The Chris Duarte Group to release the new album "Lucky 13" on Blues Bureau International October 14. 2014

Chris Duarte Group Lucky 13 Blues Bureau International 14 October 2014

Chris Duarte Group emerged on the scene out of Austin, Texas, in the early 90’s and gained notoriety after wowing a packed room of industry insiders at the South X Southwest convention. In the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s passing, Duarte quickly gained a national reputation as a young man imbued with a playing style comparable at times to the late guitarist. After fielding interest from a number of labels, Duarte signed to Silvertone Records and his debut album “Texas Sugar/ Strat Magik” reportedly sold in excess of 100,000 units in the United States, no small feet for a blues/rock guitarist. This coupled with Duarte’s strong commitment to touring, was the impetus for Chris’ winning the “Best New Talent” in Guitar Player’s 1995 Reader’s Poll. He also finished fourth in the magazine’s “Best Blues Guitarist” category that year behind legends Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King. Throughout the last decade, Duarte honed his chops as a guitarist, songwriter, and singer as he recorded three more critically acclaimed records, “Tailspin Headwhack” in 1997, “Love Is Greater Than Me” in 2000 and “Romp” 2003, the latter two of which were on the Zoe/Rounder label. Not one to rest on his laurels, Duarte has constantly worked on his growth as a musician and the years of recording culminated purposefully in this past decade’s “Blue Velocity”, “Vantage Point”, “396” with Bluestone Company, “Blues In The Afterburner”, “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, All Things Blue”, “Infinite Energy”, “My Soul Alone”, and 2013’s “Chris Duarte Group Live”. All records aptly showcase many sides of this brilliant artist in the context of high energy blues rock with moments that bring to mind legendary artists as diverse as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robin Trower, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Johnson. Chris’ recordings have always been rooted firmly in the blues with a rock and roll edge which further established Duarte as one of the rare musical talents of his generation. “Lucky 13” continues in the tradition of contemporary blues rock with bursts of fusion, pop, and heavy psychedelia throughout. This CD contains a heavy dose of Duarte’s legendary blues guitar chops over a diverse set of grooves and lyrical themes. TRACK LISTING   1. You Know You’re Wrong 2. Angry man 3. Crazy For Your Love 4. Who Loves You 5. Here I Come 6. Let It Go 7. Man up 8. No Chasing It 9. Weak Wheels 10. Ain’t Gonna Hurt No More 11. Meus Via Vita Suite:       a. Let’s Go For A Ride       b. Minefield Of My Mind c. Setting Sun 12. Jump The Trane’ Points of  Interest   • The Blues Bureau label has developed a strong following for its superior blues rock recordings. Chris Duarte takes his place among artists in the label’s legacy that includes such blues rock legends as Rick Derringer, Pat Travers, Eric Gales, and Leslie West.   • Chris’ masterful guitar and vocal performances on “Lucky 13” portend a great response from these loyal blues fans, as guitarists of this quality and intensity are few and far between.   • The Chris Duarte Group is a perennial touring act, and have played as many as 300 dates in a single year, and has developed a legion of loyal fans spanning across the United States.   • Guitar Player Magazine has revered Duarte, and its readers have named him one of the greatest guitarists in the industry in a reader’s poll.   • Fans of guitar-oriented music have followed Chris Duarte for nearly two decades and his fans are waiting in anticipation of this phenomenal record.   • As a guitarist, Duarte has been compared to some of the greatest players of all time. This record, while featuring some of his most impressive and extended guitar work to date, also reveals him to be a strong singer/ songwriter in the blues rock genre. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisDuarteGroup Twitter: https://twitter.com/IamChrisDuarte Official Website: http://www.chrisduartegroupfans.org/ TOUR DATES: 2014 10/9 - THE GREY EAGLE - Asheville, North Carolina 10/10 - THE RUSTY NAIL - Wilmington, North Carolina 10/11 - ANDREWS BREWING CO. - Andrews, North Carolina 10/12 - THE POUR HOUSE MUSIC HALL - Raleigh, North Carolina 10/24 - BRADFORDVILLE BLUES CLUB - Tallahassee, Florida 10/25 - SKIPPER'S SMOKEHOUSE - Tampa, Florida 10/26 - EARL'S HIDEAWAY LOUNGE - Sebastian, Florida 10/28 - OLDE FISH HOUSE - Matlacha, Florida 10/30 - "Bike Night" at TWO BROTHERS BAR & GRILL - Punta Gorda, Florida 10/31 - THE ALLEY - Sanford, Florida 11/1 - THE FUNKY BISCUIT - Boca Raton, Florida 11/11 - THE IRIDIUM - New York City, New York 11/13 - COURT STREET GRILL - Pomeroy, Ohio 11/14 - THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM - Cleveland, Ohio 11/15 - MOONDOG'S - Blawnox, Pennsylvania 11/16 - SPORTSMEN'S TAVERN - Buffalo, New York 11/18 - VIOLET'S VENUE - Barrie, Ontario, Canada 11/19 - CHAN'S - Woonsocket, Rhode Island 11/20 - THE HUNGRY TIGER - Manchester, Connecticut 11/21 - THE ELKS LODGE - Franklin, New Hampshire 11/22 - THE STONE CHURCH MUSIC CLUB - Newmarket, New Hampshire 11/23 - ABILENE BAR & LOUNGE - Rochester, New York 11/25 - HILL COUNTRY LIVE - Washington, D.C. 11/29 - SMITH'S OLDE BAR - Atlanta, Georgia 12/3 - GEORGE'S MAJESTIC LOUNGE - Fayetteville, Arkansas 12/4 - THE VANGUARD - Tulsa, Oklahoma 12/5 - THE BUFFALO ROSE - Golden, Colorado 12/6 - CRYSTOLA ROADHOUSE - Woodland Park, Colorado 12/8 - TAOS MESA BREWING - Taos, New Mexico 12/9 - THE RHYTHM ROOM - Phoenix, Arizona 12/10 - THE SKYLIGHT - Santa Fe, New Mexico 12/12 - KEYS LOUNGE - Fort Worth, Texas 12/13 - DAN'S ELECTRO BAR - Houston, Texas 12/14 - THE ROOST - Austin, Texas 12/15 - EXECUTIVE SURF CLUB - Corpus Christi, Texas 12/16 - SAM'S BURGER JOINT - San Antonio, Texas 12/17 - The Guitar Sanctuary - McKinney TX

