Banda Elástica -

Banda Elástica was a Mexican avant-jazz/rock band that released four albums between 1986 and 1997 on Discos Tiradero, followed by three further albums on Luna Negra.

Members: Guillermo Portillo Hoffman (flute, saxophone), José Navarro (marimba, percussion), Guillermo González Phillips (guitar), Sósimo Hernández (bass), Luis Miguel Costero (drums), David Barret (saxophone), Juan Alzate (saxophone)

Background

Banda Elástica formed in 1983 in Mexico City when guitarist Guillermo González Phillips started a composition-and-experimentation workshop with percussionist José Navarro Noriega and keyboardist Rosino Serrano.

González Phillips was born in Mexico City in 1960 and studied classical guitar from 1976 through 1984 under Maricarmen Costero and Manuel López Ramos. He also played chamber music with Movimiento Perpetuo and Cuarteto de Guitarras Manuel M. Ponce. Navarro entered music as a drummer and trained as a concert percussionist, then brought marimba and percussion into Banda Elástica. Serrano was born in Madrid and studied piano at conservatories in Madrid and Málaga, the Escuela Nacional de Música of UNAM, and Escuela de Música Vida y Movimiento.

The founders developed the workshop through informal sessions with bassist Lucio Sánchez and drummer Rodolfo Nava. The musicians met more regularly and organized original pieces for rehearsal. They adopted Banda Elástica as the group name. Banda Elástica reached a six-piece recording lineup by 1985 with bassist Sánchez, drummer Nava, guitarist González Phillips, saxophonist-clarinetist José Luis Romero, percussionist Navarro, and keyboardist Serrano.

Juan Manuel Quezada persuaded Banda Elástica to record in 1985 and co-produced the three-track Afganomania EP for Discos Tiradero. The six musicians then arranged workshop pieces for the self-titled Discos Tiradero LP.

Discography: