The Reckless Night Ensemble presents a few special recordings inspired by the members’ mutual love and respect for the music of “The Father of Chicano Music” great, Lalo Guerrero.
In 2018, Skip Heller assembled a band with dynamic, young Nick Ornelas on bass, Anthony Lopez on piano, Rayner Fernandez on percussion, and Tyler Kruetel on drums, to perform a concert of Raymond Scott tunes at the request of Scott’s family. The members of this truly all-star group’s resumes include the best of period-precise jazz, world music, funk and Latin styles. The concert was such a success that the band stayed together to pay tribute to Lalo Guerrero on their new 7” recording.
In the early 2000s, Heller had worked extensively with Lalo Guerrero leading a band which played arrangements from Guerrero’s ground-breaking vintage recordings. Guerrero had worked primarily with small swing band instrumentation, as Raymond Scott had, so it was a natural fit for The RNE. In January 2020, The RNE took to the stage with guest vocalist Mark Guerrero, Lalo’s son, also a great force in the Chicano music scene. Unfortunately, the pandemic closed the curtain on live shows, so the band took to the studio to lay down seven of Lalo’s gems.
For this 7” recording, the arrangements were painstakingly transcribed from Guerrero’s classic records. Mark Guerrero takes on the microphone for “Me Gusta El Cha Cha Cha”, delivering a vocal that is at turns both caliente and cool. Angelica Villareal, The RNE’s vocalist, fronts the band for a blistering version of the Pachuco anthem, “Vamos a Bailar, featuring great solos from trumpeter Brennan Johns and pianist Anthony Lopez.
Skip Heller has also worked with artists ranging from Bootsy Collins to Yma Sumac.
This single is a co release with Sonido del Valle Records and RNE
