HAVANA TAXI

L.A. Carpool | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 10, 2001)
• Original Release Date: March 15, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B00005J53M
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,812 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Havana Taxi

2. Salsa Inferno

3. Do It Again

4. One Moment

5. Bandolero

6. Miguel (The Iguana)

7. La Luna Negra

8. America

9. What Part of No (Tu No Entiendes)

10. Por Ti

11. Linda Chicana

12. Oye Garcia (Salsa ReMix)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Bio: The L.A. Carpool

The band, formed in 1999 by Jack Gold, Frank Garcia and Rick Ryan, began with the specific intent to combine Latin and Pop music in a way, that would be new, novel and exciting to the listener. This formation grew out of the love for Latin Music that both Jack and Frank grew up with. “We pulled Rick Ryan in as partner because he has a most sensitive ear to lyrics that mean more than just la,la,la or yea,yea yea.” Rick had won the Billboard Country and Pop songwriters contest not once, but twice, taking first place. He had also co-written with CSN&Y on their platinum album American Dream.

Jack had grown up playing conga’s in Los Angeles with various Latin Bands in the 60’s including Rene Touzet, Luna Bros, Estrada Bros. From 1966 through 1970, Jack attended Whittier College of Law during which time; he played congas at various pick up gigs and worked as an Investigator. In 1970 Jack began practicing Law, representing folks from the Industry both Records, Radio and Music Publications. He has played on Albums with Bonnie Bramlett, Duke and the Drivers, Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Billy Joel and others. He created the term Triple-Z Jazzz and wrote a Jazzz on the Radio Column for insider publication Goodphone Communications. He also began the first independent Jazz Promotion Company working out of an office at United Artists Records.

In 1982 Jack left the Music Business, and quickly became a Superior Court Commissioner and has worked in Public Service since that time.

Never losing his love for Latin Music (Now we call it Salsa) He formed the cooperative L.A. Carpool with Guitar player, Writer, producer, Frank Garcia and drafted Lyricist Rick Ryan and began to record (At Frank Garcia’s studio) the first CD called “When Worlds Collide.” The concept of mixing Latin, Pop and Rock took a definitive form and the Internet hit “Mi Guajira” was born. With the addition of vocalist Faith Rivera, the band was ecstatic. The concept calls for featuring Latin players from Los Angeles. Often undervalued and overlooked, L.A. is a Mecca for great Salsa players. “We always knew that the Carpool would have temporary visitors on varying instruments along for the trip. Maybe they would be back or maybe they wouldn’t, but they would always be a part of the Los Angeles sound that we created.”

Mi Guajira features Timbalero Matt Amper, pianist extraordinaire John Douglas, Conguero Jack Gold, Frank Garcia on Bass, Guitar and programming. We then added Freddie Crespo on Timbales and cowbell and Jerry Rusch for some Trumpet solo’s on two songs. The result was such a pleasing mixture of Salsa, Pop and Jazz that we felt we couldn’t be turned down and any record label. Jack called on old friends from the Law days and the CD was submitted to approximately 3 or 4 labels and met with negative results.

Not deterred by any failures, the group persevered by going to the grass roots Internet Music Site, MP3.com. What happened next is amazing. Many of the songs went number one on the Latin and Salsa charts with one song “Simpatico” reaching #1 on the Pop-Vocals chart. We promoted the group on various Internet music sites and both traditional Public radio and Internet Radio throughout the world. Suddenly, the group got orders from distributors purchasing lots of 25 to 50 at a time. CD’s that were sent to Japan, Korea, the Antilles as well as obtaining a license from my.mp3.com for a 90-day period.

The Worlds Collide CD. Was reviewed in traditional print publications such as Music Connection, Latin Beat Magazine and Ritmo Beat. Also reviewed on the net at huge Salsa sites such as picadillo.com, latinjazzclub.com, amp3.com and many more. The result had this indie group (still unsigned) garnering approximately one million downloads, friends around the world and enough money to produce the current CD “Havana Taxi”

The group was videotaped by farmclub.com, and their new song “Salsa Inferno” will be on the soundtrack of TV

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars oh, such fun! coolly amusing music to ride with in your car, May 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: HAVANA TAXI (Audio CD)

Dance - while travelling through or stalled in traffic - and enjoy yourselves too.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, February 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: HAVANA TAXI (Audio CD)

This group is truly a "genre-bending" wonder. Salsa/Pop/Rock/Jazz they got it all. I heard the new one Salsa/Pop with the new singer on mp3.com and the new singer is "delicioso" (if thats a word. Listen to "Nuyorican Blues" what a Jazz/Latin wonder I'll be buying the new Cd when it gets here to amazon.com

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "HAVANA TAXI" BREAKS NEW GROUND IN SALSA! VIVA L.A. CARPOOL!, August 2, 2001

By 

ricardo 'chico' ruiz (Gardena, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HAVANA TAXI (Audio CD)

I'VE BEEN A FAN OF LATIN MUSIC ALL MY LIFE--RAISED ON EVERYBODY FROM MONGO SANTAMARIA TO TITO PUENTE TO CARLOS SANTANA AND TOO MANY MORE LATINO LEGENDS TO LIST---BUT LISTENING TO THIS CD BY THE L.A. CARPOOL, I HEAR SOMETHING SO UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE--BLENDING ENGLISH AND SPANISH LYRICS WITH SUCH PURE CUBANO RHYTHMS AND MUSIC--WITH THE QUALITY OF SONGS LIKE "HAVANA TAXI", "SALSA INFERNO", "BANDOLERO" AND "AMERICA", NOT TO MENTION MY PERSONAL FAVORITE "MIGUEL (THE IGUANA)"--SUCH A COOL SONG ABOUT AN IGUANA THAT TALKS!--THE L.A. CARPOOL DOES THINGS ON THIS CD THAT NO ONE HAS DONE BEFORE---RICKY MARTIN AND MARC ANTHONY SEEM LIKE AMATUERS NEXT TO THIS BAND---MAN, THIS IS PURE, AUTHENTIC CUBANO STYLE MUSIC AT ITS BEST THAT CAN BE ENJOYED BY BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE--REALLY GREAT MATERIAL---WELL-CRAFTED SONGS THAT TELL STORIES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE WITHOUT LOSING THE LATIN ROOTS THAT I CHERISH SO MUCH---LISTENING TO THIS CD, I PREDICT GREAT THINGS FOR THIS BAND ON A HUGE, WORLDWIDE LEVEL--DRAWING TWO CULTURES CLOSER TOGETHER THROUGH MUSIC, WHICH IS AS EXCITING AS ANYTHING I COULD EVER IMAGINE---I LOVE THIS CD! I LOVE THIS BAND! VIVA L.A. CARPOOL!!!!!