The Zen of Revolution: Michael Ramos’ Charanga Cakewalk

“Michael Ramos bears not a single distinguishing characteristic of the revolutionary. He’s a quiet, unassuming, trim, and well-dressed man who has spent almost his entire career in subordinate roles in a variety of groups. He’s been a member of the Bodeans and the Rembrandts and played accordion and keyboards for Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp, Paul Simon, and, currently, Los Lonely Boys.

Yet on the long bus journeys and overnight hotel stays that take up far too great a percentage of a road musician’s life, Ramos uses Pro Tools to transform all the music he’s played and has grown up with into a unique synthesis that blows apart preconceptions. Ramos has released two albums as Charanga Cakewalk, which is what he calls the result. It’s a conceptual group, like Steely Dan, consisting of Ramos and whatever friends, acquaintances, and heroes he manages to corral.”

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