Los Músicos de José |
Los Músicos de José (meaning literally ‘José’s Musicians’) are a Mexico City band that creates powerful funk-like instrumental music aimed at your feet, your guts and both of your brain’s hemispheres—a music imbued with emotion and pleasure, ideal both for dancing and attentive listening.
The four founding members have shared the enjoyment of groove and original music that breaks the mould since 1996. So far they have recorded three studio albums and a remix double. Their music has led them to perform in international jazz, rock and world music festivals as well as Latin parties. Their musical quality has earned them the respect of Mexico’s cultural milieu as much as that of specialized musicians and critics. |
Historia
The band was born in 1996, when David López, Miguel Haller and Paul Spalla, who by then were playing rock covers, met Aldo Max and invited him to play the saxophone. While still very young—between 15 and 17 years old—they started to instil life into the songs that we know now.
Several years of learning, musical studies and life went by before they saw the birth of their first production in 2005, a homonymous album that gathered the best from all the themes they had played up till then. By then the band already had other tree members, Elías Herrera in the trumpet (and also director of the “Amaneceres”, or “Sunrises”, video clip), Michel Acosta in the second saxophone, and percussionist Jorge Whaley. José was there too, but that’s another story... In 2008 they recorded their second production, Chicotito Groove. The band had been changing by then and Elías, Whaley and Michel abandoned ship. They were replaced by Ángel Leal with the trumpet, Paquito Gómez on tenor sax and Gerardo Balandrano on percussions. This is currently the band’s lineup. By 2011, and having already played in the best national rock and jazz festivals, as well as in famed Joe’s Pub in Manhattan, New York, Los Músicos de José launched Different Sounds, a double remixes album that reflects the great esteem in which a broad sector of the Mexican musical milieu holds the band’s work. Their most recent production, Quasianimal, is from 2012. The band recorded the album for the first time in their own studio and they have produced all tracks themselves, in collaboration with Edi Kistler and José Rojas. MembersDavid López, guitar
Aldo Max, saxophone, keybords Paul Spalla, bass Gerardo Balandrano, drums Angel Leal, trumpet Paquito Gómez, tenor saxophone MC Charlot, (special guest) |