Springtime in Texas is tornado season, but you better get ready: we are now in Texas Tornado season. Yes, the legendary Texas Tornados are back, with a new album and mucho appearances around the Lone Star state (including at SXSW). ¡Esta Bueno! is the new album, featuring original Texas Tornados Augie Meyer and Flaco Jiménez and Shawn Sahm, son of the late great Doug Sahm.
The original Texas Tornados were, of course, the Tex-Mex supergroup formed in 1989 by legendary musician Doug Sahm, singer Freddy Fender, keyboardist Augie Meyer and the great norteño accordionist Flaco Jiménez. Sahm died in 1999 and Fender passed in 2006, so when the two great voices of the Tornados left the planet, nobody thought a reunion was possible.
Nobody, except for Sahm’s son Shawn, who looks and sounds an awful lot like his dad. He always says, “the Sahm family makes music – that is what we do,” and to honor the fallen Tornados Shawn Sahm instigated the reunion of the surviving Tornados for this new record. And what a great album it is – ¡Esta Bueno! is not only a great party album, it’s a moving tribute to the late Sahm and Fender.
“Who’s To Blame, Señorita,” the joyous rocker that kicks off the album, not only manages to recreate the Texas Tornados sound, but also reminds us that the roots of that great sound were planted in the Sir Douglas Quintet. Written by Shawn and his dad, the song demonstrates happily that the apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. “If I Could Only” resurrects Freddy Fender – literally – he sings on one of the last songs he ever wrote. Fender reappears on “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like I Like,” and “Ahora Yo Voy,” as well as the countrified “Another Shot of Ambition.”