Ray Cepeda: CD Review of 'Angels Over Avalon and Aztlan'

One day Ray Cepeda was inside a convenient store in Daly City, California. There he saw this guy holding a Santana album in his hands. He was quite proud showing it off to some girls. Ray asked him his name and the fellow said "Jose Chepito Areas from Santana." That was the beginning of their music relationship that has endured to this day. Ray Cepeda's musical background began when he was thirteen after his mother purchased a Tiesco electric guitar, a Japanese model. From there he learned to play by listening to his idols: Buddy Holly, Johnny Winter, and T-Bone Walker. He later became deeply influenced by Jazz, Blues, Texas Swing, Tex Mex, and Latin music of the Southwest. However, it was the overwhelming influences of Duane Allman playing "Stormy Monday" and Carlos Santana's performance from the Woodstock documentary film that sealed the deal for him to become a professional musician.

In 1981 Ray moved to San Francisco and has since been heavily involved with the Latin Rock music scene in the Bay Area. His debut solo CD was released in the fall of 2000 titled The Neo Maya Experience, which featured 10 songs in the Latin Rock genre. It is a tribute CD of his childhood while growing up on the Texas and Mexico border. His mother and father are Native Americans with a little mix of Spanish blood, yet he has a Spanish surname and speaks Spanish, whereas he is a Chicano. This is the name given for Mexican-Americans. His second CD from 2004 El Matrimonoa del Sol y Luna was given two thumbs up by the San Francisco Chronicle Entertainment Editor and Rock Music Critic, Joel Selvin.

Now in 2008 Angels over Avalon and Atzlan is Ray Cepeda's third CD for which I was asked to write a CD review for by Mr. Cepeda himself. The title of the CD refers to as Ray puts it "Aztlan is the Americas and Avalon is European mythology in our history." It features Jose "Chepito" Areas on Timbales and an original member of Santana who performed at Woodstock. Another fine musician on this CD is Buzzy Linhart who has played on some of Jimi Hendrix's recordings and wrote the hit song for Bette Midler "Friends" as he plays his beautiful vibes on some of the tracks. Mike Rinta, who is currently playing for Sly Stone, is featured on horns. Ray Cepeda is front and center on lead vocals, electric guitar, and the Cuban tres, which a 3-course, 6-string chordophone created in Cuba that gives it a sweet sound.

Angels over Avalon and Atzlan CD lists nine tracks with English and Spanish song titles. If you love the music of Santana you will certainly love this CD. I figured if Chepito was one of the prominent musicians on the CD it would be awesome. That is certainly the case. You'll hear mostly Spanish lyrics mixed in with English lyrics, especially from the classic rock tunes Ray covers. Many of the songs such as "Dreaming of You", " La Maqam de Jazz, "Como Te Adoro", and "Aqui" feature Cepeda in numerous guitar solos during instrumental breaks that is very reminiscent of Carlos Santana. If I didn't know better I thought I was hearing a Santana recording.

However, in all fairness those are just some highlights, the CD does add its unique signature with vibes from Linhart on "Green Eyed Lady", one of the showcased pop/rock songs done originally by Sugar Loaf. On the other classic rock song by The Guess Who, "Undun", Chepito Areas' timbales are very forceful and you can hear his trademark timbales roll. All of the songs feature Ray Cepeda on vocals, with the exception of "La Maqam de Jazz", which is all instrumental, except for a Middle Eastern type of wail vocalese. His voice can go from ballads, fast tempo serenades, to rock classics all in one fell swoop, yet it's not perfect vocalization, but works beautifully in the Latin rock and other rock songs.

There is a nice flow and continuity throughout the album on each track. I definitely have to say if it was Ray's intention to pay homage to Santana and the other Latin Rock artists such as Juanes, then he has succeeded. Ray Cepeda's Angels over Avalon and Atzlan CD is a "third time's the charm" effort. Like Joel Selvin had rated on Ray's previous CD I also give this current album "two thumbs up".

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://www.worldrocker.com/

http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayCepeda