Early Beginnings and Musical Roots

The B-Side Players were founded by Karlos Paez, a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose musical journey began long before the band officially formed. Born on July 22, 1972, and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, Paez grew up immersed in music, culture, and border-region identity. He was raised by his mother, Refugio Mujica from Tecate, Mexico, and his father, Ezequiel Paez, a world-renowned trombone player and musical arranger.

Paez’s father spent 17 years with Los Moonlights of Tijuana and 10 years with La Banda El Recodo, one of the most influential bands in regional Mexican music history. Today, Ezequiel Paez continues to compose and arrange music for legendary artists and groups including Banda El Recodo, Los Recoditos, La Arrolladora Banda El Limón de René Camacho, Diana Reyes, Rey Sánchez, Nico Flores, Ezequiel Peña, Banda Carnaval, Pedro Infante, Patricia Navidad, Banda La Costeña, and Marisela, among many others. This legacy placed music at the center of Karlos Paez’s life from an early age.

While still in grammar school, Paez was inspired by the sounds of Bob Marley and Carlos Santana, influences that would later define the band’s Afro-Latin, reggae-infused, and socially conscious sound. He began playing guitar, trombone, and trumpet, and started writing songs that reflected culture, identity, and lived experience.

The Formation of The B-Side Players

The first incarnation of The B-Side Players came together in 1994 in an African drumming class at Southwestern Community College in San Diego. The musicians involved were already active in the local funk, punk rock, and acid jazz scenes of the early 1990s, but when they began playing together, something distinct emerged.

“When we started playing together, our sound was different because we brought an Afro-Latin edge to the music,” Paez recalls.

Blending reggae, funk, jazz, Latin rhythms, Afro-Caribbean percussion, and socially conscious lyrics, The B-Side Players developed a sound rooted in the U.S.–Mexico border experience, drawing from multiple musical traditions while refusing to be confined to a single genre.

Studio Work, Collaboration, and Musical Evolution

In the studio, The B-Side Players are known for their organic approach to recording—layering rhythm, horns, percussion, and melody to create music that feels both timeless and immediate. Under Paez’s leadership as lead singer, songwriter, and arranger, the band emphasizes collaboration, improvisation, and groove.

Karlos Paez has recorded and collaborated with an impressive range of artists across genres, including Akwid, Poncho Sanchez, DJ Dus, Fred Wesley, Big B, WAR, Asdru and Raul Pacheco of Ozomatli, Quetzal, Brian Jordan, Harold Todd, Mike Clark & The Headhunters, RYMO of Slightly Stoopid, P.O.D., DJ Unite, Elijah Emmanuel & The Revelations, Hyena, and Gilbert Castellanos. These collaborations reflect the band’s musical versatility and deep roots in funk, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, Latin, and soul traditions.

Live Performances and Community Connection

On stage, The B-Side Players deliver high-energy performances driven by tight rhythms, powerful horn lines, and messages of unity, resistance, and cultural pride. Their live shows balance precision with spontaneity, creating space for improvisation while maintaining a deep connection with audiences.

The band’s sound and message resonate strongly with fans who recognize the authenticity of their border-influenced identity and their commitment to music as a tool for social awareness and celebration.

Beyond The B-Side Players: Creative Expansion

After more than 18 years of touring and recording with The B-Side Players, Karlos Paez continues to expand his creative reach. In addition to leading the band, he has created and produced several other musical projects, including Maiz, Chula Vista Soldier Club, Black Market Disciples, Sonido De La Frontera, and Solrak and the New Aztec Empire.

Paez also released his first solo record, Music, Culture, Love, produced with San Diego musician and producer Bryan Stratman. The album features some of San Diego’s most talented musicians and delivers organic, soulful, cosmic grooves paired with conscious lyrics inspired by the very themes that have guided Paez’s career: music, culture, and love.

The Ongoing Legacy of The B-Side Players

The B-Side Players are more than a band—they are a reflection of cultural exchange, musical lineage, and border-region creativity. Rooted in Afro-Latin rhythms, reggae spirit, and funk tradition, their music honors the past while speaking directly to the present.

Led by Karlos Paez’s vision and shaped by decades of collaboration, The B-Side Players continue to evolve while staying true to their mission: creating music that moves people physically, emotionally, and socially. Their journey proves that powerful music doesn’t have to fit neatly into categories—it simply has to be real.