The Reckless Night Ensemble
¡Pan​-​Americanos!
Panamerican, 2021

¡Pan – Americanos! is the Reckless Night Americanos homage to Raymond Scott and Lalo Guerrero.

Raymond Scott was an American composer and band leader as well as inventor of electronic instruments. His work is very well known because it was adapted by Carl Stalling as the soundtrack of over 120 Looney Tunes cartoons. Lalo Guerrero was an American guitarist, composer and singer. He is considered the “Father” of Chicano music, a style of Mexican origin but produced and listened to in the United States.

The Reckless night Ensemble features Angelica Villarreal on vocals, Skip Heller on guitar, Nick Ornelas on bass, Anthony Lopez on piano, Tyler Kreutel on drums, Rayner Fernandez on percussion, Jade Elliot on sax, Christin Hablewitz on clarinet and flute, and Brennan Johns on trumpet. Guests of the formation Lalo Guerrero’s son Mark Guerrero and Louie Perez on vocals, Rebecca Schlappich on violin and Mike Bolger on accordion and trumpet.

The first seven tracks of the record are dedicated to Guerrero, while the last three (available only in the CD) cover Scott’s compositions, including the classic “Powerhouse” (perhaps the most used song in cartoons) and the equally well known “Naked City”.

We face an extremely entertaining album, reminiscent of two great authors of American music who marked – with personality and inventiveness – an era. Impeccable arrangements, often very funny (“Los Angeles”, “Me Gusta el Cha Cha Cha”, “Powerhouse”), help the rediscovery of two pop icons of the twentieth century. Indispensable if you are curious!
(EM)