Me & Julio

ME & JULIO

Hear them: 7-11 p.m. every Friday, Sonterra Grill, 28 S. Tejon St.; 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Olive Branch, 23 S. Tejon St.; 9:30 p.m.- 1:30 a.m. Aug. 25, Ritz Grill, 15 S. Tejon St.

Personnel: Julio C. Garcia, lead vocals, composer and rhythm guitar; John Stone, lead guitar and backup vocals. At some gigs they add bass, drums and percussion musicians including Kim Stone, Henric D'Almeida, Mike Nelson, Dennis Bueno, John Gonzales and John Wise.

Style: Latin Pop, what we like to call "Son Moderno," Garcia says. It has flamenco overtones.

Influences: For Garcia: Van Van, NG La Banda, Carlos Santana, Compay Segundo, Buena Vista Social Club and other Cuban musicians old and new.

For Stone: Rubin Romero, Antonio Mendoza, Paco de Lucia, Robert Fripp, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton, Gipsy Kings, and "every guitar player I've ever known, with thanks."

What the live show is like: "It depends on the venue," says Garcia. "At Sonterra we keep our first set mellow since most customers want to be able to eat and chat with their friends. As the night progresses and people mind less, the energy goes up; sometimes it can get pretty loud and crazy. Who knows, someone may even get up and dance."

At larger venues they bring in a full group and it turns "energetic and electrifying. Whether you can understand what we are saying or not, you get the feeling that you want to dance and let yourself go," Garcia says.

Best gig: Cinco de Mayo at Salsa Brava, 802 Village Center Drive, they agree. The place was packed from 6 to 11 p.m. and "the atmosphere was simply electrifying," says Garcia.

Give them a spin: "Aqui Esta" has mostly original music by Garcia and was recorded at Kim Stone's (Spiro Gyra, Rippington) studio and at John Wise's studio. It's available at their gigs or through their Web site, www.meandjulio.com

What "making it" would look like: Garcia thinks big: "A platinum recording deal, a Grammy award, making music every day, playing to a full capacity stadium of 40,000 screaming fans."

Stone starts out a little closer to home: "Playing Colorado's Front Range, expanding to Taos and Santa Fe, and eventually regional tours." Then he gets more expansive: "We are creating a unique style of music I think is worthy of a record deal. Possibly we could go national, who knows."

Their most rock 'n' roll moments: Music has been Garcia's obsession. "As a child I sang for millions in a children's program in Havana, Cuba. In college, I had the honor of backing Luciano Pavarotti and Jos Carreras in their concerts in Miami. As a salsa singer I have performed for a dancing and singing crowd of 6,000. And now with Me and Julio, I'm getting the chance to compose and play my own music which so far has been received here in the Springs with much warmth."

Stone "grew up a long time ago and saw the Stones, The Who, the Dead, Dylan, Bonnie, Eric, B.B. They all were great moments, but sometimes when I play the guitar and hit everything right on, that epiphany is my rock 'n' roll moment."

History: In the summer of 2003, Garcia sat in when Stone was playing at Bristol Brewery. "After a couple of tunes me and John looked at each other and thought 'wow this is good.' The rest as they say is history," says Garcia. The name started as a joke, a play on Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard" and it stuck.

Day jobs: Garcia is music director for Peyton Middle/High School. Stone says, "After 16 years as the 'Map Guy' at Chinook, my day job is resum shopping and really my music, whether solo or duo. I have music irons in the fire everywhere."

Their take on the local music scene: "Surprisingly healthy," says Garcia. "When I left Miami 6 years ago I didn't expect to be playing Cuban music in Colorado Springs. Yet I've met many great musicians and even more music lovers in this town."

How would you improve it?

"Create music as art," says Stone. "People need heart, always play from your heart. I write as well, with tons of original material. I play it wherever the clubs let me. Every musician should try to do this. Together we can improve the scene."

CONTACT US: Hey, local bands! If you would like to be considered for a feature in Sound Check and you have local gigs

booked, call 636-0374 or e-mail

Lnavarro@gazette.com

Copyright 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

- Colorado Springs Gazette

By J. Adrian Stanley, The Gazette


Many locals would be surprised to hear that Colorado Springs is home to an active, progressive salsa band.

Led by Cuban-American Julio Garcia, Me and Julio began as a duo between Garcia and John Stone. Now the group changes nightly -- going from a full band to a trio or a duo as the occasion requires.

Band Sampler
The slide show you're enjoying is from the band's recent performance at the Little Pasta House. Garcia is the guy with the ponytail and the Hawaiian shirt. He's playing with saxophonist Sam Milazzo and percussionist Willie Koenig.

The song you're hearing is the Garcia original "Shake


It!" -- a gem of a tune and a perfect example of why Garcia's music is so mesmerizing. Notice the easy multiculturalism and how Garcia flows seamlessly from English to Spanish.

There's something warm and dark about Garcia's music. It seems to seduce the listener. And it's definitely danceable.

Listen for that whimsical lead guitar Stone plays. When we saw the band, Milazzo was filling in for Stone with some very impressive, dizzying saxophone playing, which proved equally pleasing.
We were also treated to the talents of Koenig, whose eclectic skills on various percussion instruments added a special flavor to the music.

Since Me and Julio is a loose collective, fans get to hear something a little different at every live performance. In addition to Garcia's originals and some interpretations of traditional salsa tunes, we heard a laid-back version of Bob Marley's "Waiting in Vain" and a slyly cool cover of Santana's "Smooth."

It was a shame that Garcia and crew were playing for a lethargic restaurant crowd instead of a energetic club audience, but the popular group certainly gets its share of both types of crowds.
Check out the club listings on Page 25 for information on Me and Julio's upcoming gigs.
- Colorado Springs Gazette