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Gringo Reviews
Phill
Strassberg
The Arizona Republic
Saturday, November 17, 1970
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GROOVING WITH THE GRINGOS. A group of fine
musicians brought their songs, instruments and visual vitality into the
King's Den of Mr. Lucky's the other eve. They are called The
Gringos and, though the name has been around Arizona for several years,
this particular band banded together only six months ago. The
eight-member aggregation, which features attractive gal Donna Byrd who
sings a ton, play the kind of brassy jazz rock which is keyed for Las
Vegas lounge-type establishments. Which means it is well-suited
for King's Den and its denizens.
Sounding sometimes like the Tijuana Brass, they're
effective in harmony and effortlessly project their dedicated blending
of voice and instruments to keep the non-dancers tapping their digits on
the tables. The funky chicken-and-frug fans, of course, are too
busy to tap. Jimmy Miller's trumpet-playing leader-arranger.
guitarist Joe Vaughn, organist Alan Harkrader and bassist Steve Jones
lead strong assistance in the vocals department, too. Clyde Score
on drums, Lynn Tivens on trombone and Ramon Acevedo on trumpet.
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Forest
Duke
"The Duke of Las
Vegas"
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August 1972
Gringos, The dynamite brass-rock group that has reached
star status on the East Coast, and was held over and held over again at
Kings Castle at Lake Tahoe, makes its loval debut in the Sahara Casbar
Theater tonight for a very brief Showcase week only! Gringos manager
Charles Johnston wanted the Gringos to appear in the Best City of Them
All, to show TBCOT an's what all the shouting's about and this is the only
time they had available! Currently packin' them in at the Dunfey
Resort Hotel in Cape Cod, Dunfey's management graciously allowed the
Gringos to take a week away for their Las Vegas Debut, with the
understanding they zap right back to the Cap Cod spotlight!...
June 1973
Exciting New Group - A strong and moving group,
The Gringos are currently appearing in the Casbar Theater of Del Webb's
Sahara through July 3. Their distinctive style - an expert blending
of classical and rock - has won the group a large following wherever they
have appeared.
The Gringos 3:15 a.m. show in the Sahara Casbar a
fave place for many showkids, locals, stars, and Sahara late-shift
staffers. Kenny Rogers and First Edition members Gene Lorenzo and
Jimmy Hassell raving about the Griingos show they saw last week... Donna
Byrd, golden-trussed 'n' tanned songstress with The Gringos at the Sahara
Casbar, shared birthday honors with fellow Sahara performer Sidro
Garcia. The two Geminies were feted backstage by performers and
stage crew... The Gringos Close out a
smash five weeker in the Sahara Casbar tonight and the DLV suggest you
drop by to say ta-ta to one of the fasting rising new musical groups on
the scene today. Jimmy Miller, Donna Byrd, Alan Harkrader, Lynn
Tivens, Joe Vaughn, Ty Newcomb, Clyde Score, and Steve Jones are a
super-talented bunch of kids. The Gringos open tomorrow at
Applegate's in Phoenix for three weeks plus, then head east to pick up
their award in Florida for being voted No. 1 entertainment group of 1972 -
1973 by the Florida State News paper Assn. Belated Congrats!... |
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Raleigh
North Carolina
The News
and Observer
Feb. 17, 1973 |
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Gringos
Triumphant
By
Grover Bailey |
The Gringos, an impressive
eight-piece pop group playing the night club circuit made a triumphant
score this week at Raleigh's Night Train. This is their first
engagement in the area and will perform here through Sunday.
Effectively using a repertoire of gentle songs
for mood, stringent selections for steady rockers and many original tunes;
the Gringos insure musical fun. They are one of the finest acts to
perform at the Night Train or other local rock-pop clubs.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the Gringos feature
Clyde Score, drums, Steve Jones, bass, Alan Harkrader, organ, Donna Byrd,
vocalist, Lynn Tivens, trombone, Ty Newcomb, trumpet, Jimmy Miller,
trumpet and guitarist Joe Vaughn. In a Gringo song there is ample
room for each musician to get a workout and express musical personalities.
The Gringos can be soulfully rough, complex with
intriguing contrasts of voices, with Miss Byrd out front, knowing and
singing her song well, while the brass delivers sometimes Spanish,
sometimes jazzy strains.
Their songs follow clever angles, sometimes
implicit, then impulsive until the statement is plainly expressive of the
intended meaning and reaction. During songs there are flighty
instances of improvisation with each member making an individual choice of
direction, yet often concluding in solidarity.
