Doug Sahm and Band

Doug Sahm is one of the great figures in 20th century American music, which isn't quite the same thing as saying he's one of the best-known musicians. Guitarist, composer, arranger, and songwriter Doug Sahm was a knowledgeable music historian and veteran performer equally comfortable in a range of styles, including Texas blues, country, rock & roll, Western swing, and Cajun. That being said, he is one of the most important people I think of when I hear good old fashion Texas Blues. Sure ZZ Top made it widely available to the masses, but Doug made it from his mix of the music that was described.

I think what got me started on liking his music was a neighbor who loved anything that had a Texas musical influence. He would play stuff from artists such as Asleep at the Wheel, Jimmy Vaughn, Willie Nelson, and Los Lobos. All these artists had a deep respect for Doug Sahm and would always put him at the top of any list. He was a prodigy at age five when he made his debut on the radio. He even played with Hank Williams at the age of eleven. He could play guitar, mandolin, and violin. Even Bob Dylan sighted him as an important influence.



One musician stood out when I talked to my neighbor about music and that man was Doug Sahm. I never took much in account on what he was saying half the time because my neighbor was a heavy drinker. He would regale me in how cool San Antonio was for music. I did not doubt him, but every time he talked about the music scene he got bitter that he was not there to enjoy or see it ever again.

Doug Sahm started the Sir Douglas Quartet in 1965. A band that my neighbor mentioned to me. He told me that even though he was to young to know about them he would hear them from his fathers record player. One day my neighbor and I went to some tag sales. I found some Sir Douglas and told him to pick it up. He did and we got it home we put it on the stereo and blast out the speakers. He really enjoyed it, you could see it in his eyes. When my neighbor moved away he handed me the records that we picked up and told me to enjoy and keep Texas music alive. That was the last I ever saw of him.



Unlike the huge popularity of Townes Van Zandt who was also a Texas native, I remember how much great joy Doug Sahm's music brought to my neighbor. Townes will be featured in another blog not because I need to know about him, on the contrary he has a body of work worthy anybody that is awesome, but with Townes he is a wonderful storyteller and trying to find a gem in his stuff is hard, because all his stuff is amazing. Doug's stuff is a small body of work and each is wonderful in it's own way.

With all that being said I recommend the first album after the Sir Douglas Quintet broke up I would suggest this one. The first album simply titled Doug Sahm and Band. It has a virtual who's who on it. There is Bob Dylan like you have never heard him before. Dr. John playing the wonderful keyboards, David "Fathead" Newman on horns, David Bromberg, and Tex Mex king who I am sure Doug was influenced by Flaco Jimenez and a few Douglas Quintet friends and you have a makings of a great album.

If you want to hear something really not really new, but quite influential I suggest this album right here. This group cut a lot of material, which was whittled down to the 12-track album Doug Sahm and Band, released in early 1973. At the time, the record received a push from the label and was generally disparaged because of those very all-stars on whose back it was sold, but the years have been kind indeed to the album, and it stands among Sahm's best . If you look at the photo below there are some famous people here. The man in the sunglasses is Willie Nelson and the man in the cowboy hat is Doug and the other man in the glasses is none other then Jerry Wexler who if you don't know is the man who brought Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Drifters, and Wilson Pickett just to name a few to importance in the fifties and sixties. Let Doug be your guide. Enjoy! If it was not for Doug I am not sure what we would have in this world.