Roy Trevino reviewed by Rick Davis

Roy Trevino

Roy Trevino

Troubadour Records

http://roy-trevino.com

10 Tracks

Roy Trevino, the new Texas based blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, has just released his first self-titled album produced by Grammy winning producer Jim Gaines. Just starting, Trevino cites musical influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to Santana. His career started at a very young age in South Texas playing electric guitar. He studied with one of the best, Ronnie Earl, before forming the band Kingpin. Recording two albums they toured with bands like Three Dog Night, Marcia Ball, and Chicano bluesman Randy Garibay. Lazy Lester would use his band when he would come to perform in Texas. They recorded two albums and toured with the groups Three Dog Night, Marcia Ball, and Chicano bluesman Randy Garibay. After learning his trade and establishing himself as an electric guitar celebrity, he began his career as a solo artist.

While playing with Kingpin, Trevino had the opportunity to work with harmonica player Tim Gonzalez who suggested he contact Jim Gaines producer for artists like Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Luther Allison to name just a few, to produce his self-titled album. He sent Gaines some music and Gaines agreed to produce the album. Trevino has written all the material with the exception of  Bob Marley’s "Lively Up Yourself." He is joined by musicians J.J. Johnson on drums, bassist Chris Maresh, and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist David Boyle. From the opening blues/gospel tune "Gloria," be prepared for a musical experience! You will find it difficult to continue past the guitar masterpiece "The Boy Can Play." Combine Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, and Pete Haycock and you have the explosive guitar style of Roy Trevino. This song is a tribute to all who inspired Trevino to play the blues like legends Robert Johnson, Son House, B.B. King, Clapton, Beck, Page, Green, Gibbons, Winter and the Vaughan Brothers. He tears into "Hurricanes" with some incredible slide guitar solos much like Australian blues artist Dave Hole. Trevino shifts gears with songs heavily influenced by his Latin and Mexican roots with "Sin Ella" and the romantic tune "La Luna." The only instrumental, "Trinidad," and the other two Latin tunes could be pages right out of the Carlos Santana songbook with Roy's guitar solos and vocals unequaled. He combines his blistering guitar solos and a funky reggae sound on the only cover song "Lively Up Yourself." "Going Away" revolves around a soldier leaving for war. Travino laments about a relationship in "Going Away" as he cries out  "things don't have to be this way." He concludes the CD with the song "Little Girl" who is but a distant memory in his mind, saturated with haunting guitar solos.

Roy Trevino has written and performed a monumental creative artist achievement with this his new self-titled album. It is the type of CD you simply can't stop playing!