May 27, 1998

Read a review of Chris' Orlando shows

Murf - Do you enjoy traveling in Europe?

Duarte - Yeah...I didn't travel in the most luxurious conditions, but I enjoyed it very much. Belgium is nice, Austria is nice, Italy was my favorite cause of Rome. Rome was wonderful...I loved Rome. England was Ok...I wish I would have gotten to spend...Germany was pretty cool too.

Murf - I know there's fans on the internet from Germany, Poland, England, and Australia along with fans from all over the United States and all of them ask "when are you coming here?"

Duarte - Yeah... because we were supposed to go with Satriani right now for his European tour, but Silvertone didn't want to foot the tour support. But I don't even ask for tour support. It would have only been a couple hundred dollars per show and you can't really pay the group a couple of hundred dollars per show cause you have to have a vehicle to get you around, a driver that knows all the customs.

Murf - Speaking of Satriani, how did you wind up on the American portion of the tour? I know you are going to be at the House Of Blues here in Orlando in July?

Duarte - Right...um...Joe's agent knows my manager real good and is also Eric's agent and he's gotten some shows and Joe really likes playing with us too and I like playing with him. It's because were so different. I'm not this weedly weedly guy. Joe is definitely a player and I can see some of the players that he has been hooked up with...these weedly weedly guys. It's just not a very musical style. That's what so wonderful about Joe. He's just a really great player too.

Murf - It seems like an unusual mix.

Duarte - It's an unusual mix but I think it's a good mix because were really two different kinds of guitar parts goin down.

Murf - You've had everything from great audiences, good ones, and absolutely thoughtless and rude ones. Is there anything the band would want to say to the audience (but are too polite to do so)? The band is always so accommodating to the fans...you always sign all the CD's, give all the autographs requested - Is there anything that works as a detriment or that the fans can do better?

Duarte - I've got no complaints about that...I've got the best fans in the world personally. I think they're the greatest. You've got to remember that not everybody is going to like you...you know and not everybody likes Jesus Christ....not everybody likes him...I'm not saying I'm as popular as him...it's just that everybody has got their thing that they like so if they don't like you, they don't have to stay. I guess...right now I'm still able to enjoy a modicum of privacy, and if there's anything I would like them to appreciate would be that I'm here working...this is my work. You're there to see what's in Chris's soul today, and I'm giving you a window to look into today to see what is on me today. No two shows are alike, they're always different and my playing always going to be different...every night. I'm thinking like a jazz musician, I'm playing what I feel that day and what I appreciate is...is...basically let me do my work...let me do my job. I'm not gonna go down there and tell you what to order or how to act...I just want you to appreciate my effort in trying to bring you the best that I can give you.

Murf - I saw you open for Buddy Guy at the Embassy here in Orlando and most people were there to see Buddy Guy and were not familiar with you at all. I heard a lot of comments from the audience when they walked out and you really impressed a lot of people that night.

Duarte - Well that's your job. When you're an opening band, your job is to kick the main band's ass. At least leave an impression. Any bands that open up for me...that's what I want them to do. I want them to kick my ass cause that's supposed to make me go up there and play better. That's what it's all about. My job is to kick the main band's ass.

Murf - Where do you live right now?

Duarte - Houston...I live in Houston.

Murf - You used to live in Austin?

Duarte - I've been living in Houston since mid December.

Murf - Is there a reason that you moved to Houston?

Duarte - There was too many bad influences that were in Austin. It was finally time to say goodbye to all that. My wife and I are not together anymore because we were satisfied to become junkies for the rest of our lives...and now that I've moved to Houston, I've found somebody that is very supportive of me and I'm doing very very well.

Murf - I'm glad but I'm not gonna dwell on that....

Duarte - It doesn't bother me. I have no reason to hide cause I'm a man and I can speak up for my mistakes, and I made a lot of mistakes, and to be clean in the state of Texas now is a wonderful thing cause I wasn't clean in the state of Texas for probably...the last twelve years. I had some sobriety up in New Hampshire but when I got back to Texas...it was still there...the demons were still there. I'm so glad to be...start putting this stuff behind me.

