• 2020 Album: GET DOWN TIME

Label: COOLPOCKETS MUSIC

 

COOLPOCKETS releases his first solo album Get Down Time showcasing his own brand of Funk Rock Latin all into one sound. The album is followed by his first video release of All I Want. All I want is an organic way of approaching the music video with a real sense of performance in a rehearsal hall to that live real feeling one gets on stage the video speaks for its self grooving and feeling the rhythm of the music. Accompanied by drummer Jara Harris on drums the video has a feeling to it that is rarely seen these days due to so many effects and video tricks making more out of music videos than they really are COOLPOCKETS All I Want music video is a real video with real musicians playing and getting down to his own music! The album is a mixture Rock-Funk with "All I Want" to Funk/Hip Hop Latin with "Puerto Rico", Latin Pop with Me Namore, to Dance Funk with Shake It. A complete blend of who COOLPOCKETS is in his musical style.

The album will be available in segments with the releases of All I Want and Shake It first following up with the rest of the album for 2020.

 

 

 

 

 

• 2000 creation of funk tap style

percussive acoustic guitar 

 

With COOLPOCKETS Family history as guitar players, he felt the need to stand out and create his style of guitar playing unique to him and him alone from his family members. So with his history in street dancing growing up to funk music in the mid to late '70s and with bands experience along with his fathers unique Puerto Rican style of guitar playing COOLPOCKETS created his style FUNK TAP taking American 2 and 4 backbeats and mixing it in with an American bassline and hitting that American funk chank on top. As it evolved and his technique got better so did his style adding more to the sound evolving it to a very full complete unique sound that's been admired by some of the best guitar and bass players around. Looking to bring his FUNK TAP to the rest of the world with the release of his album Get Down Time musicians are going to find out about COOLPOCKETS FUNK TAP that he will be sharing with the world.

 

 

 

 

 

• 1990-91 Album: SOL MODERNO

Label: Zoo Entertainment/BMG

Direct signing by Record Company President: Lou Maglia

 

After losing the record deal with Elektra the band changed there name to RHYTHM TRIBE and started to play the musical influences of COOLPOCKETS Puerto Rican heritage. His father Rafael Guzman-Sanchez was an established musician in San Francisco with his own band playing the night clubs developing his own style of guitar playing but his cultural background. It was a natural transition to go from our American musical background to our heritage musical background and combine them both together for a unique combination of what COOLPOCKETS came up with as the name of the album to best recognize the music called Sol Moderno. Sol meaning sun in Spanish but using it as a play on words for son and moderno meaning modern in Spanish that would become Sol Moderno in English would be Modern Suns of our father playing music. The band was signed in 1990 and the album was released in 91 and the band toured and performed on many major TV shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the first week he was on the air. The band has performed with Jimmy Cliff and The Walers, The Grateful Dead, Kool And The Gang, and toured with The Neville Brothers. But unfortunately due to greed and mismanagement, and bad business on behalf of the leader of the band Tom Guzman-Sanchez the band's music didn't make it in the industry and the band lost there deal. This was the demise of Rhythm Tribe.

 

Throughout the years of playing music in the bands, COOLPOCKETS became a sponsored musician with different music companies/manufacturers such as LP (Latin Percussion) and Gibson Guitars. He kept evolving his musicality while at the same time he stayed to his roots as a hardcore street dancer getting jobs alongside the band gigs. While in the band Chain Reaction in 1983 the band was playing Madam Wong's West in Santa Monica, Roxy's in Hollywood and other clubs making a name for them selfs working to get a record deal while at the same time COOLPOCKETS by himself went down to an audition for Michael Jackson music video with Michael Peters (Choreographer for Thriller) and in-person auditioned for Jackson and Peters and would get hired by Michael Jackson himself for the music video Thriller became a featured street dancer in the video. COOLPOCKETS kept every aspect of his dancing roots alive while in the band and at the same time he was learning and developing his musical craft with his own unique approach to music. 

 

 

 

 

• 1991 RHYTHM TRIBE

on zoo ent. records/BMG

 

1985-90 COOLPOCKETS was bass player in the Band RHYTHM TRIBE

 

 

 

 

 

• 1985 CHAIN REACTION BAND ON ELEKTRA ASYLUM RECORDS

 

In 1980 Chain Reaction The band was formed. COOLPOCKETS would play in the group as a percussionist and after playing the Hollywood club circuit for years and developing and creating their own sound the band landed a record deal with Elektra Asylum Records through there A&R rep Tom Zutat. The band released their album "CULTURE SHOCK" which would be the first album in music history to have cholo style graffiti as the front and back artwork. The record company almost stopped the record from being released in fear of creating problems with gangs from San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles. The band reassured the company it was ok and the album was released. Unfortunately, the A&R rep Tom Zutat had a falling out with the president of the company and left Elektra and went to Geffen Records and in doing so bailed on the band not taking them to Geffen with him the band was left hanging in limbo with the company. The band hired Madona's manager Freddy Demand to release the band from the label. After getting the band off the label Freddy dropped the ball on the group and the band stopped working with Freddy. The band didn't stop playing and continued on pursuing the music industry.

 

• 1985 Album: CULTURE SHOCK

Label: Elektra Asylum Records

A & R: Tom Zutat

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• 1980-85 COOLPOCKETS was the percussionist in the

Band CHAIN REACTION