The new band, The DelRayz, still do some of the same original tunes that the Sistahs did, but also lots of new songs with vocals by our drummer, Dale, as well as from Rochelle.
New members are our old friend Jim Robertson, guitar and slide guitar, Scott Alamprese, bass and vocals, and Dale Loyola, drums and vocals.
Rochelle was born in East L.A. and moved to Phoenix at age 5.
In the early 80s she was introduced into the blues scene, jamming with Bob Corritore, Janiva Magness and many
other local blues notables at Macayo's in Scottsdale.
Her first blues band was called Just Cuz, a 4-piece all female group, and they went on to take 1st place in the Arizona
Blues Showdown. They competed in Memphis at the International Blues Competition and placed 4th.
Just Cuz won again in Arizona with new band members and placed 2nd in Memphis.
Rochelle was one of the founding members, along with Nancy Dalessandro, of Sistah Blue in 1995, another
all-female lineup that made a real impression on the Phoenix blues scene.
They took 1st place in 1996 and 2004 at the Blues Showdown, and placed 2nd in the Memphis competition in '96.
Sistah Blue won many awards throughout their 13 years in existence, including The New Times' " Best Blues Band "
numerous times. They recorded 3 CDs. Rochelle really helped define their sound.
Rochelle got her first harmonica at a Sly Stone concert when he threw his harp into the audience and she caught it.
It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship with that harmonica.
Her musical influences include Elvis, the Beatles, John Mayall, Paul Butterfield, Lee Oskar and the one and only James Brown, who
just may have been her daddy.
Rochelle is a member of the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame.
The DelRayz give Rochelle an opportunity to really shine as a vocalist, blues harp player and front person, where her energy and enthusiam is contagious and a driving force for the new band.
Nancy was born and raised in Rochester, New York, the home of Eastman Kodak. There is no telling what breathing city air
saturated with photo-chemicals did to her, but she went on to become an artist and musician.
Early influences include music of the Big Bands, 50's Rock n Roll, the Beatles and everything good and bad about the 60's and early 70's.
She earned a BFA in Art & Design from R.I.T. before deciding to make a living playing music (the Blues) rather than as a commercial artist.
Since moving to Phoenix she has played with Small Paul and Drivin' Wheel, Big Pete Pearson, Bob Corritore, Chico Chism, The Rocket 88s, and Sistah Blue.
While with the Rocket 88s, she toured Italy and the Southwestern US, appeared in an NBC TV Movie of the Week, recorded 4 albums, 2 with blues sax great Big Jay McNeely, and backed numerous blues legends on stage. Among them are Louisiana Red, Joe Houston, Gatemouth Brown, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Charlie Musselwhite, Bo Diddley, Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Willis. (really- he plays blues harmonica). The 88s were the house band at one of the hippest blues clubs
in Phoenix, Warsaw Wally's.
She has 3 CDs with Sistah Blue, was their main song-writer, and was inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame in March 2000.
She loves the 3 Kings, BB, Albert and Freddie, Otis Rush, Chuck Berry, Steve Cropper, Stax records, and the Beatles.
Her latest accomplishments include climbing the summits of Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain in the same week.
She hopes the DelRayz can rise as high.
James "Sweetfinger" Robertson was born and raised in the heart of potato
country, southern Idaho. He bought his first guitar in 1985 just after
graduating high school and it seems like he might just stick with it.
He moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1992 after graduating with a degree in Art
from the University of Idaho and began to frequent local blues jams.
Through those jam nights he met many talented musicians, some of whom would
later become bandmates and friends.
Prior to the Delrayz, he played in the "Sweetfinger" Blues Band, Bent Blue,
and Jake De Snake and the Blues Constrictors. Known around town as a fine
slide guitar player, he cites Hound Dog Taylor, Elmore James, and local
legend Tony Bruno of Major Lingo as slide influences. The Delrayz have him
playing a fair bit of standard guitar as well.
Jim currently works at Precision Guitar in Phoenix, where he repairs,
services, modifies, and builds guitars. He digs lowbrow art, sci-fi, Thai
food, cheap beer, and weird girls with unnaturally colored hair.
Scott was born and raised on the south side of Chicago to a family of jazz musicians, giving him a strong musical background
to learn from. He later attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music.
He played his first gig at age 13. From there he went on to play on a regular basis in the band opening for Styx.
Over the years, with his family's music connections, he's been fortunate to have played with Buddy Guy at his club,
as well as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Junior Wells, and David Sanborn.
The original lineup of the band Chicago are friends of the family also, and often came to his house to visit and jam, as did numerous other musicians. Needless to say, this was a great influence in his choice of careers and love of the blues.
Scott's been in the Valley for over 21 years and has played with Whiskey River, The Kingsnakes, and a few other short-lived bands.
As a member of The DelRayz, Scott brings his strong blues background, bass playing and vocal ability to help make the band as good as it can be.
Dale's musical experience spans a broad range of venues, always with his roots in the Blues and Rhythm & Blues at the forefront.
Starting his career in the late 60's in Los Angeles with Dobie Grey, (The In Crowd, Drift Away), he has traveled extensively, globe trotting with such acts as Albert Collins, Edwin Starr, Spiral Staircase, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and performed on
stage with Boz Skaggs, Phillip Bailey (E.W&F), and Billy Preston. He even did a stint with the great Ray Charles.
He's been a studio musician for most of the major recording labels and had a bit part in Jurassic Park .
His vocal stylings are influenced by Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke.
Dale's enthusiasm for the The Blues and The DelRayz is obvious once you have seen and heard the DelRayz perform.
He states, "I'm very proud to bring all I have as a drummer and vocalist to such a band of dedicated and great blues musicians."