The Gringos put energy into their act which
receives warm rapport from an audience. On stage they are smooth,
distinctive, entertaining whether vintage rock or sing-a-longs like
"I Can't Help My Self" by the Four Tops, or Cocker's "The
Letter."
The pianist goes out alone, with a devious left
hand on the organ and a fast right on the piano, until he strikes a solid
cord. Brass chase him as the guitarist takes it from basic twangs
and rumbles.
On misty selections, "Nights In White
Satin," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Song
for You," Miss Byrd is on display. She can be pretty and harsh,
but aware of the meaning of her song as in "Help Me Make it Through
The Night."
Selections like "Them Changes,"
"Back Stabbers," "I Believe in Music," "Everyone
Plays the Fool" place the Gringos in a tough soul bag also.
Then there is original material, "I Want to See You Again" or
David Gates "I Want to Make it With You."
The Gringos are a tough rock-pop outfit and offer
one of the best shows of crafted rock performed here recently. |
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Miami Club Scene
April 1973
Marco Polo's Swinger Lounge is treating their patrons to a
superior evening of entertainment with the Gringos who are seven fine
young men and one young lady with a very good voice. Three horn
players, a drummer, two guitarists, one organist who also plays electric
piano and guitar and the young lady are a qualifications of the Gringos,
who all incidentally sing.
Their musical style is fanfare performance. "One
fine Morning," I Can See Clearly Now" and "Honky Tonk Women," was
done with great ability. Donna soloed on "Summer of 42"
and as the saying goes "I flipped" over the way it was done.
"Summer Impressions" an original penned
an performed by organist Alan Harkrader, was another outstanding
number. They ended their set with a "Chicago" medley and
though it was announced by one of the members of the group that it would
be a long medley it was all over too quickly. In fact their set
ended too quickly. The Gringos are true artists, together and
individually. We hope they will return to our area in the very near
future... |
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Star-Bulletin
NIGHT FINAL
Hawaii's Greatest Newspaper
HOLOLULU,
HAWAII
Thursday January 2, 1975 |
The Gringos: Big, Brassy and
Good
By Keith Haugen, Entertainment
Editor
At 9:p.m. each night the
Gringos open their dance-show at JB's Discotheque. They are
polished, excellent musicians and they play great music.
"They are good to dance to," says one young
woman who is part of the mass of moving flesh on the crowded dance
floor.
By 11:30 p.m., as the night wears on, several of the
regular disco gores agreed that the group gets "spaced
out...and then they are a little hard to dance to," said the
same young dancer.
But even then their music is good and there is still a long
line of people waiting to get in to hear them.
Their sound is big and brassy -
with three horns (a trombone and two trumpets) blaring at the same
time.
The eight young men did a lot of
Beatles numbers, like "Something," Get Back, and hard
Day's Night." and they do them well - with precision.
The display more brass sounds
than most rock groups of today, but never so much that you lose the
rhythm of the fine bassist and a great drummer.
The Gringos do some slow numbers,
a refreshing change of pace, and the sing a few songs in at least
three-part harmony (maybe it was eight).
They do some rock and roll tunes,
some jazz arrangements, and are at their best on songs such as
"Maybelline," The Tax Man: and Stevie Wonder's
Superstition." They even throw in a twist for those old
enough to remember that dance craze.
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Although the musicians are all very
young, they have been playing together as a group since 1969.
And it shows.
Individually, they are all talented musicians. As
a group they must rank as one of the hottest ones on the late night
scene.
Leader Jimmy Miller (who also does
most of the arrangements) was a music major in college who once
played as first chair trumpeter for the Phoenix (Arizona) Symphony
Orchestra. Two other members of the group also played with the
symphony and left to join Miller when he formed the Gringos.
Miller does some fantastic solo parts, but always seems
to blend well with the group. He is not a stand-out being backed by
a group, but rather just another member in a very good band.
It's worth the $2 cover charge ($2.50 on Friday and
Saturday) just to watch Lynn "Bush" Tivens work out on
stage.
Tivens, trombonist, is the group's "free
spirit," dancing wildly all night long. A far cry from
the trombone job he had with the symphony.
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WHAT'S HAPPENING
after dark
Hawaii Tourtist News |
Out Diamond Head Way you can discover good dining and great sounds in
JB's Gill and Summerhouse. The Gringos and the hot horn of Jimmy
Miller put out some driving sets from 9 to 2 nightly except
Wednesday. |
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