Blues Bureau International artist: Stoney Curtis Band - Halo Of Dark Matter - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Halo Of Dark Matter, from Stoney Curtis Band is it's a solid rocker. Opening with Pure Greed, Curtis puts out a steady blues rocker with a hard bottom and a grinding guitar tone. Curtis lays down some really nice riffs here and this track definitely has airwaves appeal. Grifter is a super track and one of my favorites on the release. A cool guitar hook and strong drum rhythms by Jeff Tortora create a nice open space for Curtis and his solo chops. I Can't Live My Life This Way is a modern day blues rocker along the lines of Help Me, a classic blues number. A driving beat and super guitar riffs make this another of the more memorable tracks on the release. You Don't Know What You're Talking About is a great 2 stepper along the lines of Hot Legs or Keep Your Hands To Yourself with plenty of enthusiasm and sting. Deja Vu is a really super slow blues track giving Curtis the opportunity to really wail on guitar. Barry Barnes lays down a nice bass line and Michael Lardie adds depth with keys. Another of the best tracks on the release. The title track, Halo Of Dark Matter, is a blues based rock track with heavy overtones. Vocal blending gives this track a distinctive sound. Ice Cold Beer is a country influenced rocker and with it's upbeat tempo and party nature is bound to make it a listener favorite. Hard Livin' has a great blues trunk with a great musical tension. Another of my favorites on the release, this track has some smoking guitar riffs.. and I mean smoking! The release is wrapped by In The Shadows, a modest ballad. Curtis brings the vocals to the front on this track which is mostly backed by guitar arpeggios. This is a strong outing bu Curtis and company. I liked his last release quite well and I think this one is better.

