Laura Chavez – My Voice
Ruf Records
10 Tracks – 39 minutes
First thing to note is that this is solely an instrumental album focused on the powerful guitar of Laura Chavez. Although titled My Voice, in the liner notes she establishes that she lets her guitar do the talking. To answer the question of why she does not sing, she responds “Long before I thought about it, the guitar is my most effective way of communicating things I was not able to communicate, with words or otherwise.” Concerned that people might not want to hear an entire album solely of guitar solos. “I had to find a way, with my guitar as the primary voice to communicate the same things my favorite singers were able to communicate through true songs with hooks, melodies, and most importantly, my own voice and personality.”
Laura was born in Mountain View, California. She grew up listening to her older brother play Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. That prompted her at age six to ask her mother for guitar lessons, but she did not like the teacher and her mother canceled the lessons. She restarted lessons in her teen years and at 18 she became the house guitarist at a club jam. There she met Lara Price. They became friends and Laura toured with her for eight years, playing at the International Blues Challenge, recording two group albums, and an acoustic duo album. In 2008, she became the guitarist for Candye Kane, which led to numerous recordings. Following Candye’s death, Laura played with many different performers including Deborah Coleman, The Manish Boys, Mike Ledbetter, Monster Mike Welch and many others. She currently tours regularly with Vanessa Collier. All leading to this, her first solo album, which certainly proves her guitar speaks well for her.
Laura is joined by Lea Worms on organ and piano, Tomek Germann on bass, Marty Dodson on drums, and Andrea Econom on percussion. Denis Palatin guests on drums on tracks 4 and 9.
She opens the album with her rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou”, which she dedicates to her father whom she says constantly played the CCR tape in the car. She says she played the song up-tempo and driving unlike CCR’s version but maintains the melody. The funky “Mind Your Step” is the first of five originals on the album. On top of quality guitar, Lea’s piano is also a standout. “Shot-Zee” also features Lea’s organ as Laura rips through the jazzy song.
“Wanderer” is a quiet, bluesy song that will have you swinging along that suddenly builds to a flurry. She explains in the liner notes that “El Cascabel” is a traditional Mexican mariachi song that she twists into a powerful guitar-oriented song. She says it gives her focus to her Mexican roots as her father is a first generation Mexican American, and says she draws from bands like Los Lobos who reimagine songs from their roots into a modernization of their own sound. “So Long Baby, Goodbye” was written by Dave Alvin for The Blasters. The upbeat song with Lea’s organ again sailing along Laura’s screaming guitar is an all-out rocker.
Steve Croppers’ “Chinese Checkers” was first performed by Booker T and The MGs. She says she thought it would be fun to turn Booker T’s piano parts into the guitar lead and let the piano take a different role than the original version. “Mamba Negra” has a feel of some old surf guitar songs with a few Spanish licks sliding in. Laura then takes a bouncy stroll down “Napa Street”. She concludes the album with her own arrangements of a traditional Mexican song “La Llorona”, which she turns into a “slow blues in the style of Peter Green”.
Laura’s commitment to the guitar serves her well and she thoroughly communicates her feelings with her strings. She is well supported by a talented back-up band with Lea demonstrating an equal importance in all the songs and Marty and Denis’ drums equally adding to the drive. This album is for all guitar lovers, particularly if you are inclined to hear experienced, masterful playing.
