On this episode we chat with Texas guitar legend Chris Duarte. Born in San Antonio, the young Duarte became interested in music after seeing "Fiddler on the Roof" on TV. He initially wanted to play violin and then clarinet, but circumstances led him to playing his brother's guitar where he discovered an innate talent to pick up tunes by ear. At age 14 Chris obtained his first guitar, a Supro, and became further immersed in music. He began exploring different genres and learning jazz standards (in the once "illegal" Real Book) by musical idols such as John Coltrane and Miles Davis. In 1979, he moved to Austin and purchased a 1963 Fender Stratocaster. Soon after, he found himself gravitating towards the blues stylings of players like Howlin' Wolf and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Durate continued to develop his chops and gained a reputation as a road dog as he constantly played, both with his own band and as a sideman, widening his touring circuit throughout Texas and the south. As the Chris Duarte Group's popularity continued to grow, Chris found himself in a bidding war between labels, but ultimately CDG's first record, 1994's Texas Sugar Strat Magik featuring John Jordan on bass and Brannen Temple on drums, was released via Silvertone Records and became a highly acclaimed success among fans and critics alike. Chris quickly gained national recognition and won"Best New Talent" in Guitar Player's 1995 Reader's Poll. He finished fourth in the magazine's "Best Blues Guitarist" category behind some of his biggest blues influences: Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King.

His second album, Tailspin Headwhack (1997) followed with the hit Cleopatra, but that would be the last record with Silvertone. Since then Chris has recorded a wide variety of albums with various producers including the legendary Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records. He has traveled the U.S. and the world many times over playing everything from small clubs to headlining major music festivals and nearly everything in between.

After moving to Atlanta, GA for several years, Chris Duarte has returned Austin where he plays with girlfriend Beth Lee (and the Breakups) as well as consistently touring with his trio. The current incarnation of CDG primarily features Dustin Sargent on bass and John McKnight on drums, and the band has a new album release ready, recored with producer Dennis Herring of their TSSM days.

Although genuinely humble and somewhat soft spoken, Duarte's stage performance and guitar playing are mesmerizing and out of this world. He has remained recognizable in his sound even though he has crossed many genres, and he gives every record and performance 100%. In many interviews, he has stated “music must evolve.” With such a vast catalog of recordings, there are no two shows alike. Every set list is different, and each song may be offered distinctly based on the feel of a show and the audience. We are thrilled he is playing ESP's Skunk Manhattan's Austin-based festival Skunkfest for 2022 and looking forward to seeing what he might pull from the vault.

RIP Frosty (drummer)

Facebook | Instagram |