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Chris Duarte: Turning on the Afterburners
We’ve entered into a new decade and Chris Duarte has found ways to keep his playing out there in the world. Though he’s approaching his senior years in life he still feels that his best years are in front of him. “It’s the insatiable will to learn and the desire to evolve that keeps me alive. I’m always going to want to find a new way to approach music even if I’m restricted by financial constraints to explore completely different directions. I’ll find a way to work within what my musical confines dictate.”
Thus with that it brings us to his latest release on Blues Bureau International; Blues In The Afterburner.
Of course we’ve got the blues rock burners that Chris Duarte is known for: Born To Race, Another Man and Black Clouds Rolling. Each having the stinging quality in his notes and playing plus his emoted vocals. Chris has been also honing his skills in the minor blues progression, ala Tin Pan Alley. His latest, Bottle Blues is some of his best work to date. Drawing off his own struggles in the past with substance abuse, his lyrics call up the many shared frustrations and heartbreak that come with the territory.
Chris Duarte has also been drawn towards the swinging dance blues as exemplified by the songs, Make Me Feel So Right and Don’t You Drive Me Crazy. “Nothing says good times more than people out of their seats and packing the dance floors. It’s also a real energy booster for the band to watch all those bodies moving to the beat.”
Can’t fault him there, the beat is strong and the riffs are danceable.
Hold Back The Tears is the only cover song on the new cd and it’s a song that he’s played many years since his first collaborations with the Japanese band Bluestone. “I’ve always thought this song is a hit. I just wish I could’ve had more time to produce it better. I’m still happy with what’s there.” Whatever Chris feels are his shortcomings is only something he can spot, after all, we’re all our own worst critic.
There are some new twists on the album, Milwaukee Blues and I’ve Been A Fool. Chris Duarte is always trying to expand his area musically and lucky for us Mike Varney has allowed Chris the creative space to flex his aspirations with each cd. We’ve seen it in the past with his dabbling ala Foo Fighters style, Met My Match and the new Searching For You on this release, but the other songs are more singer/songwriter attempts. “ I’ve always had this urge or longing in me to write more songwriter styles but I’ve had to concentrate on the music at hand that’s paying the bills. I’m hoping in the future that I’ll be able to record some of the other songs I’ve written like these and to keep improving the guitar technique that this genre calls for.”
We can only wait and see on this.
The only songs left are at opposite ends of the musical spectrum. Prairie Jelly is pure straight up Chris Duarte. All his fans have seen him do these acrobatic feats on his guitar and we all can say It’s about time one of these songs makes it on the album. “ A one-take is this song is. Just a simple riff and it’s off to the races” It dives in and out of the bluesy Hendrixian styles with Chris’ huge affinity for Mahavishnu-isms and John McLaughlin rapid fire runs. Summer’s Child is a dreamy tune with an aggressive solo tagged in it. No surprise there. With lyrics leaning towards Steely Dan, Chris Duarte isn’t an artist that wants to stay in one place. He knows some of his past attempts have fallen flat and some have shined but he will never stop venturing out onto the furthest point on the limb.
After all music is art and great art is supposed to illicit a reaction. If the reaction isn’t there then you have no choice but to kick on the Afterburners.
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