ASSIST News Service (ANS) -
PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
Thursday, June 30, 2005
“SOUTH OF THE BRONX”
Super percussionist and singer, Santos, is bringing out a surprising new album as a tribute Calvary Ranch, the place where he was delivered from drug addiction that is located several thousand miles – south of the Bronx….
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
LAKESIDE, CA (ANS) -- The 200 inmates at the Rikers Island Jail in New York Harbor were restless and were making it clear that they didn't want to be at the service organized by a team from Mike MacIntosh’s “Festival of Life NYC02” outreach nearly three ago. But then they were shocked when a burly singer and percussion had some straight talking for them.
(Pictured:
The New CD cover
- South of the Bronx).
Bronx-born Santos, who had previously had a miraculous conversion and deliverance from drug addiction, came up the microphone, looked at the group before him, and said pointedly, “You guys think you are so smart. If you are that smart, how come you are in here?”
The prisoners were stunned. Santos had got there attention and this man, who had been in jail in New York years previously for drug-related offenses, began to preach to them on the topic: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
I had been with Santos the day before at Rikers Island and soon learned that he quite a story to tell. As a super percussionist, he had toured nationally in the United States with a Who's Who of the music business, such as Weather Report and Fandango, sharing tour dates and stages with The Charlie Daniels Band, The Outlaws, Pure Prairie League, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Moby Grape, Judas Priest, and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Santos said that he learned to play Latin percussion on the streets, with groups on the “stoops,” a NYC term for hanging out on the front porch of a house. “I hung out in these strong ethnic neighborhoods,” he said. “They took me in as one of their own -– I had a name like Santos, but I looked so German! After a while I was asked to play in clubs with a lot of R&B bands in the neighborhood. My first break came when I was asked to play percussion with Charles Earland on the same bill with The Jazz Crusaders at Carnegie Hall. What a place to start a career! After that, I became a member of the Charles Earland Sextet and we toured nationally with the likes of George Benson, Les McCann, Jimmy Smith, and Stanley Turrentine. I also did a short stint with Top Jazz ensemble Weather Report back in there early days.”
But he had a terrible secret that was destroying his life -- he was addicted to drugs, a habit that nearly had him sentenced to life imprisonment. But then a miracle began to happen in his life when former teenage idol Dion DiMucci, who had such hits as “A Teenager in Love,” “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” told him to totally give his life to Jesus Christ. He did and later was completely delivered from his habit at Calvary Ranch in the rodeo town of Lakeside, a suburb of beautiful San Diego, California, which offers 24 hour-a-day care for every resident.
Now Santos has produced a new album called “South of the Bronx” – available at the end of July -- in which in pays tribute to the music he learned at Calvary Ranch, where he was discipled and blessed by the ministry of Pastor Tom McAloon who, along with his Paulette, his wife of 29 years, founded the center in 1975 after starting three Rescue Missions in the most dangerous parts of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. In a family like setting, Tom and Paulette live on the Ranch along with the staff to provide hands on leadership and support. Santos says that the time he spent at The Ranch changed his life forever.
“Calvary Ranch is a testimony of people living the gospel through pure and simple devotion to Christ,” said Santos. “At first, the simplicity of the country/gospel songs sung there was not my style of music, but I stood in amazement as the Lord used those very songs to heal my broken heart.”
(Pictured:
Right to Left:
Santos, Abbey the ranch dog, Pastor Tom, Sister Paulette, Gideon (the horse)).
Since Santos’ time at Calvary Ranch, the Lord has done amazing things. He has put him back in the ministry, opened up many doors to help others and share his testimony – even at Rikers Island – as well as giving him a beautiful wife what he calls “a truly abundant life.”
He then explained how the new CD came about. “While singing in Midland, Texas a few years back the thought struck me to do a Country CD – a totally foreign thought for New York guy from the Bronx who loves to sing Doo-Wop music,” he said. “As I prayed and thought about it, and with encouragement from my West Texas brothers the idea began to come together. I contacted the producer of Street Corner Symphony, JL Seville, and he loved the idea. We started work about six months ago and in just a few short weeks the project will be completed.
“South of the Bronx is a country Gospel/western CD that has a little New York flavor to it. We used some of the best session players in the business to capture that pure and simple sound.”
The CD, which Santos has lovingly dedicated to Calvary Ranch, includes some old-time country/gospel songs like:
Turn Your Radio On
Love Lifted Me
May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You, which was originally done by Bing Crosby
Some sweet ballads like:
The Lighthouse
For Those Tears
Lord, I don’t Understand, (which received an Honorable Mention from Billboard) written by Santos’ friend Paulette McAloon
Some real hay shakers like:
Victory in Jesus
Give My Oil In My Lamp
“We have also included ‘Thanks to Calvary’ – a classic Bill Gaither song originally sung by the late great southern Gospel Hall of Famer, George Younce and The Cathedrals,” said Santos. “What an awesome banner story/song for the Calvary Ranch recovery program.”
As with all of Santos’ CD’s, this one will also include resources to get help for anyone addicted.
As Santos always says to those who are struggling with addictions, “Don’t wait -- the life you save will be yours.”
If you would like this unique style of ministry in your area, please contact Santos at the address below.
Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the World" and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.
LAKESIDE, CA (ANS) -- The 200 inmates at the Rikers Island Jail in New York Harbor were restless and were making it clear that they didn't want to be at the service organized by a team from Mike MacIntosh’s “Festival of Life NYC02” outreach nearly three ago. But then they were shocked when a burly singer and percussion had some straight talking for them.
(Pictured:
The New CD cover
- South of the Bronx).
“Calvary Ranch is a testimony of people living the gospel through pure and simple devotion to Christ,” said Santos. “At first, the simplicity of the country/gospel songs sung there was not my style of music, but I stood in amazement as the Lord used those very songs to heal my broken heart.”
(Pictured:
Right to Left:
Santos, Abbey the ranch dog, Pastor Tom, Sister Paulette, Gideon (the horse)).