RICH MINUS

 

TEXAN GENTLEMAN

There is on the Austin's scene a character at least as typical as Calvin RUSSELL. Since forever, RICH MINUS is a well-known person in the whole city, but also in its suburbs. However, no-one knows where he really comes from and what he did during all these years (more or less 50 years...). We only know that he was born in San Antonio, known as a real brillant student in his early years. But today, everybody knows that RICH MINUS sings, plays guitar, and writes fuckin' good songs. It's not hazard if the TEXAS TORNADOS played a cover of his "Laredo Rose" and Calvin RUSSELL himself played two MINUS'songs ("Last Night" and the furious "Rockin' The Republicans" on the "Songs From The Fourth World" LP). After recording a few tracks on some weird compilation (cf "Austin Music Series"), we find back the great RICH MINUS's songwriting talent on his first album "COLLECTION", with the band of his old pal, M. RUSSELL, and also Charlie SEXTON as special guest. After his first masterpiece, RICH MINUS released his second opus : "BORDELINE BLUES", a collection of 12 "roots" songs. We found there all his good fellows, like Ernesto saldara DURAWA (drums), Kenny GRIMES (electric guitar) and Speedy SPARKS (bass). RICH released his third album (called "III") in 1994... A wonderful disc scintillating as a solitary, dusty texan road leading to nowhere. Magnificient. In 1996, RICH recorded "(STILL ALIVE IN) TEXAS", a collection of 10 brilliant songs (including a sweet and nonchalant cover of Ritchie Valens' LA BAMBA !). These tracks of a burning sociological sharpness are also little musical scripts... Today the man remains one of our Texan greatest living songwriters. Listen to "TEXAN GENTLEMAN", a "Best Of"/compilation of material recorded by RICH between 1992-2002 ! This disc features four brand new songs... and a total of 10 years of rock-blues and talent. Your soul will melt and your heart will smile ! RICH's a real storyteller... And a great musician who knows how to get old with an irresistible touch of class !!! Anyone wanting to know where to start in the appreciation of the country/rock-blues style this release is a must!

RICH MINUS BY CALVIN RUSSELL He was one of those guys you get to know little by little. He was just therein Austin one night hanging around all the good bars, and like the guy whocame out of the desert in "PARIS TEXAS" you just put your own story together.I could have asked right out but it would have spoiled it for me. I heardthat he'd been a professor or something in San Antonio. I know he came from San Antonio because BURT MOORE drove him there last summer to see his folks and to take in a junta Festival. RICH's momma wanted him and Burt to stay for supper so she gave RICH twenty dollars to go get tamales. RICH had Burt drive him to the bar down the road and they drank up almost all the twenty while playin' songs with an old fellow who had had a hit on Texas juke boxes back in the late 40's. They ended up taking back a half dozen tamales (feeds about 1, 1/2 persons). RICH's old momma just shook her head! Last year, just before we started "Sounds From 4th World", I lived in a rooming house with somewhere between six and ten people. (We never knew how many actually lived on the two couches in the living room). Steve WHITE (Crossroads) was one of them and another was RICH MINUS. A lot of nights music was made in that old house. That's when I really put the story together. He's a guy who lives, maybe a little too hard ! I'm sure he has devil's he tryin to drownd, but when it comes to writing he goes at with seriousness. He crafts, carves and then polishes. A unique talent, in my opinion, of a typically south Texas flavor. So Long. Calvin

texan gentleman

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