Lorenzo Lopez, Adolfo Garcia, and Brando Mireles. | Courtesy: Ramon Hernandez Archives
Everyone knows who Mazz was, but few know the legendary band’s roots, or the names of its founding members. There’s also more than one side to any story. In this case, this is Adolfo Pintor Zamora García’s input on this group before it became Mazz.
For Joe López and Jimmy González story behind their origin, one must refer to my interviews, which were published in the San Antonio Express-News during the mid-1980s.
Courtesy: Ramon Hernandez Archives
Adolfo, who was born and raised in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, México was nine when he was influenced by Los Yakis.
“This is when I would break out and beat on my mom’s saretenes, caserolas, ollas y cazuelas (pots, frying pans and skillets),” the 70-year-old songwriting drummer said during a recent interview in Harlingen, Texas.
By 14, he had already purchased his own drums and begun writing songs. However, his parents (Arturo Cristo and Hermila Zamora) wanted him to be a dentist and he pleased them by commuting to Monterrey, Nuevo León for three years. But with only a year and a half left to complete his studies, in 1970, Adolfo, now also playing bass guitar, quit to join Sessión.
“While my parents would rather that I become a dentist, they said, ‘We prefer for you to be a good musician than a bad dentist’,” said Adolfo. “Next, I joined Freedom Band followed by Los Jetsons. It was 1977 when Jimmy González found out I was distantly related to Rigo Tovar and played drums and congas in a style that was ultra unique. Besides, he heard I had a chrome, 14-piece prettiest set of drums that weighed two to three times more than my 128-pound frame.”
Thus, bass player Juan Ignacio “El Amable” Murillo took Jimmy to Matamoros, where Jimmy convinced Adolfo to join Something Easy, the Brownsville, Texas house band at the Resaca Club featuring Patsy Franco on vocals and Leó Sílva on keyboards.“
Adolfo continued, “Leó was the club’s manager, the bandleader, el mero mero. I replaced Daniel “Danny” López on drums and percussion. And when Patsy quit circa June 1977, Leó and Jimmy asked Joe López if he wanted the position.”
Courtesy: Ramon Hernandez Archives
In November 1977, the band decided to forge ahead with a new name, Mass. However, they decided to do it as KISS, who made the “SS” look like “ZZ” and they became Mazz. And Joe López, lead vocalist; Jimmy, guitar and vocals; Héctor Augusto Flores, keyboards, electric piano, strings and synthesizer; Juan, bass; and Adolfo, drums; made up the original Mazz managed by Jesús “Chuy” Santos, a Brownsville promoter.
Their first album, on Santos Records, was simply titled “Mazz.” Then, from the second album on, they recorded at Manny Guerra’s recording studio for Bob Grever’s Cara Records. The piece of trivia behind this production in which Adolfo recorded is that he did not appear on the album cover.
“I married Jimmy’s sister, Cindy González on September 14, 1979, when the group was on tour in California and Danny López was covering for me when they did the photo session for the ‘Mas Mazz’ cover,” Adolfo said.
As a songwriter, Adolfo wrote “Calla,” “Te Dare,” “Solo El Recuerdo” and numerous other Mazz hits. And as is the case with all groups, in September 1982, following a fallout, Héctor, Noé, Adolfo, Juan and Adolfo formed The Force with then Joe López lookalike Gary Hobbs on lead vocals and Roy García on guitar.
Courtesy: Ramon Hernandez Archives
By 1984, The Force made Billboard’s Latin Music charts and at the Tejano Music Awards, the Freddie Records artists were nominated as “Most Promising Band.” “Vete Con El” was nominated “Album of the Year” and “La Ultima Vez” was nominated “Single of the Year.”
“In mid-1985, Jimmy asked me to rejoin Mazz. By 1998, the percussion player was my son, Adolfo Cristo Garcia. In short, I stayed with Jimmy until the 2005 ‘Live Album’,” said Adolfo.
When one adds the instances of discrimination during the 1980s and the fact that his wife, Cindy, and kids grew up on the road with Mazz, Adolfo’s story could easily be translated into a book.
Today, Adolfo Cristo plays drums with AB Quintanilla III Y los Kumbia King Allstarz. Jimmy Andrew does all the lighting and production with Newborn Productions for all the major Mexican bands and vocalists that tour throughout the United States. Cristian Michael is a psychiatrist and their daughter Cynthia Marie is a special needs teacher.
In closing, I would like to thank Adolfo for his donation of a shirt and top to my archives for display in future exhibits at various museums.
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