Many years ago, I met up with my wife at the former Thursday at The Square, where we saw a group called Be Arthur perform. The band was made up of college-age kids from Fredonia State College, and they all played well beyond their years. We were very impressed. Individually, they were just scratching the surface. Over the years, I would do production work for several of these young men in different projects. One of those players is Rocco Dellaneve.
Rocco, a multi instrumentalist, really caught my attention with an original group called Forealists, where he was the principal songwriter. “It was an artistic collective started with Adam Zukic and Wes Harris,” he says. It was a way to get together and create self indulgent music. “If it sounded cool, we went with it.”
The group would evolve out of the studio and on to the stage, with some notable players coming aboard. Zuri Appleby on bass, D-Ray Jackson on drums, Kevin Urso on guitar. They would release a single called “Living it Up”, then a handful of live showcases before disbanding. He says, “It’s a love story that went its separate ways”.
Rocco relocated to New York City in February 2014, and has since been performing throughout the world with fellow Buffalonian, drummer Steve Padin. “Steve was my plug into that world,” he says. They would go on to perform together in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Europe, and throughout the United States with recording artists Gin Wigmore, Jessie James Decker, and Jackson Harris.
His solo effort, called Rocco of the Snow, has released a new album called Prime Mover. The work captures the melodies and technical pulp that formulate Rocco’s signature sound. Imagine that Stevie Wonder, Tears For Fears, and Jamiroquai got together one day, and wired his heart and mind. The subject matter is a testimonial to his struggles with being a perfectionist. “Going into a perfection rabbit hole is bad,” he then continues. “Learning to love all imperfections is what the album is all about”.
Rocco comes home for an album release show this Friday at Imagine Event Center. The group is a trio, and includes long time collaborators Steve Padin on drums, and Be Arthur and Forealist guitarist Kevin Urso. “The trio is very efficient,” he says about the band. “We want to get this on the road. Get it out there full force. Get it heard by as many people as possible.”
Rocco of the Snow CD Release
Imagine Event Center | 71 Military Road | Black Rock, NY
Friday December 21, 2018
Tickets: $10 presales, $15 at the door
More info here: