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The Texas Tornados Photo Credit: reverbnations.com
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Twisting rock and roll, country and conjunto music, the Texas Tornados produced an infectious sound. But can that magic be recreated now that two key performers have passed on? The surviving members of the Tornados announced yesterday they are giving it a spin with a new CD. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies has the story.
March 3, 2010 · It’s been over ten years since the Texas Tornados produced a new album. In that time, two members of the super group died – Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. And fans were left to assume that the Texas Tornados were no more.
But they’re back, with Sahm’s son Shawn taking up musically where his father left off. Yet Shawn says he’s not mimicking his father.
“I don’t ever feel like I’m intentionally emulating him, or going 'Hey let’s do it like this.' I’m just being myself and that’s why it worked, because me and dad were so close that I could just be myself and step right into what Augie and Flaco were doing,” said Sahm.
The album is called “Esta Bueno” which translates to “It's Good.” It was a favorite expression of Freddy Fender. On the CD there are four songs featuring Fender, including the tune “If I Only.”
Shawn says Fender wrote the song the night before they recorded it.
“This is a classic Freddy Fender song,” said Sahm. “At the end of the day he loved it, when he heard what I was doing with all the bits in there. He loved it. So there was a conscious effort to make it sound like the Texas Tornados and not let too many outside influences come in,” he said.
Original Texas Tornado accordion master Flaco Jimenez returns to the group. He’ll turn 71 next week, and his playing is still strong.
“We wanted to sustain the name of the Texas Tornados even though Freddy and Doug’s not here. But still the sound itself is right there. I know people will understand,” said Jimenez.
Augie Myers, who played with Doug Sahm in the Sir Douglas Quintet, also is back, despite dealing with kidney failure and daily dialysis.
“We’re all being tested. I’ve got about 3 or 4 donors,” said Augie.
“Somebody called me up two o’clock in the morning-- stone drunk, Saturday night. He said 'Augie needs a kidney. I’m going to give him a kidney,'” Meyers said. “I said 'We’ll be over in about an hour to pick it up,' and hung up. I’m waiting to see what happens. In the next 3 to 4 months, I’ll get a kidney replacement.”
Texas Monthly senior writer Jan Reid has just published a biography of Dough Sahm called Texas Tornado. Reid says the Tornados have a timeless sound because they are true originals.
“Call it conjunto-rock-n-roll. It certainly speaks to the people in this part of the world, but that was part of the problem with Doug Sahm’s career. He was off in so many veins, it was hard to categorize in a way that would make him more commercial,” said Reid.
But Shawn Sahm says there’s no doubt what his father would say about the new Tornados CD.
“He would love it,” said Sahm.
The Texas Tornados plan to take the stage during the up coming South by Southwest music festival in Austin. |
