Story and Photos by Vicente MercadoEl Chicano Reunion Rehearsal
Cascade Studios, Hollywood California, May 21, 2008+ Larger Font | + Smaller Font
(Hollywood, that's such a strange concept. It isn't any different that any other part of Los Angeles, save for aging storefronts and buildings that cater to the movie and music business. There are no movie stars and celebrities walking in the streets. At least in the past it was full of excentric people and street walkers. Cascade, a band rehearsal place like many all over Los Angeles, is on Melrose Avenue, about four blocks west of Vine, both well known street names all over the world. It is across the street from a multi block sized movie studio, and is surrounded by other small sized studios, a lumber yard and a storage place. I parked around the block, there is no parking on major streets between four and six in Los Angeles. Latinos are everywhere. A large group of men were shading themselves in the corner. They appeared to be the day laborer type that right wing talk radio hosts love to hate. I was raised along the San Ysidro / Tijuana border, and grew up in East L. A., there is very little I'm afraid of. But this guys looked scary. They were loud, some of them were drinking beer from quart sized bottles, and were interviewing passers by, looked like they were collecting taxes for using the sidewalk. Now, I had to walk through them carrying several thousand dollars worth of camera equipment. A tripod is a great piece of equipment, dogs seem to be afraid of them, I do lots of night photography, and use it as a weapon to chase away barking dogs. I grabbed the tripod with my right hand and made sure that I could wield it good if I needed to. Spanish has saved me many times in my life. As I walked in between these scary fellows I greeted them in espaņol and made small talk about being tired after a long day, bla, bla, bla. They didn't mess with me. So much for Hollywood and Melrose Place.)
El Chicano was rehearsing in the larger studio, a showcase room. The Cascade studio complex is made up many small rooms between ten by ten feet, and twenty by twenty. Bobby Espinoza was on stage tweaking his keyboard setting, save for the sound man and couple of studio employees, there were no roadies in sight. Apparently they had been there for at least an hour. Jerry Salas was sitting on a couch talking to a woman who turned out to be the band's back up singer, Dolores. I stayed in a corner to study the room. Fred Sanchez walked around checking things. They were still sort of sound checking and moving equipment around. "Where is Mickey?" Where is John?" "Where is so and so?" I hear repeatedly.
Bobby, Fred, Jerry, and Rudy Regalado on a cymbal-less drum set jam. The studio provides the drum set but you bring your own cymbals or rent a set. Rudy showed up without any equipment, I overheard that he was going to use Marcos Reyes' timbales. When Marcos showed up Rudy went home to get some of the stuff that he was going to need. Daniel Meza showed up with Mickey Lespron, shortly there after, John De Luna arrived, his assistant director, Bruno Sandoval, showed up as well. More setting up went on. Marcos Reyes set up his congas and timbales and sat quietly reading a magazine. Before this, Fred called for a band meeting, they went inside a small rehearsal room. They came out ready to play, but half of the band wasn't there. The first song they rehearsed as a group was "Chicano Chant." Mickey slowly setting the mood, Fred's bass joins in, followed by John's cymbal work, and Bobby's flourishes, Marcos lays down a conga pattern. The song is stopped and repeated many times, as El Chicano members discuss the different nuances of the song. "Is it ta-ca-ta-ca-ta or ta-ca-ta-ca-ta-ta?" This goes on for almost every song. Jerry sits on the couch and occasionally gets up to give his opinion. The band listen to each other's opinion. It appears that Jerry is the band's music historian. Bobby makes a point during one of the stops. Regalado shows up carrying a gig bag.
"Chicano!" Fred shouts and they go into "Viva Tirado Otra Vez." The song and the intro are repeaded many times as they discuss every nuance and percussion break. El Chicano's now legendary shouts, like "Chicano!" "Juntos" and "Ponle" bring chills to me. I am witnessing those for the first time in more than thirty years. Fred's voice sounds like the recorded version, but I'm debating in my mind if those were originally Andre Baeza's parts.
"Mas Zacate" might not have been a hit single for El Chicano, but it is one of the most significant song for Mexican Americans. Rudy Regalado asks a question about a part in the album's version. They stop the rehearsal to listen to the album. Bobby introduces the song playing a montuno on his synthesized piano, with the band joining in chorus singing "Vamos a tocar para ti / Chicano / Vamos a tocar para ti / Chicano." (Here I'm at a loss I still don't know what is the difference between a montuno, a guaje, and a tumbao in a Latin piano solo.) John De Luna shines on "El Grito" outro. Regalado asks again to hear the record, he is not sure about a part. De Luna and Regalado practice the "shots" after the listening break. Bobby smoothly joins in, so does Fred. The whole El Chicano is in a place, for lack of a better term I'll call it the zone.
