Born to two heavily-music-inclined parents, Chico Mann was raised with a real understanding of production techniques, sound design, and making tiny tweaks to achieve the perfect mix and arrangement. Mann’s recondite knowledge of piano boleros (inherited from his radio DJ mother) gave him a springboard to multi-instrumentalism and Latin stylings, all of which have remained close to Mann’s musicianship. Fast forward to the past couple decades, where Mann made a memorable name for himself in New York’s bustling scene, eventually landing him a spot in Brooklyn Afrobeat connoisseurs (and KUTX favorites) Antibalas.
Never one to settle, Mann now calls L.A. his home and has just exposed the excellence on his latest LP Double Life, soaking in psychedelia and loyal to his Latin-leaning upbringing. Rest assured, Double Life will rile you up across its fourteen tracks, and you won’t need much more convincing after checking out its sophomore song, “Fighting”!
–Photo: Anna Azarov