This stunning debut album by a husband and wife team is a tribute to both their families who gave them the background and support in music and the very fine musicians that they have played with and supported them through their careers. This is the roots music of the Mexican border country. It is a blending and melding of the music of both countries that both remains true to both heritages while creating something that is new and exciting. Both grew up with strong musical backgrounds and first came together when Joel Guzman, known as El Pequeno Gigante (The Little Giant), was playing accordion with Little Joe y la Familia, and
Little Joe used to call Sarah Fox up on stage to sing. They both worked for
Steve Berlin, the
Los Lobos musician, on the Grammy-winning
Los Super Seven disc. Guzman held down most of the accordion playing and doing back-up vocals, while Fox provided back-up vocals. This disc has six of the 11 tunes as originals, one contributed by
Joe Ely on which he duets with Fox on lead vocals. The highlights are too many to list, but two standout tracks are the very powerful "Padre Prays for Rain," on which Guzman sings lead, and the fervent and spell binding "Sueno Del Rio," in which the passionate vocals blend so well with the guitar, accordion, and percussion that the listener is held waiting for more. Both are stunning blends of interweaving of the best of both American and Mexican folk music. This is one stunning example of a fusion disc that blends all the roots that are so interwoven along the border. This is a disc that for the shear musicianship alone should not be missed. ~ Bob Gottlieb