The Salsa All Stars band was born in early 1980. Larry Baird had written or arranged many of the charts for the fourteen-piece orchestra. There, I had the honor to play in the rhythm section with Baird (piano and conductor), Octavio Figueroa (keyboards); Carl Gonzales (bass), Chayo Pacheco (drums), Gary Sosias (timbales) and Sammy Trujillo (bongos). Later, a guitar player was added. The horns section consisted of Chris Lege (trombone), Louie Nonay (tenor saxophone), Freddy Rodriguez Sr. (alto saxophone), Forrest Means (trumpet), and another alto saxophone player whose name I cannot recall. Vocalists were taken care by Dolores De Angelo and Bernard Alvarado. The orchestra played about 10 gigs throughout its existence. Every tune had a hard swing, including the boleros. It was a great band, and the pleasure included lots of rehearsals.

On occasion, I was invited to perform with the college jazz bands of Colorado University and Metropolitan State College of Denver. Once, I did a seminar on Latin music at Northern State College in Greeley (now the University of Northern Colorado). Art Salcido and Chico Apodaca helped me put the show together.

Meantime, the band Morning Star had risen, and Art Salcido (piano), Manuel Garcia (bass), Chayo Pacheco (drums) and Joey Cruz (guitar) were performing throughout the area. When I was not working, I would jam with the group.

Louie Maldonado died of a heart attack in 1982 in Boulder, Colorado. That year Father "Woody" Woodrich contracted with Trini Lopez to perform at the Hyatt-Regency in Denver to raise funds for his Samaritan House on Larimer Street. I played the various gigs at that time. Trini Lopez's big hits then were I've got a Hammer and Copacabana.

Louie's death, had left somewhat of a void in the strictly-salsa scene in Denver, but in time, it picked-up again. Tavio Figueroa took over the band and named it the Tavio Figueroa Band. The group played gigs everywhere, but soon Tavio decided to move to Los Angeles, California, and left the band to Gary Sosias, Kiki's son. The band changed personnel somewhat, with Francisco Mejias playing conga, and the group was renamed Conjunto Colores.

And then came Willie Vega, timbalero, tumbadora, organizer of his own dances, and hustler of gigs. I joined Willie's Mar Caribe band with James Torres (piano), Kenny Villanueva (bass), Sammy Trujillo )(bongos) and Manuel Rodriguez on vocals. Later, Puerto Rican singer Lourdes Jimenez was also added.

On Sunday, July 20, 1986, promoter-musician, Willie Vega, presented the 1st Colorado Latin Music Festival in Denver's City Park. Featured were local bands Phil Marin and the Latin Fantasies, Conjunto Colores, Mood Express, Phil Trujillo and the Matadores, and Mar Caribe. Performing as special guest was, from Los Angeles, Orquesta La Sorpresa, featuring leader-bongocero Papo Rodriguez, Tavio Figueroa on piano and mi maestro, Lalo Ruiz, on tres guitar. Papo Rodriguez went on to become the bongo player with Poncho Sanchez. At this concert I met the one and only Carlos Lando of KUVO radio. The two-part event included an evening gala dance at the Organ Grinder Restaurant, on West Alameda Avenue.

I met writer-historian Max Salazar at La Primavera while Conjunto Colores performed one night in 1987. It became a lasting friendship to this day.

In 1988 debuted the Santamarias Cuban Style Congas, hand-made in Denver by percussionist Joe Garcia. Joe's idea was to have Mongo Santamaria endorse his drums, so we went to New York City and presented Mongo with three congas.

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