GrooveSession

"If you look on the ground at Irvine Lake, you'll see tiny pieces of the main stage. These guys tore it to shreds at Jerry Jam 2010. Great stuff, good times!!"
Robert Carvounas - Facebook

- Facebook

“The first under-card standout at the festival was the always impressive GrooveSession. Hailing from the inland empire of Ontario, CA, the funk-tastic threesome of brothers Ronnie and Manny Sanchez with Sarven Manguiat kicked off the weekend by telling the audience “Don’t you threaten me with a good time.” They played a total of three sets over the course of two days and every set blew away the crowd. I got a chance to talk to Sarven and we can all look forward to a new GrooveSession CD this fall. They’ve got plans of heading to Europe, Australia and Japan in the not too distant future. Is the rest of the planet ready for a Session? I sure hope so.”
Billy Sunday - Shakedown News

- Shake Down News

Gallons To Ounces clearly kicked up the tempo of this Millennium showcase party, and set the tone for more musical fireworks to come.

The next volley of those musical fireworks came from a California-based trio called GrooveSession. Like Gallons To Ounces, GrooveSession also generated improvisational grooves that blended funk and rock. Their presentation was more uptempo and followed progressive-leaning arrangements, and their songs often escalated into heated and intense jams. Drummer Manny Sanchez sang lead vocals, and demonstrated a quality for combining precision drumming with soulful singing that I haven’t witnessed since John McKnight populated Altoona area stages! He, brother Ronnie Sanchez on bass and Sarven Manguiat on guitar constantly mixed things up into a spicy, tasty stew of sounds; further elevating the mood in the room. - Altoona Mirror/ Jim Price

10:00 PM PDT on Monday, July 21, 2008

By VANESSA FRANKO
The Press-Enterprise

'The Flying Burrito" isn't just the name of Groove Session's debut album; the image pretty much encapsulates the band's sound.

"We throw all of the genres into the burrito," drummer and percussionist Manny Sanchez said.

For the band, all of the ingredients sound good, whether it's jazz or reggae or jams or blues or rock.

Sanchez and his brother Ronnie, who plays bass, started Groove Session in 2006, having a number of guitarists sit in with them. Last June, guitarist Sarven Manguiat, who went to high school with the brothers, joined the group.

And in addition to tapping a variety of styles in their music, the members also have a solid sense of humor.

"We don't take ourselves too seriously," Manny Sanchez said.

Story continues below

Special to The Press-Enterprise
Groove Session mixes in jazz, blues, funk, rock and more on its full length debut album "The Flying Burrito."
"The Flying Burrito," the album, is what the band calls a "space funk odyssey," following space warriors who fly around in a burrito spaceship to defeat the evil Dr. Q-Tron, who is keeping people everywhere from grooving. The band came up with the story after the music.

"Since it was going to be all instrumental, we figured we had to give people something," Sanchez said.

They decided to go the silly route, with song titles such as "The Rise and Fall of Dr. Q-Tron and the Mini-Vamping Machine."

But the imagery the band has heard from fans is pushing them to think visually for the album, with hopes of turning it into a cartoon.

Going into the studio was difficult for the group, which is known for its live jam sessions.

"As a group it was a big time challenge because we do love the aspect of improvisation," Sanchez said.

Groove Session has been working on some acoustic things lately and on vocals as well.

Sanchez hopes the band can record the entirety of "The Flying Burrito" live before the end of the year and later release it with more visuals.

Reach Vanessa Franko at 951-368-9575, vfranko@PE.com, www.myspace.com/Audio_File or www.PE.com/blogs/music

Who: Manny Sanchez, drums and percussion, Sarven Manguiat, guitars, Ronnie Sanchez, bass

From: Ontario, Montclair

Formed: 2006 with Manny and Ronnie Sanchez and Manguiat joined in 2007

Sounds like: The best way to describe the band's sound is its name--Groove Session. There are elements from across the board, including jazz, blues, funk, rock and jamming. Songs such as "12:00 AM" have a Santana quality to the percussion with almost an Eric Johnson feel to the guitars. "Groovenaut's Dub" blends reggae rhythms with a guitar jam.

Releases: "The Flying Burrito," the band's debut full-length was recently released

- Press Enterprise

GROOVESESSION
Band of the Week

By: Waleed Rashidi

CITY OF ORIGIN: Ontario

MEMBERS AND INSTRUMENTS: Manny Sanchez (drums, vocals); Ronnie Sanchez (bass, vocals); Sarven Manguiat (guitar, vocals).

RECENT RELEASE: The Flying Burrito (2008)

KINDRED SPIRITS: Herbie Hancock, head noddin’, Phish, toe tappin’, Santana, smile makin’, Jimi Hendrix, extreme hand clappin’, The Meters, Stevie Ray Vaughn

WEBSITE: myspace.com/groovesession


Great rhythm sections never receive the notoriety they deserve. These players are often subjected to the smallest slice of pay, get no real respect from audiences, work long hours (if not longer than the people they’re backing), and can’t throw the hissyfits that most frontpeople can often get away with because they’re “so easily expendable.”


However, on occasion, a great rhythm section will emerge and, even in the harshest conditions, at least attain some semblance of respect. For instance, there’s Hal Blaine’s Wrecking Crew, who performed with some of the ’60s and ’70s most popular artists. But even the Wrecking Crew weren’t attuned to the basking in the stage lights of the folks they supported.


Let’s hope that instrumentalists GrooveSession attract a little more notoriety. This Ontario-based trio of guitar, bass and drums places all of its members into the foreground at all times. And while that may appear like the wankfest of the century, we promise you it’s not.


Founded by brothers Manny and Ronnie Sanchez a few years ago as a casual catchall of backing musicians seeking to support other local musicians, the pair quickly converted GrooveSession into a full-fledged band after enlisting guitarist Sarven Manguiat last year. Since then, the band’s landed gigs across the vicinity (Dos Lagos Amphitheater, The Hip Kitty, The Lake Alice Trading Company), and according to Sanchez, helped raise over $50,000 for various causes. And not only are they kind-hearted, GrooveSession are probably the most talented batch of young dudes we’ve seen in the area in a very long time—on album and on stage.


“GrooveSession is a musical journey fusing many genres,” says Sanchez. “As long as it has a groove, it’s making music, making love, that’s GrooveSession . . . We like to take audiences with us and show respect and joy from playing diverse genres knowing the root of music is what fuels each show.”

–Waleed Rashidi
- Inland Empire Weekly