The Santa Cruz River Band is composed of three celebrated Southwestern troubadours, Ted Ramírez, Gilbert Brown, and Michael J. Ronstadt.
The Santa Cruz River Band is a professional touring concert group from Tucson, Arizona. This amazing group performs in English, Spanish, Welsh, and American Indian languages, presenting an intriguing and powerful musical program filled with the history and mystical lore of the Great American Southwest. They create unique and beautiful music filled with outstanding vocal harmonies and masterful musicianship. Their music is authentic, original, and deeply rooted in the musical styles and traditions of the United States and Mexico. Their new album, “Signal Fire” is a truly intriguing and captivating collection of original, contemporary and classic story-songs. The album authentically represents a very beautiful heritage and vision found in the people and places of the American Southwest.
Teodoro “Ted” Ramirez is a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and founder of the group. He is an 8th generation Arizonan and a descendant of the first Spanish people to settle in the Southwest in the mid 1700’s. He is a gifted songwriter and singer and a noted music and cultural preservationist. He was named Tucson’s Official Troubadour in 2001.
Gilbert Brown is a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is a first generation Arizonan. His family traveled to Arizona during the dust bowl era from Oklahoma and settled in the Arizona mining town of Ajo where he was born. Ajo is where Gilbert's father encouraged him to play the guitar. Today Gilbert is considered one of the finest instrumentalists working in folk music.
Michael J. Ronstadt is a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is a third generation Arizonan. His family came from Germany and settled in the Southwest in the mid 1800’s. Michael is the brother of pop star Linda Ronstadt and has appeared on many of her albums. It is important to remember that Michael is a recognized and powerful folk artist in his own right.
Ted, Gil and Michael are all prolific songwriters and gifted live performance artists and share the leadership of the Santa Cruz River Band equally as partners. They work together as one powerful force to bring the amazing story of the Southwest to audiences everywhere. They tour continually in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Their stories and song introductions always inform, captivate and elevate the consciousness of the audience.