Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán

Band Member Bios

     Below are the musicians who've played with Radio Aztlán since its first incarnation from 1990- 1991 to its second 2002- 2006.  Since 2008 and moving forward, I'll simply call the groups I put together for shows the Mark Guerrero Band.

Ron Reyes (lead guitar)

     Ron Reyes’ history, like Mark Guerrero’s, goes all the way back to the golden age of East L.A. Chicano rock & roll.  As a teenager in the 60s, Ron played with The Impalas (Whittier Records), Strange Brew (ABC Records), Old Tyme Religion (Warner Brothers Records), and in the early 70s, Yaqui (Playboy Records).  He then worked from the mid-70s through the 80s with the hit group Cannibal & the Headhunters.  From 1993 to ‘98 Ron toured 47 states with the “30 Years of Rock & Roll” tour where he backed artists such as, Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees, Bobby Kimbel of Toto, The Coasters, The Drifters, The Platters, Len Berry, and Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels.  He has done many recordings with Mark Guerrero over the years and now plays with Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán and legendary Native-American band, Redbone.

Bob Dominguez (drums)

     Bob Dominguez studied drums and Latin percussion with greats such as Joe Porcaro and Chuck Flores.  Bob has performed with artists such as Les Brown and Latin jazz legend, Willie Bobo, and given numerous orchestral and jazz performances in Southern California with the Riverside and San Bernardino Civic Light Opera, Redlands Bowl Symphony, and the Inland Empire Symphony.  Dominguez also appeared as the drummer in the 1988 CBS television series ‘Dirty Dancing.”  Bob Dominguez is currently faculty at the University or La Verne, University of California at Riverside, and Idyllwild School of Music.  Bob has provided instruction for 22 years at Lier’s Music Co. in San Bernardino, CA, and has taught at San Bernardino, Crafton Hills, Chaffey, and Riverside Community Colleges.  Bob Dominguez has worked with Mark Guerrero for 7 years; in Mark’s cover band, Hot Rox, Lalo Guerrero with Mark Guerrero & the Second Generation Band, and Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán.

Leo Valenzuela (bass)

     Leo Valenzuela has been playing bass guitar for 35 years.  He has a Bachelor of Music degree from Cal State Long Beach and studied commercial music under the direction of John Prince.  Leo has played with Gary Foster (formerly of the Tonight Show band w/ Doc Severensen), Greg Walker (former singer for Santana), Marc Ford (formerly of the Black Crows), and Steve Hill (writer of numerous songs for the Desert Rose Band).  He's also backed up r&b artists such as The Intruders and Brenton Wood at many venues, including the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.  Leo Valenzuela has played on several Mark Guerrero recordings as well as performing with Mark on a Lalo Guerrero recording session.  Leo’s older brother John was a member of Mark Guerrero’s 1970s band, Tango, who recorded an album for A&M Records in 1973. 

Alex Armstrong (acoustic guitar and harmony vocals)

     Alex Armstrong studied at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his Bachelor of Music degree at San Francisco State University.  He’s a singer/songwriter who’s worked solo and with numerous rock bands over the years.  He’s been working with Mark Guerrero on and off since 1982. Alex was also a member of Lalo Guerrero with Mark Guerrero & the Second Generation Band in the late nineties, and now is part of Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán.  A lifetime fan of world music, Alex says “working with Mark & Lalo Guerrero has expanded my cultural horizons.”

Al Lopez (alto and tenor saxophone, flute)

     Al Lopez studied music at Cal Poly Pomona, Corona College, Chaffey College, and the USC/Idyllwild Music School.  While in high school, he played in the Southern California Honor Orchestra for two years.  He’s worked with artists such as Frank Zappa, Terry Kirkman (of the Association), Tito Puente, Jack Jones, and did a lot of session work in L.A.  He’s worked with Lalo Guerrero with Mark Guerrero & the Second Generation Band and Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán 

Steve Alaniz (alto and tenor saxophone, flute)

     Steve Alaniz is one of the best and most respected woodwind artists in Southern California.  He plays with many of the best rock and jazz artists and is in demand as a studio musician for CDs, and film music.  Steve played often with Lalo Guerrero with Mark Guerrero & the Second Generation Band in the late nineties, including in Tucson, AZ for the Mural Dedication Concert in 1999.  Steve Alaniz performed with Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán in 2004 at The John Anson Ford Amphitheater and The Kodak Theater, both in Hollywood, California.  Al Lopez or Steve Alaniz perform with Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán depending on availability.

Johnny Guerrero (congas, timbales)

     Johnny Guerrero is a multi-instrumentalist hailing from Southern California.  He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, then went on to tour North America, Asia, Europe and Africa with such bands as the Platters, Inter-national Reggae All-Stars, Christafari and Temple Yard.  Johnny’s first album, with Christafari, “Valley of Decision” was nominated for Reggae Album of the Year by the Nelson Mandela Tamika Awards, and his second, “Temple Yard,” garnered a coveted spotlight review in Billboard Magazine.  Most recently, Johnny was in the studio producing the legendary Memphis Horns and joined the duo and Sheila E. backing up Beyonce Knowles on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.   When Johnny is not on tour, he can be found recording emerging artists in his own production facility, Warriorland.  Johnny and Mark Guerrero are first cousins.

Aaron Guerrero Routtenberg (congas, timbales)

     Aaron Routtenberg, Mark Guerrero's second cousin, is a 17 year old phenom.  He's studying with some of the best Latin percussionists in the world such as David Romero (Earth Wind and Fire/Wayne Newton), Fausto Cuevas (Julio Iglesias), and Tiki Pacias (Marc Anthony), who have taken him under their wing.  He's performed at the popular Conga Room in Los Angeles, the House of Blues in Hollywood with Rudy Regalado, and at St. Phillips Plaza in Tucson with Lalo Guerrero.  He’s attended Berklee L.A.’s summer program, where he won the Outstanding Musicianship Award, and has been accepted for next summer’s program at the famous Berklee School of Music in Boston.

Karl Carrasco (keyboards)
     Karl Carrasco is a pianist/composer/arranger/keyboardist who's played professionally since the age of thirteen.  He's worked with many diverse artists such as The Drifters, The Coasters, The Platters, Little Caeser & the Romans, Cannibal & the Headhunters, Leslie Gore, Mel Carter, Brenda Holloway, Al Wilson, Merilee Rush, Martha Reeves & the Vandelas, Brenton Wood, Jewel Akins, Pat Upton of The Spiral Staircase, Pat Vegas of Redbone, Spencer Davis, legendary gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson, and many more.  Karl was music director for the play "Dementia" at the LATC in Los Angeles which won the GLAAD award for best play in Los Angeles.  His film work includes the sound tracks for "Old Gringo" and "Vibes," both for Columbia Pictures, and "Luminarias," an independent film.  Karl has played on many albums including "2000" by Little Joe y La Familia on the EMI label, which garnered a GRAMMY for Best Tejano Album of 1999; "A New Beginning" by Cannibal & the Headhunters; "Bailando En Aztlán" by The Alienz, and many others.  Karl Carrasco has been playing with Mark Guerrero & Radio Aztlán since September of 2003.

Bill Reyes (drums, percussion)- Bill Reyes was the drummer in the first version of Radio Aztlán 1990- 91.  Bill was and still is drummer for East L.A. punk rockers, Los Illegals, who had an album out on A&M Records in 1983 called "Internal Exile."  They did another album in 1997 with Concrete Blonde called "Los Illegals with Concrete Blonde" on the Ark 21 label.

Contact me at:  info@markguerrero.net

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