Chris Zalez
Texas Cantina
Pacific Blues 20401
The first time I heard Fort Worth's own Chris Zalez play and sing was
back in the late '90s when he was with a band called the Silvertones. I thought back then
that big things would be happening for this kid. Now, here we are, just a few years later,
talking about his 2nd solo CD. Shortly after going out on his own, Chris self-released his
first solo CD, Texas Hotel, which was very good. He then spent time on the road playing
with Mike Morgan and the Crawl. Although having his own band, Chris can still be heard
occasionally sitting in with Mike's band.
Texas Cantina, Chris' first on a major Blues label is Chris' top to
bottom. It was recorded at one of the hottest studios going these days, and Chris was
insightful enough to use some of the best Texas musicians around. Jon Bradley, Jeremy
Fuller and Billy Horton share duties on bass, Phillip Law on drums, Chad Pope on guitar on
track ten, one of Chris' five original tunes, and the one and only Vienna Slim, Mr.
Christian Dozzler on piano. Jeremy Fuller also plays a mean baritone sax on track one. It
is truly a tour de force for Chris and the guys. They cover several different styles from
Texas Shuffle to Rockabilly to Jump style to Chicago style and even a little Country on
Give Me a Break. Albert Collins, Christine Kittrell, Little Milton and Chuck Willis songs
are all covered well, but out of the 11 tracks on this CD, the best cuts are Chris' five
originals. 'Justine', 'Never Let You Go', 'Sugar Mama', 'All My Love' and 'Something Right
for Me' are the strongest cuts on the CD. 'Justine' is a Texas roadhouse love song that
moves. 'Never Let You Go' gets you all seriously funked up. 'Sugar Mama' takes you on a
stroll back to the '50s. 'All My Love' is a slow Blues torchburner with a fine guitar solo
by Chad Pope. The closing track, 'Something Right for Me' harkens us back to the days of
Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps.
Chris' guitar playing is absolutely smoking throughout, and the band is
right behind him the whole time, never dropping the beat for a nanosecond. There are
Junior Watson and Kid Ramos influences in Chris' guitar playing (who hasn't been
influenced by these two guitar monsters?) but his overall style is all his own, and will
certainly continue to evolve if he can keep putting out good music like what is on Texas
Cantina. Texas roadhouse comes to mind when trying to describe the overall feel and if you
are not up and dancing or at least moving some part of your body once you put this CD in
the player, you might need some serious help.
- Sonnyboymark -
Southwest Blues CD Review - July 2005
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