Dean Falcone

Dean Falcone would have liked to have been a judge, but he never had the Latin. Instead, he surrendered to the cheap tricks and merry-go-round mysteries of rock & roll. He’s been an integral part of some of the most acclaimed bands in Connecticut, starting with local legends The Excerpts. That '80s pop group, which enjoyed a successful tour of Japan, found Dean working with Jon Brion, who became a noted L.A.-based singer/songwriter and film composer. Dean’s main current bands are The Shellye Valauskas Experience, in which he serves as Valauskas’ guitarist, co-songwriter and producer, and The Manchurians, led by nationally known R&B songwriter Roger C. Reale. Dean is still well remembered for impressive New Haven area projects with Wally Gates (as One Hundred Faces) and Spike Priggen. On a national level, he has played live or in the studio with such artists as Chris Franz & Tina Weymouth, Jon Brion, Aimee Mann, Norah Jones, Neko Case, Susanna Hoffs, Lydia Loveless, Mike Viola, Shane Nicholson, Bun E. Carlos ,Charlie Daniels & many others, and has worked for both Cheap Trick and the Ramones. When not creating original songs and riffs, for decades Dean’s played with some of the most popular bands in Connecticut, including Dean & the Dragsters, The Sons, Slowpoke and Six Foot Step. The annual “Vomitorium” he hosts have become a hoary Connecticut Thanksgiving tradition. Though his preferred instrument is guitar, he’s also proficient on bass, keyboards (including the Mellotron), sitar, lap steel, Pedal steel, dobro, Banjo, ukulele and theremin. Renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and British comedy, Dean has made countless friends not just from his bar and club appearances but from teaching music to others and from working behind the counter at independent record stores. His friendship with writer/director Gorman Bechard began 30 years ago, when Bechard wrote glowing reviews of The Excerpts for the Waterbury Republican-American. Never one to turn down an interesting project, with Friends (With Benefits) Dean Falcone has added a new title—film-scorer—to his already packed musical resume. He continues to write, record and rock in whatever capacity he’s allowed and is currently involved in several documentaries including one on The Replacements (Color Me Obsessed) and one on the history of New Haven Pizza ( Pizza, A Love Story) as well as several other independent films and also a Bossa Nova/Lounge project called "Tipsy in Chelsea". In 2016 he produced "One Voice" featuring Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Susanna Hoffs, Lydia Loveless, Neko Case & Brian May for the film a "A Dog Named Gucci" Dean Falcone is a fleet-fingered Multi Instrumentalist and eclectic pop/rock composer/producer who’s been playing in bands since his pre-teens.