Rico!

This energetic Latin rock album is a guaranteed booty mover with lots of upbeat salsa rhythms and rocking guitars. Not being a connoisseur of Latin music, I am unable to draw close comparisons to many other artists within the genre, but I don’t think even the most versed Latin expert would deny that Rico bears a very close resemblance to present day Santana. Guitarist Ricky Baker’s melodic riffs dominate this album. His moody intro to "Surrender" is the perfect example of his skillful and tasteful playing style. It is very refreshing to hear a guitarist who knows his place within his ensemble as well as Baker does. He creates interesting fills and solos without ever stepping on the vocalist’s or other instrumentalist’s work. I was very thankful that the band gave him an entire song, the soulful "Loving You", to play with.

The rest of the Rico ensemble is made up of a tight group of percussionists, keyboardists and a group of vocalists who alternate between Spanish and English. Rico loves to mix innovation with tradition by throwing a little funk into their Latin. The keyboards on "My Lady" are almost Stevie Wonder and the percussion and vocals on "Ya Viene" are almost P-Funk. The later ended up being my favorite track both for its message of racial harmony, a subject that seems less common in Latin rock than hip hop or rock, and for its short bursts of rap and funk vocals.

Casa De Tambores was recorded with the utmost of precision. Each percussion instrument is given a distinctive pan, creating the perfect aural illusion of being surrounded by a pack of dueling conga players. The synthesizer sounds on "Surrender," "Catch 22" and a few other tracks sound a bit dated at times, but then again, it almost fits with Rico’s tendency to draw on retro 70’s and 80’s influences. This is a Latin rock album that will please lovers of pop, rock, funk and dance, and give a funky spin on convention for the Latin traditionalists. - ChicagoGigs.com

"This is a Latin rock album that will please lovers of pop, rock, funk and dance, and give a funky spin on convention for the Latin traditionalists.""
- Ellen Stenard, Chicagogigs.com