by guest blogger Luis Zapata
I met
Manuel in a jukebox at Cafe Hernandez 15 years ago. I played a song and it was this huge
orchestration with probably 12 horns (his arrangements) backing up his
beautiful voice in a ‘50s bolero - the ones you only hear in cantinas and
dives. I asked Leon Hernandez if he was still alive. He said yes - he eats
lunch on Sundays at my restaurant with his family after church. That's how I
met him in person and invited him to record at the defunct Lone Star studios.
His album got a few cover magazines and the Austin Chronicle and re-established
his career.
During
our long friendship, a guitar player myself, have asked him many times to teach
me how to play Latin acoustic guitar in the style of his favorite trios such as
Los Panchos, Trio Latino, Los Tres Aces. Because , though a highly regarded
orchestra arranger and director (buzz is he had 16 horns at some performances
back in the day), his love is the honesty of bare guitars and straight to the
heart romantic declamation. And he is a Master at it.
Over 10 years
later, Manuel comes up with a new release - "The Brown Recluse
Sessions" - recorded at Michael Ramos’ studio. A collection of songs that
you can imagine songs he and his friends would take in serenade to pretty girls
a many in the ‘50s and ‘60s in the barrio.
Perfidia,
Me voy pal pueblo, Maria Isabel, Sin ti, El reloj. They say there is no perfect
music. Well, this is as perfect as it gets. As romantic, as sincere, as pure,
as straight, as real as it gets. This will certainly spin in the air at my next
date.
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