Artist:     The Texas Horns

Album:     Get Here Quick

Label:     Severn

Release Date:     5.24.2019

86

BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

This seems to be the year for strong blues albums that feature multiple guests. The latest entry in this mode is The Texas Horns, a trio which has graced hundreds of records and now take the spotlight with a group of original tunes that they wrote, except two from Gary Nicholson. Get Here Quick provides an opportunity to feature renowned vocalists and guitarists and this lineup represents an all-star cast. This is essentially a follow-up to their 2015 Vizztone Blues Gotta Holda Me.”

Leader Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff (tenor sax) has been on the scene since the heyday of Black Top Records in the ’80s and he taps some of his friends from those days here. His partners are John Mills (baritone sax) and Al Gomez (trumpet), and you’ll find The Texas Horns on many blues and soul records emanating from Louisiana and Texas. Kazanoff is also a major producer. This is a contemporary statement, half vocals/half instrumentals in blues, soul, and roots music.

Aside from the horns, the rest of the lineups differ for each track, but the liner notes provide the information. Vocalist Curtis Salgado provides his distinctive soul on Mills’ R&B tune “Sundown Talkin’” with Johnny Moeller from The Fabulous Thunderbirds on guitar. John Nemeth croons soul on Kaz’s ballad “Love Is Gone,” a perfect vehicle for Nemeth’s vocal style. Gary Nicholson, of course, sings on his two originals, “Soulshine” featuring guitarist Anson Funderburgh in his clean Texas style, and the Allman Brothers-like “Fix Your Face,” featuring Ronnie Earl in tasteful form and Kaz in a wild tenor solo. That’s just a portion of the luminaries on hand.

Kazanoff composed five tunes, Mills has four and Gomez has one. The key instrumental tracks are Gomez’s NOLA infused “2018,” and Kaz’s title track, both of which feature Moeller on guitar; and Mills’ closer, “Truckload of Trouble” with Ronnie Earl on lead guitar.

Invariably Austin players would be invited to this party and so we have on the opening track “Guitar Town,” penned by Mills, Guy Forsyth on vocals and Carolyn Wonderland on guitar. Wonderland follows with both lead vocal and guitar on Kaz’s raucous “I’m Doin’ Alright, At Least for Tonight,” with terrific soloing from Gomez. Joining them on various tracks are keyboardists Red Young and Nick Connolly. Besides Moeller, we have Denny Freeman, Jon Del Toro Richardson, and Derek O’Brien on guitars. Chris Maresh and Russell Jackson (B.B. King Band) share bass as Tommy Taylor and John Bryant share drums. Counting the horns, 20 musicians participate in this project. The 2015 album was even more Austin-centric with Marcia Ball, WC Clark, Johnny Nicholas and returning guests Funderburgh and Connolly.

You can count on these veterans to deliver outstanding music. This is one hellacious blowing session. Also, Severn does not put out that many records in any given year, aiming for quality. As a friend of mine often says, “It always sounds better with horns.” For those of you in that camp, this one’s for you.

—Jim Hynes