Texas Sugar/Strat Magik

Chris Duarte | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 2011)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Silvertone
• ASIN: B00000051X
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,128 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blisterin' Texas Blues, November 15, 2004

By 

J. Newberry (Tifton, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Texas Sugar/Strat Magik (Audio CD)

The comparsisons to Hendrix and Vaughan abound, but anyone who typecasts Duarte as a simple clone of those two godfathers of acid blues is simply short sighted.

Chris Duarte's first full-length album, *Texas Sugar* is astounding on many levels. Sure, it's hard-rocking blues. However, the funk and jazz influences color nearly all the tracks. Take something like "Big Legged Woman." Certainly, one can hear the blues influences, from the scorching guitar solos to the chordal structure. However, one would have to be tone deaf to miss the scratching, funky rhythm of the song. "Big Legged Woman" shares more in common with Wild Cherry or post-Bitch's Brew Miles than with Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Duarte reminds me of what Jimi Hendrix may have become: a restless experimenter who fuses jazz, funk, rock, blues, and acid rock with a stamp of originality that many, many musicians should envy. His playing is clean, but sometimes hidden behind a wall of effects and distortion. I'd like to hear an acoustic outing from Duarte.

The songs, however, are amazing. I love "My Way Down." It's a blues/rock/funk explosion with a guitar solo that soars above the stratosphere, makes a left at Neptune, and comes back home with alien knowledge of another world.

Buy this album. Also, check out "Tailspin Headwack."

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MIGHTY FINE PICKIN', September 28, 2003

By 

Baddstuff "music junkie" (astoria, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Texas Sugar/Strat Magik (Audio CD)

I love this CD. Sure, at times he does sound like Stevie Ray but labeling him an SRV clone is the easy way out. There's some mighty fine guitar pickin' goin' on here. Great Strat sound throughout. Listen to the funky guitar work on Big-legged Woman, so sweet! Other standouts for me are C-Butt Rock, Letter To My Girlfriend and the super My Way Down. Just super guitar pickin'. Kudos to the band as well, especially the drummer for some tasty playing. I recently caught Chris and his new band at BB King's in New York and Chris was smokin'! Check this guy out, I think you'll dig it.
www.electriceyes.us

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Debut From the Texas Guitarslinger, June 7, 2003

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Texas Sugar/Strat Magik (Audio CD)

It's impossible to write a review of Chris Duarte without invocking the name of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Duarte, a fellow Texan, is obviously a disciple of the late, great guitarist. In fact, Duarte dedicates the nearly ten-minute instrumental "Shiloh" to Stevie and his brother Jimmie. But while Duarte may have been influenced by the Vaughan brothers, he is no imitator. Duarte's guitar playing is both fiery and inspired. His vocals are serviceable, but it's his guitar playing that brings me back to this album time and again. I caught him live a couple years ago and his performance was dazzling. This is an impressive debut. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED