| B i o g r a p h y |
Chris Duarte
(born February 16, 1963) is an American guitarist, singer, and
songwriter. Duarte plays a style of Texas blues-rock that draws on
elements of jazz, blues, and rock and roll.
Duarte was born in San Antonio, Texas, and was first inspired by music
at age 8 after seeing Fiddler On The Roof on television. Duarte first
began playing on his brother's guitar and then obtained his own electric
guitar at the age of 14. In 1979, Duarte moved to Austin, Texas, and
purchased a 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitar for $500 and began exploring
various genres including the jazz music of John Coltrane and Miles
Davis.
Duarte won a label recording contract with Silvertone Records and
released Texas Sugar/Strat Magik in 1994, and was named "Best New
Talent" in Guitar Player's 1995 Reader's Poll.[citation needed] He
finished fourth in the magazine's "Best Blues Guitarist" category behind
Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and B.B. King.
Though Duarte has played a limited number of US dates in recent years
with the Japanese band, Bluestone Company, backing him, he performs
primarily as a power trio billed as the Chris Duarte Group. Originally
formed with long-time friends and collaborators, John Jordan on bass and
Jeff Hodges on drums, the current incarnation features Dustin Sargent
on bass and John McKnight on drums.
Apart from his band, Duarte has performed with Julie Burrell, Diana
Cantu, Bobby Mack, Tracy Conover, Indigenous, and Omar & the
Howlers.
Duarte's concert dates in Asheville, North Carolina; Charlotte, North
Carolina; and Greenville, South Carolina; were filmed for the PBS
television show, The PBS Project, and featured Steve Bailey on bass and
Jeff Sipe on drums.