Effective period / Period of releases: 1996

Members: Kristian Hoffman, Jon Wahl, Rami Jaffee, Mike Sessa, Chip Kinman, William Tutton, Jim Avgeris, Slim Evans, Gabriel Tenorio, Joel Reader, Rick Deliz, Bernard Yin, Pierre Smith, Tara Novick, Garrett Ray, David Bongiovanni, Carey Stratton, Peter Tomlinson, Darin Scheff, Paul Morris (7), Dan West (2), Mark Pritchard (3), Larry Mahales, William Bongiovanni, Paul Beaudry (2), Ernie Garcia (4), Kim Anderson (10)

Backing band for El Vez. Members have varied over the years both on recordings and in live performances. Those listed here are credited as members on various recordings.

On El Vez's early releases the Memphis Mariachis were Jim Avgeris (guitar), Rami Jaffee (piano), Tara Novick (guitar), Darin Scheff (bass), Carey Stratton (drums), and Peter Tomlinson (drums and percussion). By 1992's Not Hispanic, Tomlinson had left and Novick had been replaced by Paul Morris, Scheff by William Tutton, and Stratton by Larry Mahales. Stratton is still credited as the group's drummer on 1994's How Great Thou Art (The Greatest Hits Of El Vez) and its Spanish language version Fun In Español , both of which consist primarily of earlier recordings.

For the 1994 studio album Graciasland, Morris was replaced by Gabriel Tenorio, and Mahales by Mike Sessa. By the release of Merry MeX-mas later that year, Tutton had left and Slim Evans had replaced Sessa on drums. By 1996 the Memphis Mariachis were Avgeris and Pierre Smith on guitars, Evans on drums and percussion, and William Bongiovanni on bass; this lineup played on G.I. Ay, Ay! Blues (1996) and the twin releases A Lad From Spain? (1998) and Son Of A Lad From Spain? (1999) (Tutton played Viol on the latter two, along with Kristian Hoffman on keyboards).

Avgeris, the longest-serving member of the group, subsequently left. 2000's El Vez!, consists of two live tracks: David Bongiovanni played guitar on one, while on the other Rick Deliz played guitar and Tutton returned on bass, filling in for William Bongiovanni. The 2000 compilation Pure Aztec Gold credits Chip Kinman as a member of the Memphis Mariachis (he had played on the Graciasland track "Cinco De Mayo"). For the 2001 album Boxing With God the band was Smith (guitars), Evans (drums and percussion), William Bongiovanni (bass), and Dan West (pianos and organs). On 2002's Sno-Way José it was Smith and David Bongiovanni on guitars, Ernie Garcia on bass, and Garret Ray on drums, with Evans, Deliz, and Tutton credited as additional live members. On Gospel Show In Madrid, recorded in March 2007, the live band was Evans on drums, Smith and Bernard Yin on guitars, and Joel Reader on bass.

The 2013 compilation God Save The King - 25 Years Of El Vez credits twelve musicians as the Memphis Mariachis: David and William Bongiovanni, Evans, Hoffman, Morris, Smith, West, Yin, Kim Anderson, Paul Beaudry, Mark Pritchard, and Jon Wahl.