The Hacienda Brothers is an American
alternative country band composed of
Chris Gaffney,
Dave Gonzalez, Dave Berzansky, Dale Daniel, and Hank Maninger. They have been described as "the finest
country rock band since the
Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...
in their prime,"
[ Hal Horowitz's review of Music for Ranch & Town/ref> and were called "the best country band of the decade."]soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
, blues, rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...
, country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
, Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...
and rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
. They themselves call it "western Soul."Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
"
History
The Hacienda Brothers began in 2002 when friends Chris Gaffney and Dave Gonzalez played together during a planned jam session at the 40th birthday party of their mutual friend Jeb Schoonover.[ Gaffney was a successful singer and songwriter who had released several albums with the band the Cold Hard Facts and had toured with ]Dave Alvin
David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band the Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s a ...
.Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, to write and record their first album.[
Calling themselves the Hacienda Brothers, they were joined by Dave Berzansky (]pedal steel
The pedal steel guitar is a console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all steel guitars, it can ...
), Hank Maninger ( bass, also with the Aqua Velvets Aqua Velvets are an American surf rock revival band from San Francisco, California, formed in the 1980s by guitarist Miles Corbin. Rather than simply recreate the vintage 1963 surf sound, Corbin set out to add depth and dimension with original song ...
), and Dale Daniel (drums). Their self-titled debut (2005) was produced by the legendary Dan Penn
Dan Penn (born Wallace Daniel Pennington, November 16, 1941) is an American songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, who co-wrote many soul hits of the 1960s, including " The Dark End of the Street" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" w ...
, who also wrote two tracks.[ ''Hacienda Brothers'' on Allmusic.com/ref> The album was praised widely; '']Vintage Guitar
A vintage guitar is an older guitar usually sought after and maintained by avid collectors or musicians. The term may indicate either that an instrument is merely old, or that is sought after for its tonal quality, cosmetic appearance, or hist ...
'' called it "a great CD." ''What's Wrong with Right'', also produced by Penn, was released the following year and garnered critical accolades. Bob Mehr, writing for ''Mojo Magazine
''Mojo'' is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer. Following the success of the magazine '' Q'', publishers Emap were looking for a title that would cater for the bur ...
'', praised its "authentic sawdust-floor shuffles" and "cinematic Morricone twang."[
Their self-titled debut album appeared in 2005, and quickly the band received critical recognition for their eclectic music. Their second album, ''What's Wrong With Right'', was chosen by the alternative country magazine '' No Depression'' as one of the top 60 albums for 2006][See the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of '' No Depression''.] and by '' R&R'' as one of the top 100 Albums of 2006. Band leaders Gaffney and Gonzalez were interviewed by Terry Gross
Terry Gross (born February 14, 1951) is an American journalist who is the host and co-executive producer of '' Fresh Air'', an interview-based radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed nationally by NPR. Since joining N ...
on NPR's ''Fresh Air
''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to ...
'';Guitar Player Magazine
''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print s ...
''.[ and did so in 2008; on at least one occasion they were joined by Dave Alvin as a special guest. In 2009, a tribute album to Gaffney was released, ''A Man of Somebody's Dreams: A Tribute to the Songs of Chris Gaffney'', which included songs played by fellow Hacienda Brothers as well as others.]
Song choice
Their range of musical taste is evident in their choice of material. In addition to many originals, they have recorded Johnny Cash's "Home of the Blues," "Cry Like a Baby
"Cry Like a Baby" is a 1968 song written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, and performed by The Box Tops. The song reached #2 in April 1968 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. It was kept out of the top spot by B ...
" (originally by the Box Tops), Gamble and Huff's "Cowboys to Girls" (recorded by The Intruders and the Commodores
Commodores are an American funk and soul band, which were at their peak in the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in ...
), Charlie Rich's "Rebound" and "Life's Little Ups and Downs," Penn and Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...
's "It Tears Me Up" (also recorded by Percy Sledge
Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song " When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 196 ...
), and "Mental Revenge" (a song written for Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music.
Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...
by Mel Tillis
Lonnie Melvin Tillis (August 8, 1932 – November 19, 2017) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, ...
).
Band members
* Chris Gaffney - vocal and accordion
* Dave Gonzalez - vocal and guitar
*Dave Berzansky - pedal steel guitar
*Dale Daniel - drums
*Hank Maninger - bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
Discography
*2005 - ''Hacienda Brothers''
*2006 - ''What's Wrong with Right''
*2007 - ''Music for Ranch & Town (Live)''
*2008 - ''Arizona Motel''
References
External links
Official WebsiteMySpace Page
{{Authority control
American alternative country groups
Rockabilly music groups
Musical groups from Tucson, Arizona
American country rock groups
Musical groups from California
Musical groups established in 2002
2002 establishments in the United States
Proper Records artists