Texas Tornados,
Live from Austin TX

CD DVD

Label: New West Records

(3½ out of 5)

The supergroup Texas Tornados was less than a year old when it recorded its Austin City Limits debut in October 1990. It's hard to fathom the band's relative newness when you watch Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez, and Augie Meyers seamlessly shift from tejano to rockabilly to blues to rock and beyond on the newly released Live from Austin TX.

The combo finds its groove early with the soon-to-be-Grammy®-winning "Soy de San Luis," and it never loses the momentum throughout the 75-minute set, only a small portion of which appeared on the original 1991 airdate (co-billed with McBride & the Ride).

The set captures the Texas Tornados at the onset of their brief but brilliant ride.

Jimenez, part of a regionally famed musical family, was just beginning to rise in the national consciousness when the Texas Tornados formed. But for Sahm, Fender, and Meyers the group represented a thrilling return to the elusive spotlight.

The energy and gratitude is palpable, especially as the band moves into career-spanning "greatest hits" numbers like "Mendocino," "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," "Before the Next Teardrop Falls, " "She's About a Mover," and even ? and the Mysterians' "96 Tears."

Live from Austin TX is essential viewing for fans of the Texas Tornados, Sir Douglas Quintet, the solo work of Sahm, Fender, Meyers, or Jimenez — and anyone interested in exploring the possibilities when artists fuse Texas's multifaceted musical traditions.

November 10, 2005