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Blues Bureau International artist: Chris Duarte Group - Live

I just received the newest release, Live, from the Chris Duarte Band is it's killer. Hot on the heels of My Soul Alone released earlier this year, Duarte has put together a live set and it is terrific! You know how some bands are good on record but then fizzle live. Duarte is great on record and smokin' live. Opening with Freddie King's Hideaway, Duarte puts his own spin on a classic track and plays the crap out of it. Joined by band members Yoshi Ogasahara on bass and vocal as well as Jack Jones on drums this is a tight unit. Another classic, Big Legged Woman, is up next and we're talking funky here! Ogasahara and Jones really whip it up and Duarte plays what I can honestly say is the best guitar work ever done on this track. Frenzied, tight and innovative. Excallent! Ridin' is a fast paced blues rocker with a half tempo bridge showing a more progressive edge. This is hot... I mean hot! Junior Kimbrough's Do The Romp has a bit more meat than the original but maintains it's primitive nature. Duarte gives his strat a real workout on this track and Jones is deep into it. Make Me Feel So Right is a rollin boogie track with a Texas guitar drive. A bit more tame than earlier tracks on the release, it still gives you a healthy dose of rock and blues. Bottle Blues is down and dirty slow blues with terrific clean articulated guitar soloing. If you like that outrageous Texas style blues riffing (a la Albert King, SRV etc) you will absolutely love this track. Contrasting a whisper with a scream it got so hot that I had to turn down the air and crack a cold one! Let's Have A Party is a high energy blues rocker with plenty of fast paced guitar lead and double stops. Sit still and listen to this one. I dare you! Dylan's One More Cup Of Coffee is euphoric with swirling guitar sounds, the band exploring a number of different rhythm patterns, all of them equally interesting. This track may not be for the average listener but for the more sophisticated listener... I think it's a real treat! 101 feels a lot like Jimi with that drive and space. Duarte taks the lead of course but there are terrific bass lines throughout and Jones is relentless on the drums. Did I mention that this is a double disc release... disc one... outrageous!

 Disc 2 opens with The Best I Can Do, a driving rocker with a nod to the Everly Brothers vocally and Led Zep instrumentally...all twisted and Texas sounding. Nice! Satisfy has a real strong Texas blues lope to it. Duarte has been doing this guitar style since his first release and it always sounds great. In this case, there is also a pinch of country and a dash of Joe Walsh on vocal. Very cool. On classic Neville track, People Say, Duarte maintains a lot of the New Orleans feel and Jones helps to reinforce the funk. Duarte always does a real nice job on this track, this version being a bit more spartan that some I've heard. Again a bit more progressive instrumentally this track is very cool. On blues ballad, Hold Back The Tears, Duarte approaches more the folk or country rock arena but never letting up on the musical intensity. Sundown Blues, another track having a strong feeling of Hendrix in construction is an excellent foil for a 3 piece band. Duarte chokes every breath out of the guitar playing long Zappaesque guitar runs and crisp punctuating accents. Very cool! My Way Down, one of Duarte's best know tracks is up next with a funky Texas swagger. Sit back (if you can) and enjoy one of the current masters of contemporary blues smoke it. Like Eric is a great instrumental track reminding me a lot of early Billy Cobham with substantial forward drum work and jazz like blues riffs played on guitar. The only other band I can recall doing this successfully is the early Dregs. Great! Hard Mind is a cool 12 bar number with simple swing blues riffs played up front. Now mind you, this is a 9 minute track so the band has a strong opportunity to plays out some great riffs! Wrapping the release with John Coltrane's Alabama, Duarte again goes into progressive territory creating an entirely different world musically for the listener. I find this set amazing and will definitely be adding it to my best of 2013 releases. get a copy ... you can thank me later!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”