The band takes a formal break. Mickey seems to be ready and eager to play, he sits alone and plays his guitar, trying different things. Regalado on drums, and Bobby join him. I'm having a hard time trying to decide if it is "Cantaloupe Island" or "Quiet Village." I should have done my homework. Fred straps on his bass and John De Luna takes over on drums. The song turns out to be "Cubano Chant." Then I realize that I'm alone in the room. El Chicano is playing for me, solo para mi.
Marcos Reyes comes back from break and they go into "Eleanor Rigby." (Marcos and I spent a while talking about his life on the road, commuting from Northern to Southern California to play with War and El Chicano, and Luis Gasca. He has some great Luis Gasca stories. Luis should be grateful for all the great friends and people who care for him, my opinion.)
El Chicano is a band that has contributed a lot to the development of pop jazz, new age music, or as it is called today, smooth jazz. "Eleanor Rigby" is a good example. One day they will receive what is owed to them.
John De Luna forgets the tarantan tanta intro to "Spanish Grease," they discuss if it is tarantan tanta or tarantan tantata. After taking that part apart, they go through the entire piece all the way through. Here I connect to the feelings I had as a teenager when I discovered Willie Bobo. Not just "Evil Ways," but an entire Willie Bobo album. I know that I'm not talking about myself alone, but hundreds of thousands of Chicanos and Latin jazz fans everywhere. Willie Bobo and Cal Tjader are the men!
Up to this point I had been noticing what an exceptional guitarist Mickey Lespron is. I mean, he has his very own, unique and easily recognizable tone. He is soulful and has the chops. That's what makes a real musician. I had been enjoying the Jimmy Hendrix in him. Mickey's sound was never properly caught on record. (Except the ones that Val Garay recorded.) Mickey is an underrated player. He has lived under the shadow of Carlos Santana, not only him but the entire band. Santana and El Chicano are two different sounding bands. Both came out at the same time from different places at the same time. They shared the same musical background and influences, the blues, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Tito Puente, Mongo, Wes Montgomery, the hard rock... The comparison ends there.
Jerry Salas had been standing in the sidelines like a coach, cheering on the band, giving his opinion during the discussions, ready to play. He is so full of energy when it comes time to do "Tell Her She's Lovely." He is like a pure breed horse at the starting gate. Dolores sings her parts flawlessly. Jerry and Mickey do their double lead guitar part with the intensity that more than thirty years of wait can bring.
"Cayuco" is another song in which Jerry participates. (This Tito Puente composition was a minor hit single for El Chicano. An L. A. band named Macondo had recorded it before, on Atlantic records. This was at the time when record companies were looking for the next Santana, El Chicano, or Malo, after their great commercial success. Max Garduno from Macondo briefly played with El Chicano.) The pizza had arrived by this time, it was getting late. Rudy Regalado abruptly stops the song because Bobby is eating while he is playing. They all share a laugh.
The band does "Juntos." Fred Sanchez's bone chilling shouts, again, bring memories of a thousand marches and pickets lines. I have note to talk about these shouts. The only thing that I want to add is that all those shouts, chants, and even the most minute El Chicano percussion parts, are ingrained in in our Chicano identity and fabric.
By this time Fred decides which songs needed to go over and declares a formal break.
"Mas Zacate" is picked over after the break. The chorus and intro are worked on. "El Grito," with Fred's thundering bass intro is worked on as well.
Daniel Meza is a clear spoken man. He doesn't beat around the bush. He has a clear vision of what he wants his films to look like. Him and I spoke clearly about the photos earlier and closed our deal with an old fashioned hand shake. He is very clear to the band as he gives his opinion about some issues.
I had stopped taking notes by this time, but I don't remember them playing "Viva Tirado." Maybe they were saving the feeling and energy for the actual reunion concert.
As far as photography. It was a real chore because the light kept changing and the room was pretty uneven. I had to continously change the ASA setting on the camera. Somewhere in the middle of the rehearsal someone from Cascade turned off the house lights and turned on the stage lights. Rudy and Bobby were left without a spotlight.
It is always a pleasure talking to Jerry because he is always very generous about talking about the different songs in the band's repertoire. This was the first time I met John De Luna in person, he is a true gentleman. Bobby and I reminisced about characters that we have known in the past, Low Rider magazine and the Sancho show. Rudy Regalado is always ready to talk about the great musicians he has played with, Joe Zawinul and Horace Silver. Fred is a serious businessman. It ended up that Mickey Lespron and I are very distant relatives. Thanks Daniel for the opportunity of witnessing this historical Mexican American event.