Murf - I know Austin Texas, getting back on the subject of guitar players, it seems that every other guitar player out there, or two of every three, is from Austin Texas. What is it about that area....is it that everybody feeds on everybody else and raises the level of performance higher? The guys that come from Austin Texas doing the type of music that you do are just awesome.

Duarte - I think a lot of it has to do with a lot of musicians around the country, even the really good ones, they tend to gravitate towards Austin cause it has this mystique about being the blues guitarist Mecca. And we have a lot of very fine guitarists from all over the country moving to Austin. And yes the competition level is raised up because you have such a musician pool there. Because you have lots of good players inspired by whatever helps you. Plus it's a good live music town. There's a lot of venues there, there's a lot of places you can get out and practice your craft. And then the good ones will be the ones that learn something there. A lot of the above average cats do get there but they never quite get out of the Austin scene. I know a lot of these guys. They just don't go anywhere but Austin. Me I watched Eric go by when I was 17, seeing Stevie Ray when I was 18, just unbelievable stuff, you know. What you can learn from that and get the better players that are learning from that it's sort of a stepping stone...going up that ladder.

Murf - What fuels the band to maintain such an intense tour schedule? HOW can they make treks from the Midwest to Southwest, almost overnight? Is ALL touring really done "on the road" with no air travel?

Duarte - No...very little air travel. When we started air travel we thought, God we've arrived, but air travel on a plane is just a glorified bus and then when we get to the venue they have the backline and all the time your backline is not your tone. You're not going out there 100% when you don't have your own equipment. The amps are still a very important part of my equipment...it's got my tone. So....ah...we like traveling in the van. The reason is that it's so good is because especially John and I...we're very good at it. This is our work for life, and we feel so lucky that were able to do this and get paid for it...what we enjoy doing. That makes it a lot easier instead of it was a really terrible lounge act or something like that. That would make it real hard. We're not the partying band, we're not this philandering chick chasing band or anything like that cause we know we have to get up the next day and drive hard. We wanna get up on that stage and play hard. We compete against ourselves every night. We're trying to make the people's eyebrows go up and their mouths drop. Were going against ourselves, which is way harder than anybody else can do to us. That's why we go out and try and play...we want to get better and better. We've only got so much time in this life and we want to go out and get better and make a mark with our music.

Murf - I know you guys have gone through a lot of drummers, sort of a Spinal Tapian kind of thing, your new drummer was really impressive last night.

Duarte - Yeah, he's actually come quite a ways. He's only been with us a little over two months and he's come quite a way. He's...Jimmy (Jimmy Way on drums) was a very different drummer, he was doing a lot of electronic music...he still likes his electronic music. He's into electronics and pop bands, and it was real hard to make him get the mentality of this group, which has a large jazz and improvisational background and that's what we use...to arrive at this emotional level...that's what we have in our music. It was hard for him to grasp...and he's still getting used to it but still work to be done with Jimmy. I have a lot of work to do on my own playing. Jimmy just needs to get into the group and swing a little more...we like drummers that swing. He's real impressive on the rock stuff...but it's the emotional stuff that I feel he needs to work on. But Jimmy...what's so important with Jimmy is that he really wants this gig...and that's what is really important. He wants this gig and he wants to be here.

Murf - It seemed like he was really working hard last night.

Duarte - Yes he works really hard.

Murf - The band has a CONSIDERABLE internet following. You have fans literally all over the world. Any chance of a q-and-a forum (like a message board with the band responding) or even an interactive chat now and then? Have you checked out the Chris Duarte Group listserver?

Duarte - Yes I do get on the internet as a matter of fact. I got a computer at home and I know about all the sites...I've seen them all and I know about the fans and I'm very touched by it. It's humbling to know that my music is touched other people all over the world. I'd love to...if somebody wanted to set something up...post some questions...once a week or every three or four days when I'm off the road. I'd love to do it. I don't have a laptop, but I've got mine at home and I'm getting back at typing again so I'd love it...it would give me typing practice.

