Producer Comments
    These recordings under difficult circumstances are a capture of two great musical talents at work in a small town in the state of Chihuhua. With limited equipment and time I attempted on a number of occasions to gather these musicians together to record this music. There are noticeable technical and audio imperfections on this CD I think they are outweighed by the strength of the performances.

  Ventura Ramirez is a singer in the traditional romantic music of Mexico with its roots in Spanish tradition. His is the life of the troubador 'Andarieggo', walking through his Saucillo with guitarra accompanied by Chito every evening stopping in at taverna after taverna seeking someone there who will pay a few pesos for a tune. It's not an easy life but it's the life of a musician and not all that different from many a great musician hidden here and there around the Planet. The four tunes that open Ventura's set were all recorded at the 'Sindicato de Cancioneros y Filarmonicos' a small concrete blockhouse that sits in the center of town a meeting place for the local musicians. A remnant of the good intentions of the government after the Mexican Revolution. In the sindicato in the last 30 minutes before my bus was due to finally get me back home to the USA we recorded one more time. Those four tunes as recorded are here leading off with my favorite El Cielito Lindo a tune most Americans have firmly locked in their memories though where one heard it first may remain a mystery. Popatito  may be recognizable to many this song is not on his Ventura's playlist and 'Chito' had never played this tune before in these last moments Ventura relented and Chito accompanied most ably in this little Mexican Rock tune. It is my hope that the brilliant and soulful Tenor voice of Ventura Ramirez and his very able accompanist Jesus 'Chito' hit their mark in your hearts.

The discovery of the talent of Elias Gvijalva-Blanco as a vocalist and accordionist took me by surprise. I was concentrating on the work of Ventura when it soon became apparent that he was not the only musical star in this town. The first 3 tunes from Los Parreños feature Elias on Vocals accompanied by Luis Gonzales on stand up bass and Silvestre Talamantes on guitar these tunes recorded in the Sindicato blockhouse an occasional car or truck rumbles by outside adding the necessary ambiance for Roadhouse Mexican Music. Here the very smooth ensemble work highlighted by the voice of Elias and his delicate and tasty Accordion as well as the vocal harmonies featuring Silvestre Talamantes. This was not the full Los Parreños band finally one day they were all together in the Sindicato and we decided to head up to one of the tavernas there the bartender gave us the storage room in the back without air conditioning and the doors closed to keep out the sound of the Air Conditioning generators. The last three tunes have Flavio on board with his very hot sax mostly playing lead in unison with the accordion this is big party music and a big party is called a Parranda and Los Parreños are the boys who deliver.

It is my hope that this recording serves to generate enough positive notice that I may return as soon as possible to make full separate recordings for both Ventura and Los Parreños. Recordings in a studio type setting that these great artists and good friends deserve. To that purpose all proceeds of sales of this CD go directly to my Return to Saucillo Fund. 
            Guy Meyer, Jr.

 

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