| Dweezil's sax player, Scheila Gonzalez, in "L.A. Carpool" band [message #295485] |
So, 02 Juli 2006 11:27 |
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07/02/2006
Judge fronts for salsa band
BY CAROL ROCK, Staff Writer
http://www.dailynews.com/santaclarita/ci_4003406
NEWHALL - Juvenile Court Judge Jack Gold might spend his days
meting out justice, but come the weekend, he's a major force in
the salsa world.
As producer/manager of the band L.A. Carpool, Gold gets some
precious stage time playing conga drums with the group. What he
really enjoys is watching the multigenerational crowds that the
band attracts.
"We took all of the old and new classical salsa, meaning Cuban
and Puerto Rican music, and added pop sensibilities. We're kind
of like Santana, but different.
"The band caters to the crossover market of Spanish-speaking
(listeners) and their kids who also speak English," he said.
"When you hear us, you'll notice that the background lyrics are
in Spanish, but the lead lyrics are English."
L.A. Carpool will be playing at Newhall Park immediately after
the Fourth of July parade from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
The group, a 12-piece band with a horn section, features
musicians who have won Grammy Awards and toured with some
top-flight acts.
"Richie Gajete-Garcia is among the world's top 10
percussionists," Gold said enthusiastically. "He plays with Patti
LaBelle; he's been written up in all the drum magazines. Just off
a tour with Dweezil Zappa is our sax player, Scheila Gonzalez.
"And Enzo Villaparedes, he's a genius engineer; he's going to do
something very new called reggaeton. That's `rap' in Spanish.
We're putting that on the new CD."
As with most unsigned groups, L.A. Carpool will have CDs for sale
at the park, hoping to spread the word about its unique musical
stylings.
"The good news is that we're on all the downloads," Gold
explained. "It's been a godsend for us. People want to hear Latin
and salsa, they tend to make compilations and include us."
L.A. Carpool has also been featured on television and in feature
films, most recently as music in "First Monday," a short-lived
series on CBS.
"We did the movie `Narc,"' Gold said. "In the scene where Ray
Liotta and Jason Patric are sitting talking, we're playing on the
jukebox. The best part about that movie is that it's one of those
B movies that plays forever on cable. Every time it's on, we sell
more CDs."
For Gold, being able to play his beloved congas - something he
did more before the law and the bench filled his days - is prize
enough.
"I don't have what these young guys have, but they still let me
play a few songs," he said. "I can't not play, if you know what I
mean."
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