Album Notes

From East Los Angeles, The Blazers play big-hearted Latino roots rock music that's soulful, surprising and always fun. Combining electric guitars, bass and drums with traditional instruments such as the tres, bajo sexto and button accordion, The Blazers make music which draws on the deep well of Mexican-American culture and life.

Ruben Guaderrama and Manuel "Manny" Gonzales are the heart and soul of The Blazers. They started playing music together in high school where they would perform at parties, dances, anywhere they could all over East L.A.. They played rock and roll, boleros, Mexican cumbias, and music from their parents' record collections. Through the years, Manny and Rueben went through a succession of band names, and drummers, honing their craft until they signed to Rounder Records in the early 1990's. They released several records on Rounder, including " Just For You" which was produced by Grammy award winning producer, Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, Roy Orbison, Sara Evans). This started a friendship that led to the bands current record deal with Anderson's label, Little Dog Records. The first result of this relationship is "17 Jewels", described by one listener as "The Blazers Sergeant Peppers album". Listening to "17 Jewels" one can't help but agree that this is their finest release to date. They've reached into their past for some of the songs; Ruben wrote the eminently positive "Our Time" when he was in high school; they've covered some favorites such as "Leaving It All Up To You", and of course there are songs like "And I Feel It", "Come On Baby" (in Spanish and English) and the tender "Next To Me" all featuring Manny and that undeniable Blazers sound that will put a smile on your face and have you dancing before you know it.

We're "the other band" from East LA" says Manny with a laugh. Constant comparisons to Los Lobos aside, this band tours constantly throughout the United States, and takes regular forays to Europe. They have developed a reputation as an excellent live band and an extraordinarily nice group of guys. "We've played with Los Lobos in Salt Lake City and Alvin Lee in Sweden last summer, " says Ruben, "and in both instances the audience response has been overwhelming. It's good to see that we have sort of a universal appeal."

For now, The Blazers are happy to be on a new label, making music for Little Dog Records. "We have always enjoyed working with Pete, " says Ruben. "He's very creative and it's almost like he's another member of the band. We feel like family members at Little Dog."