Being a long-time guitarist myself, I always had guitar heros growing up who inspired me enough to practice and excel on my instrument of choice. Monsters like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as Johnny Winter and B.B. King, were and are larger than life to me, and I always tried to emulate them in my own style of playing. Well, move over rover and make room for another monster, Chris Duarte.

On my way walking down Orange Ave. to check out Chris' sound-check, I could hear his fiery licks for about a block; they put an immediate smile on my face. Hanging out, I heard a couple of tunes which ended with a smoking cover of B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone". I knew right then it was gonna be a hell of a night.

Finally, it was almost time. Sneaking up like a graceful panther, Chris took the stage and began to tune up one of his strats. I then noticed that John Jordan, with his 7-string bass, and Eric, his new drummer, were also there, doing their pre-show rituals. For two long sets, the band just rocked on right through old tunes from his album, Texas Sugar/Strat Magik, and a lot of new ones that haven't been released yet, all of which had the Sapphire crowd on its feet.

Duarte's new album comes out sometime in June, and I think it'll be big. The songs were bluesy, heavy and very catchy. Ingredients for a good album. His playing is very special - not just his speed or intensity, but also his use of many tones and dynamics. Building great crescendos and then bringing it down to a low whisper is what separates good blues (or any music for that matter) from not so good. Chris couldn't have a better bassist accompanying him either. John plays a mean 7 string, allowing him to not only hold down a solid bass line but also function as another guitarist, only in a lower register. Anyway, it's a beautiful combo.

As I stood there watching his fingers defy physics and feeling the music take me away, I knew that Chris would be a force to reckon with very soon. He had everyone's attention - especially one woman who slipped (what appeared to be) her number to him. I wonder if he used it.

Other highlights of the evening were Duarte's versions of "Hey Joe", "Are you Experienced" and "Angel". He also threw in a version of Pink Floyd's "Wish you Were Here", which was awesome. All in all, the show was a success. The Chris Duarte Group is a great band to see live because they're so intense. Check 'em out next time they're in town. You won't be sorry.

Eric Levy My main focus in life is my music. I have been writing and playing music for over a decade, and it has been my labour of love. My main instrument is 6-string guitar, lead and rythym. I listen and play everything from low-down, dirty blues (B. Guy, BB, Howlin' Wolf, J. Winter, SRV, etc.) to more aggressive and heavier stuff (Soundgarden, A.I.C.,Pantera, Sacred Reich, etc.) to many that are somewhere in the middle, (Black Crowes, Stones, STP, Allman bros.) Bottom line is that I love music more than life itself. Well, almost. Other Articles I've Written