Texas Tornados- Live from Austin, TX
As the ebullient ringleader of this all-star Lone Star quartet,Doug Sahmtells this 1990Austin City Limitscrowd that "it's rock and roll conjunto time!" Such a description barely hints at the raucous vitality of the band's bilingual, Tex-Mex border music. The set (also available on DVD) findsFreddy Fenderresurrecting his country smashes "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," while the tremulous vocals of some of his earlier, regional hits suggest that he is to Tejano music whatAaron Nevilleis to New Orleans soul. Conjunto accordion kingpinFlaco Jimenezprovides rollicking instrumental accents throughout, while singing with Fender on some of the Spanish-language material. From the rock and roll side, Sahm and keyboardistAugie Meyersreprise their hits from theSir Douglas Quintet's 1960s heyday, with "She's About a Mover" and "Mendocino" steeped in the same musical roots they share with Fender and Jimenez. Such raucous, festive interplay plainly enjoys a home-field advantage in Austin, where the performance finds the foursome hailed as conquering heroes. (The release serves as a memorial to Sahm, who died in 1999 and to whom the album is dedicated.)--Don McLeese