Gunzawless

When former Exit 3 and Elvie Joe guitarist Frank Gonzales went looking to form a new band, he didn't have to look far.

“I said I wanted to play with the best players I know,” says Gonzales, whose fluid guitar playing was the highlight of his former Valley bands’ sound. “I said, ‘I'm gonna start my band — my style of music, good organized rehearsals — it's gonna be a real band, professional. So I thought, ‘Who are the best musicians I know? Pete and Paul Gonzales.' ”

Who also just happened to be his younger brothers.

The Gonzales boys grew up in Socorro, N.M., a town of 9,000 about 80 miles south of Albuquerque, where their father played guitar and passed on his love of music to his sons.

“He taught us all when we were young,” says Frank, who began playing guitar at age 5. “He played in the church choir, so we heard a lot of that growing up, but —”

“We listened to Poison and Twisted Sister,” Pete interrupts, laughing.

“Seriously, he's right — my dad had been teaching me, but the first thing that really made me go ‘Wow!’ was Iron Maiden,” Frank says. “But by the time high school came around I was more into Hendrix, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.”

Frank, who is three years older than Pete, 31, and nine years older than Paul, 25, studied music at New Mexico State (where Pete would later study music as well) and played in a variety of bands — including a marching band and jazz bands in college — before moving to the Valley.

Pete, a bassist, and later Paul, a piano player, followed their older brother to the East Valley after gigging in the bars of Socorro.

Although some famous bands of brothers — most notably the Beach Boys and Oasis — have squabbled unrelentingly, Gunzawless (which also includes drummer Cheeba and Brazilian-born percussionist Porangui) rarely butt heads musically.

“It took us a while to figure things out, like, ‘This is what you do, this is what I do,’ ” says Pete. “You just have to figure out how to make it work — it makes it easier sometimes, being brothers and playing in a band. We just say, ‘OK, this is the deal — this is my tune,’ and we go from there.”

Gunzawless’ self-titled debut CD showcases the virtuosity of the musicians as they move easily from percussive Latin-based tunes to the blues and jazz jams that highlight the band's Valley gigs.

"‘Space and Time’ is our mantra,” says Pete of the band's style. “We talk about it at every rehearsal — just being patient.”

“Space and Time” is a concept that has confounded physicists throughout history.

“It's not really that deep, man,” says Frank. “It just happens to sound good.”
- By Chris Hansen Orf, Get Out

Gunzawless
Sound: Latin rock, jazz, blues
Who's in the band: Frank Gonzales (guitar, vocals), Paul Gonzales (keyboards), Pete Gonzales (bass), Ben Gonzales (percussion) Cheeba Gonzales (drums, percussion)

Reason to watch: With the three Gonzales brothers (Frank, Pete and Paul) who cut their teeth in Valley rock band Elvie Jo, Gunzawless is a delicious stew of rock, jazz and blues with a distinct Latin flavor, sounding like the vintage blues/jazz jams of Allman Brothers band with Carlos Santana sitting in on guitar. The new combo is playing Tempe shows at the Yucca Tap Room (every Tuesday in February), the Real Bar (Feb. 9) and The Loft (Feb. 21).

In their words: “Expect Gunzawless to supply the good vibes,” says Pete Gonzales. “We're already working on material for our first CD. ‘Space & Time' is the mantra that we live by, so expect a patient Latin-funk experience with a touch of jazz.”
- Chris Hansen Orf, Get Out

Socorro – Three Socorro-natives now living in the Phoenix, Az. Area, will be bringing their own unique fusion of music to the Fourth of July Celebration outside of Macey Center.

Brothers Frank, Pete and Paul Gonzales join two more Gonzaleses – Cheeta and Ben – to form the Gunzawless Band. The band is getting some acclaim in their latest efforts. making waves in the music scene in the Phoenix-Tempe area with their unique blend of Latin rhythms, funk grooves, jazz, rock and blues.

They’ve been compared with Carlos Santana and the Allman Brothers – high praise but worthy as you will hear during the annual celebration which begins at 11 a m on the south side of Macey Center on the NM Tech Campus.

They call themselves Gunzawless; they will play at 3:45 pm on the 4th.

An article in College Times by Chris Fanning (www.ecollegetimes.com) raves that they “are producing a sound that mixes genres, delights the ear and excites the soul.” He describes the music as “screaming guitar solos, funk bass lines, soulful piano licks and jazzy drumbeats.”

And GetOut, a major entertainment guide for Arizona, calls the band “a delicious stew of rock, jazz and blues with a distinct Latin flavor, sounding like the vintage blues/jazz jams of Allman Brothers band with Carlos Santana sitting in on guitar.”

The brothers have been at it for years, cutting their teeth on music with dad Pete Gonzales in Socorro.

Two brothers Pete and Frank were part of a popular group, Elvie Joe, but the addition of Paul seems to have been the magic mix. Gunzawless brings together the individual sounds “to make the music they’ve all been trying for years to make separately,” admits the band on their site: www.myspace.com/gunzawless. (And isn’t that just a cool redo of a normal name into an unforgettable one?)

The hot Latin flavor, cool jazz melodies, crunchy funk rhythms are a culmination of experience, seasoned by years of performing and recording throughout the US.

“No matter what you want to label them, its very clear that Frank, bassist Pete Gonzales, keyboardist Paul Gonzales, drummer Cheeba Gonzales and percussion leader Ben Gonzales are masters of their instruments,” states Fanning.

They’re often at the Yucca Tap Room in Tempe. Or check them out on www.myspace.com/gunzawless where you can hear four of their musical selections and find out more about this group whose roots are in Socorro.

The annual 4th of July Celebration will see a variety of local community groups offering snacks and activities for youth and adults.

Ronna Kalish, director of Tech’s Performing Arts Series (PAS) has lined up wide variety of music for the day – almost all of them from Socorro or with Socorro roots like Gunzawless.

Here’s the full July 4th line up:

11 am : Socorro Community Band
12 noon: Magdalena Steel Chicks; Socorro Martial Arts Academy Demonstrations
1 pm: Without a Drought, folk and country
2 pm: Nitefall, Spanish, country, variety
3:45: Gunzawless
5:30 pm: Al Hurricane and All Hurricane Jr., rock and roll, New Mexico music
8 pm: Remedy, Socorro’s variety band
9:30 pm: Fireworks, EMRTC’s excellent display
The event is free to everyone and is sponsored by PAS, Boys and Girls Club of Socorro, Socorro Mental Health Foundation, Tech Graduate Student Association, NM Tech Student Association, Econo Lodge, and the City of Socorro.

As Macey Center's July 4th events ad says (see below), non-profit and youth groups may call 845-5688 to set up space for selling snacks, novelties or carnival-type games. Or email dchavez (at) admin.nmt.edu for more information.
- By: Socorro Reporter