About Rubén "Flaco" González
Rubén Gonzalez's music is a journey crossing borders between distant places and spaces: South and North America, politics and poetry, pain and humor. His lyrics reflect his world vision, politics, as well as popular stories. The music echoes a vast set of influences from Latin American rhythms and genres, to jazz and rock.
Ruben's music has a "hand made" feeling that can draw audiences into a communal music making experience. His performances are rhythmic, energetic, thoughtful and fun.
He has two CD's out: Foto de mi Aldea (2006) and La Libertad (2010)
About Zack Glass
Growing up in New York's Lower East Side and coming from an artistic family, Zack Glass was exposed to a wide variety of music from an early age. By the time he turned 13, he had taken up piano and electric guitar and was beginning to write his own songs. Listening to classic rock and punk music at a young age, his taste changed when he started going through his parent's record collection and discovered an array of music including Reggae and African.
After high school, Zack had the opportunity to travel to West Africa and Latin America several times which greatly influenced his music and led him to play guitar for Reggae and African bands as well as accompanying a steel pan player from time to time. He started his own reggae band and was writing and singing his own songs, but by the end of the 90's he started to see the limitations of Reggae and began to explore world music. Soon after, he took a leap of faith and began a solo career. Since then, Zack has explored almost every style of popular music most recently being influenced by folk, country and classic rhythm and blues. Zack has now come full circle; returning to the blues based music he grew up on. Zack's first album, Days of Innocence, was recorded in Brazil where he lived for three years. He currently spends half his time in Brazil, where he performs and records and half his time in New York where he does the same.
Though young, Zack has already had the honor to share the stage with some of this century's greatest musicians; Steve Earle, Keb' Mo', Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega, Al MacDowell, Andrew Sterman and Eddie Bobe. Zack has also had the pleasure to perform with some of today's up and coming stars; Vampire Weekend, The National, and Jazz Trumpeter Mark Rapp. He is in the process of releasing his second album, Southern Skies, an eclectic album infusing many different styles.
Ruben and Zack will be accompanied by: Michael Wimberly (percussion), Don Babatunde Eaton (voice), Michael J. Campbell (percussion), Wally Irizarry (guitar).