Search - Little Joe Y La Familia :: 2000

Tejano legend and Grammy winner Little Joe leans towards soul and funk rhythms to spice up his latest work, which ultimately shines through on his trademark horn-fueled ranchera polkas "Mira Juanita" and "Oye Amigo." He swings into the midtempo melancholy ballad "Siempre Me Acuerdo de Ella," written by his younger brother Johnny, and invokes a bolero-salsa spirit on "Tu Eres la Luz." Nostalgia buffs will love his 1960s Tejano spirit on "Que Te Pasa Corazón," complete with swirling horns and tinkling piano chords. Little Joe's mark in the genre though is his percussion- and accordion-driven rancheras (popular Mexican songs), and perhaps the best here is "Vas a Casarte," a rejection of a shallow woman who wants to come back. Guest musicians include Bobby Navarrete on tenor sax, Bobby Loya and Salvador Torres on trumpets, and Ken Tussing on trombone. --Ramiro Burr