Some forty years ago, a new term was coined in the world of Rock music and the "super-group" came into existence. This term was applied to Bands such as Cream and Supertramp, where several already highly popular artists had come together to form a new band. For some reason, the term never crossed over into other genres. If the term had crossed over to Rockabilly or Country music, then surely Texas Tornados must be considered a super-group. The epitome of the Tex-Mex sound, Texas Tornados brings together four Texas superstars: Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers, founders of rocking Texas band Sir Douglas Quintet; Freddie Fender, singer of romantic Tex-Mex R & B; and Flaco Jimenez, who managed to meld Mexican, Cajun, and European polka sounds into something new and unique.
Growing up in Alberta in mid-century, I heard a wide variety of musical genres on the radio. In a pioneer society where many of us were new arrivals from Poland, the Ukraine, and other areas of Eastern Europe, much of the popular music on the radio was polkas performed by stars like Gaby Hawes, Frankie Yankovic, and the Six Fat Dutchmen. With much of the population being of Scots-Irish and French descent, we also heard old timey reels, scottishes, jigs, and even Cajun music. Into the mix came American and British pop music, Country & Western hits, Jazz, Blues, and even the occasional Rock & Roll song. This Texas Tornados concert is just like that, a wonderful stew of musical genres, often blended into one variegated song.
Although there is a certain unity to the nineteen songs in this set, as each artist adds to and enhances the sound of the others, the distinctive styles of the four can clearly be heard throughout. This, more than anything, may be what contributes to the feeling of a radio broadcast back when stations didn't mind playing a mix of genres on the same program.
Establishing both the collaborative nature of this Tejano band and a Tex-Mex ambience, the set opens with an ensemble performance of "Soy de San Luis" featuring vocals in Spanish and English by Jiminez, Fender, and Sahm along with the unique sound of Jiminez' button accordion. Jiminez brings his polka sound to the forefront in "Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio" but brings a very Mexican sound to "Cancion Mixtega." Throughout the set, his accordion can be heard rocking behind Sahm, adding a romantic bed to Fender's vocals, and enhancing Meyers' Tex-Mex songs.
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