Los Lonely Boys Los Lonely Boys
Released: March 30, 2004 Origination Year: 2003 Time: 52:55 Tracks: 12 Produced by: John Porter Style: Studio Format: CD Enhancement: None Website: www.loslonelyboys.org

Dear reader: If you don't care for the likes of Los Lobos, Santana, or Stevie Ray Vaughan, you may stop here and save yourself some time (I can only imagine that all of you will continue. I mean, who doesn't like at least one of the three!?). But, if you like one, both, or all three, then you will, progressively, like, love, or worship Los Lonely Boys.

On their self-titled first release, the Garza brothers show a mastery of their music and their instruments (Henry on guitar/vocals, Jojo on bass/vocals, Ringo [really!] on drums/vocals). They throw down a masterful blend that some are calling "Texican". That fits, I suppose, but leaves out a legacy of influences. Imagine, if you will, Cabo meets Woodstock via Austin; Los Lobos and Doug Sahm style Tex-Mex, Tito Puente/Santana-like Latino, and Stevie Ray Vaughan/Jimi Hendrix informed mastery of the Fender Stratocaster. And, just to add a bit more icing to this already frosted cake, record the disc at Willie Nelson's studio, have him sit in on acoustic guitar, and invite Reese Wynans to play Hammond B3 (comping skillfully in the background throughout most of the disc) and piano. Nelson has said Los Lonely Boys are his "favorite local band". Come on, Willie, don't put yourself out on such a limb like that! (They are opening for him on his upcoming tour.)

These guys got the goods, as in very goods, exceptionally goods, and almost greats! (There is one, and only one, thing about this CD that bothers me. It is recorded a little too slick, a bit too polished, to fit this style of music. Shoulda been a bit on the gritty side, a little more dirt in the mix...push the overdrive a little, Mr. Engineer.) Henry plays the Strat as if channeling Stevie Ray channeling Hendrix. (He's one of those guys that you imagine must have been born with a Strat in his hands!) A few rolling triplets from the first licks of the first track and you know this is gonna be good. (Track 8, "Onda", especially [eerily] evokes early Santana and is an amazing, smoking track! Henry explores his ability to emulate Santana's smooth, lyrical stylings - while, on other tracks, he plays staccato machine gun-like attacks that leave your head spinning!) Henry can make that Strat talk and scream, whisper and purr. (He also masters the Spanish, nylon string guitar beautifully on a few cuts.) He is not only technically proficient, but (and most importantly) he uses taste and restraint appropriately...then lets it fly when it feels right, and boy does it feel right! None of the old Rolling Stone magazine's "Alvin-Lee-play-as-fast-as-you-can-with-no-taste-award" here! Jojo's bass playing is superb. He plays what fits, but throws in triplet and 1/4 note fills sparingly, just enough to make you say "huh? What was that?". At times, as in cut 7, "Nobody Else", the bass and lead double each other in tasteful little riffs. Excellent! One can tell this guy loves the bass guitar, and loves playing it. (He uses a 6 string, I believe.) Drummer Ringo is not fancy or filly. He just keeps the beat rock-steady and doesn't get in the way (and that, in itself, is a real talent). Not a show-off, but a solid drummer (a la Charlie Watts). Topping it all off are two- and three-part harmonies that sound as natural as wind in the trees - no straining or effort necessary.

Every track on this disc is worth having, but a few stand out as highlights: Tracks 1 and 2, "Senorita" and "Heaven", respectively, are tunes that will not leave your head after a couple of listens. Cut 1 cranks with a driving wah-wah pedal-laced Strat and tasty Hammond B-3 licks. Note Jojo's ability to "walk" the bass's fretboard at will (an art that is becoming increasingly rare these days - huge kudos to Jojo Garza!). Cut 2 is a jaunty little ditty that asks the question "how far is heaven?". Well, just about as far as Henry Garza's next lead guitar showcase, I would say! "Crazy Dream" is lifted straight from the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's (and Double Trouble) immediately recognizable sound, but then given the Garza brothers own brand: a solid, driving shuffle with a wah-wah lead so tasty your ears will smack their lips! (Henry apparently loves the wah-wah pedal, and uses it often, and as well as any of his esteemed predecessors.) "La Contestacion" varies the brother's formula a bit, and ends the disc with a beautiful Spanish lyrical flow featuring piano and lead vocals, with an exquisitely subdued Strat lead. It is THE ballad here, and is simply a beautiful song. I could go on and on, but space demands some brevity.

I would be remiss, however, if I did not pay tribute to the centerpiece of the disc. Showcasing the talents of all three brothers is "Onda". Ringo gets to do his best Tito Puente impression on timbale and drums (Puente, who recently died, has been an esteemed Latino band-leader for decades, and wrote "Oye Como Va", one of Santana's first big hits. His disc "Goza Mi Timbal" is available on multi-channel SACD and is highly recommended.) He also gets a mighty fine drum solo that's just long enough and impressive; this cut flat-out smokes! Words are insufficient to describe the synergy between guitar, bass and drums here...Everybody's jammin' their hearts out and this is sure to be the big magilla at live shows and, at 8:54, will wear you out, even on disc. If you can't groove to this one, check your pulse!

There is more talent on this one disc than many artists display in a career. The song writing is solid, the vocals, by turn, hot and beautiful, the instrumental skills fit together perfectly and, many times, are jaw-dropping. If the goings on in this world, or in your personal life, have got you down, bunky...if you're listing to port, and happiness lies just out of reach to starboard...well, my friend, go out and grab some of the best feel-good music this writer has heard in many a moon. Los Lonely Boys will help steer your ship to the happy side, groovin' all the way. Not to be missed!

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