Murf - I've been on your official site and there's no place to e-mail your official site.

Duarte - I noticed that too and was going to call Craig up.....I do have Craig's e-mail...I'm gonna have to forward that to him and see if we can get a poster board or something like that.

Murf - Is there any interesting background regarding the kilt you sometimes wear?

Duarte - The kilt. I just...man I was thumbing through some musician mag and the old Jonathan toejam or aberneezy or whatever his name was had a kilt on. He had got it from this Scottish royal drum choir and I said....man that looks just so cool. So I had these wrap-around skirts for a while that had the same old red 3-M pattern similar to something tartan. I went to a real place that had kilts where they took your measurements and faxed them over to Scotland and made the kilt in Scotland and sent it back. And they're very expensive, but I think they are very much worth it. I just like the way that looks. The two patterns I have...I have two kilts...an Endinbough tartan and I have a Stuart tartan.

Murf - You have an interest in sports. In a lot of his tapes, you talk about major league baseball and you've done a show in a St. Louis Cardinals baseball uniform. Care to comment on that?

Duarte - (laughing) You know...I love baseball, it's probably what I love the most. I'm just sad that I didn't keep with it and keep all my baseball clothes and stuff...cause I got out of it for a while and didn't start getting into it until just about five, six years ago. I started going to college games at UT...seeing some really fine players come up. And then I started going to major league parks while I was on tour. I went to Fenway when I was in New Hampshire. I've been to Fenway when I was on the road, I've been to Kansas City, I've been to Wrigley a couple times. I just like the tradition that baseball has. I like to go to football games. That's probably what sucked me in first...football when I was a kid. I remember the Washington Senators playing and the Red Sox, a long time ago. Frank Howard was my first baseball hero, a home run hitter. I like all kinds of sports, it's just some sports I'm not too hip to. I'm from Texas and just not into hockey that much. There's a lot of transplanted Texans and naturalized Texans who like hockey. I thought it was just strange that Dallas has a hockey team. Weird...but hey...whatever you know. Basketball...I'm starting to appreciate basketball a little more. It's mainly...I like baseball and I like football. Soccer is ok...it's alright. And I like hunting...I've hunted before. I was a hunter not for trophies...it was for meat. I mean...I shot a deer that fed my family for a winter. That's basically why. I've only shot a couple of deer. It was cause my grandfather owned land and stuff. I'd like to get a sports show going...you know real guys sitting around talking about stuff.

Murf - You and Ted Nugent right?

Duarte - Yeah man...Ted's into that bow hunting...that's cool...I appreciate it. Ted goes out for the trophy kill and stuff which is not what I want to do. Hey...Ted's Ted...what can I say.

Murf - Well that's about all the questions I have, thanks for the interview.

Duarte - Well I just wanted to put in there once again...to thank all my fans...to thank you for spreading the word and keeping with me and supporting me. I really have all the best fans in the world. I mean there's a woman there last night that drove all the way down from Chicago...she's probably seen us in almost every state. And why she likes us is the way the music makes her feel...the emotion that she likes, and I think that's why we have so many dedicated fans. The experience they get from our music.

Murf - I know last night there was people from Tampa, St Pete, Melbourne, and points north and south.

Duarte - I know...a guy from Georgia was there talking to me and I'm just really humbled that I have fans like that...that I can touch them like that...it's really the biggest compliment to me that they can make.

Murf Murphy Murf is a registered professional engineer....(i.e. haircut and a real job) who loves to play guitar. Vist Murf's home page. He lives with (1) wife who wishes he would grow up, (1) teenager who wonders how his parents got to this point in their lives without his help, (2) dogs who sleep a lot, (1) ferret who attacks when not looking and (1) cat who is basically useless. Other Articles I've Written