There is hope, in the future of music and as an art form, especially when there are record labels willing to invest on albums of a certain quality that, either for budgetarian reasons or for contractual ones, they would never see the light of the day otherwise.
It is therefore a true blessing that the American label Quarto Valley Records has strongly believed on a Blues and Rock record that celebrates the trademark sound of such a pivotal state for American Music like Texas, an album that was initially recorded back in 2009 and, rather incomprehensibly, no record label had decided to pick up and release, up until now.
The name of the record is, effectively, also the name of the amazing Supergroup behind it, called Texas Scratch, a collective that includes three of some of Texas' most talented guitarists, Jim Suhler (George Thorogood & The Destroyers), Vince Converse (Vince Converse and Big Brother) and Buddy Whittington (John Mayall).
Supported by a first class Rhythm Section made by Nathaniel Peterson (Savoy Brown) on bass guitar and Jeff Simon (George Thorogood & The Destroyers) on drums, Texas Scratch came about as a project that aimed to emphasize the historical impact that the state of Texas has made on the growth of Rock, Blues and Blues/Rock, a growth that keeps on giving still now and with remarkable results.
The Texas Scratch collective has duly fulfilled the idea behind the record, by penning seven originals plus adding to them two covers, in a musical project that navigates, sound wise, between the unmistakable sound of worldwide renowned artists like ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Edgar Winter, Freddie King and Johnny Winter, with rather exquisite results.
The way that the three guitarists fused together their musicianship is so perfectly organic that, in many points of the album, it sounds like they have been playing together for a very long time.
From the 70's thunderous Blues/Rock of the opening tune of the album called Texas Trio, going through the irresistible foot-stomping uptempo of a track like Trip Hammer, right to a more Southern Rock vibe emerging from another splendid tune like Purple Mountain Flask, the Texas Scratch collective never misses a beat, offering a complete catalogue of the traditional Lonestar State typical sound in truly great fashion, by also incorporating, here and there on the record, extra layers of Funk, Soul, R&B and even Jazz, as beautifully showcased in the album's closing track called Showdown.
Texas Scratch is a record made of music history and high quality entertainment and represents also the perfect gift for any music lover, may such lover be a true connoisseur or, more simply, somebody that is approaching for the first time the signature Texas Blues/Rock sound of the last half a century. Kudos to Quarto Valley Records for bringing justice to such a gem of a record, by allowing it to be heard all over the world and, we are sure, to be much loved by those that really love Music in the most complete sense of the word.
Texas Scratch is out now and it is available to be purchased via Quarto Valley Records
