LOS FABULOCOS FEATURING KID RAMOS Source: MySanAntonio.com Date: 02/2009 Writer: Jim Beale Jr.

Los Fabulocos just call it American music

If you hear “Educated Fool,” “Crazy Baby,” “Un Mojado Sin Licencia” and “You Ain't Nothing But Fine” coming out of your speakers, you've hit a border-radio time warp or you've fallen in with a hip record collector.

Or there's a third option. You could be hearing Los Fabulocos featuring Kid Ramos.

The songs of Huey “Piano” Smith, Gene Maltais, Don Santiago Jimenez and Rockin' Sidney Simien go together just fine. It's just that, in the '00s, rare is the person cool enough to put them together.

But Los Fabulocos, out of East Los Angeles, are four people cool enough to put those songs, and originals, together. The Fabulocos are two former Blazers, drummer Mike “Mr. Fiesta” Molina and accordionist/vocalist Jesus “Jesse” Cuevas, plus bass player James Barrios and noted blues guitarist Kid Ramos, who doubles on bajo sexto.

“After I left the Blazers, Mike and I played with some other guys,” Cuevas said. “Then Kid jumped in and James jumped in and it took a whole different turn. We started out as more of a conjunto and, with Kid, it got bluesier. We still do quite a few rancheras, but it's all rootsy stuff.”

Last year the Delta Groove label released the group's debut CD, “Los Fabulocos featuring Kid Ramos.” The mix-and-match roots music is organic, soulful and just plain grooving.

Los Fabulocos will play the roots fusion Friday night at 9 at Casbeers at the Church and Sunday at 4 p.m. at Gruene Hall.

“Jesse is more traditional, I come from the blues, James is a country guy and Mike likes everything,” Ramos said. “Jesse called and asked me if I'd be willing to play bajo sexto and I said I'd give it a try. I borrowed his bajo and I'm working on it. I'm no Max Baca, but I'm learning. We get together and throw out ideas and it's clicked.”

The CD was recorded live in the studio in two days.

“We picked some of our favorite songs, songs people request when we play live,” Cuevas said. “We did a few originals. Everything happened so last minute. We'll have more originals on the next one.”

Cuevas' traditional approach and Ramos' blues-oriented guitar and bajo mesh well.

“We don't put too much thought into it,” Cuevas said, laughing. “Sometimes he plays more, sometimes I play more. I love to hear him play.”

Los Fabulocos don't put too much time into trying to categorize their sound.

“To me it's just American roots music, even though some of it is in Spanish,” Cuevas said. “It's played by Chicanos so it's American music. We make people dance and we have a good time.”

And that's the definition of cool.