fierce a Sonny Boy Williamson-influenced harp as you will find" - Bill Kisluik - BLUES ACCESS Magazine

"They blow hard from the get-go, a tight horn section blending comfortably with the spirited, intense harmonica from lead man Ernie Pinata…as fierce a Sonny Boy Williamson-influenced harp as you will find" - Bill Kisluik - BLUES ACCESS Magazine

"From jump rhythms to nasty, lowdown Windy City laments, DELTA WIRES electrifies the audience at North Beach's legendary blues club, The Saloon. This tight Bay Area troop, fronted by vocalist/harmonica genius/composer Ernie Pinata, melds Mississippi Delta tunes and Chicago-style arrangements with rock, soul, and swing sensitivity to produce a rollicking, robust live recording...It's terrific! This rockin' blues band is spectacular -- tight, topical, and torrid".
- Lee Cooper, Ph.D - Rock and Blues News

"From jump rhythms to nasty, lowdown Windy City laments, DELTA WIRES electrifies the audience at North Beach's legendary blues club, The Saloon. This tight Bay Area troop, fronted by vocalist/harmonica genius/composer Ernie Pinata, melds Mississippi Delta tunes and Chicago-style arrangements with rock, soul, and swing sensitivity to produce a rollicking, robust live recording...It's terrific! This rockin' blues band is spectacular -- tight, topical, and torrid".
- Lee Cooper, Ph.D - Rock and Blues News

"a tough, rocking, socking band, knocking out crowds...the WIRES are burning up!" - Joel Selvin - San Francisco Chronicle

"A 10-degree drop in the temperature...and a light rain...didn’t stop DELTA WIRES from playing like men possessed. The band features [part of] the original horn section from Cold Blood, augmented by the SUPERNATURAL harp playing of Ernie Pinata! I’d heard of the DELTA WIRES but had not investigated how good they are! They played Chicago Blues! They played New Orleans Blues! They definitely played the Oakland Funk which they claim as their turf." - Tee Watts - KPFX 88/1 fm- on 33rd annual Russian River Jazz and Blues Festival (2009)