Delta Groove Productions is a labor of love and the culmination of a lifelong obsession with blues and roots music on the part of celebrated producer and successful entrepreneur Rand Chortkoff. Delta Groove is all about the music. Each project is undertaken with the idea that quality speaks for itself, so the utmost care is given to every detail, from
A&R to production to packaging to promotion – but first and foremost, to the performances. Without the performers and great performances, nothing else matters.
Creative force, Randy Chortkoff, a talented musician in his own right, first honed his studio skills in the 1980s working with his own band, The Dirt Cheap Blues Band (which also featured future blues heavy-hitters, Debbie Davies and Alex Schultz). He then plunged into independent record production by recording blues legend, Billy Boy Arnold. In the early 1990s, those master tapes were released as Arnold’s highly acclaimed comeback album, Back Where I Belong, by Alligator Records.
Over the next several years, Chortkoff produced his own sessions featuring a number of prominent blues artists, including the late King Ernest, powerhouse vocalist Finis Tasby and many others, leasing them to major blues labels in the US and in Europe. In 2004, Chortkoff decided to reap the fruits of his labors and founded his own record label, Delta Groove Music.
Since founding the label, Chortkoff has been involved with the production and release of projects by legenday blues acts, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, the surviving members of the Hollywood Fats Band, performing as the Hollywood Blues Flames and the Grammy award winning Phantom Blues Band who backed up blues legend Taj Mahal.
Chortkoff has also extended his creative arm into the film industry, teaming up with writer, actor, director Mars Callahan and together founding Big Sky Motion Pictures. Their first project together, What Love Is, starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Anne Heche, Sean Astin, Matthew Lillard and Gina Gershon had it’s theatrical debut in the spring of 2007 and will be available on DVD through Sony distribution in the near future. What Love Is follows up Callahans’ cult classic film, Poolhall Junkies which starred Christopher Walken, Rod Steiger, Allison Eastwood and Callahan himself.
Chortkoff and Callahan are now in the process of filming their second production together, a coming of age comedy, Spring Break ’83 which follows in the footsteps of other box-office topping films in the genre, such as Animal House, Naked Gun, American Pie, Superbad and many others. Spring Break ’83 stars a number of 1980s icons including John Goodman, Lee Majors, Downtown Julie Brown, Erik Estrada and Joe Pantoliano; many up and coming comedic actors, Andrew Caldwell, Sophie Monk, Aviva and Lisa Jay; as well as comedic regular, Jamie Kennedy.
Chortkoff’s experience in the music industry coupled with his involvement in the production aspect of the movie industry, as well as his role as music supervisor on his films, leave him in a unique position to place the blues genre back on the map, increasing the fan-base with people young and old. For more information on the label and current projects, visit the Delta Groove website at www.deltagroovemusic.com.
Just dropping by to say Hi and see what you’re up to and how you are doing.
As always, wishing you well. Stay positive, productive & purpose driven.
Peace
Michael
Elvin Bishop is our "Featured Artist" this week on Classic Artists Today, syndicated radio show. For show times and how to tune-in, check us out at classicartiststoday.com
Hi from Indianola, Mississippi. Just wanted to invite ya to the BB King Museum 1st Anniversary bash. It's the weekend of Sept 12th. There'll be lots of raw Blues and plenty of jamming. Join us! Contact me if you need details! Blues to ya!
GOOD MUSIC 
M A M Y K Ô 
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