BBQ, BREWS AND BLUES with Chris Duarte, Mike Morgan & Shawn Pittman, Ruben V, Bobby Mack,& Beth Lee

Chris Duarte

To classify Chris Duarte simply as a Blues Man is an understatement.  In his own words, “rockin’ blues” or ”punk blues” describes him best.  “Ferocious blues” also fits.  Legend has it that Chris will play so hard that his fingers bleed in a set.  The legend is true.  Photos attest. Chris Duarte is a road warrior playing more than 150 dates a year.  As well, Chris has headlined major festivals and clubs throughout the US, Canada and Europe. Chris is a savant, a sorcerer of tone, a master at channeling the spirits and sounds of great musicians of our past, while remaining completely recognizable in his own sound.  He has shared his stage with many of the greatest musicians of our time as well as the multitude of “young lions” and local musicians he meets on the road.  From his many years as a side man in Austin, he easily changes roles from front to side, graciously allowing all to share the conversation of the jam. Chris Duarte’s music is ever changing.  In many interviews, he has said “Music must evolve.”  His own early offerings often become magical journeys into changing tempo and jazzy interludes before returning to their core.  With such a vast catalog of recordings, there are no two shows alike.  Every set list is different, and each song may be offered distinctly, based on the feel of a show and the audience.  For those reasons, loyal fans often return to a Chris Duarte show again and again, and always walk away awed and satisfied to have witnessed such a legendary, but humble guitarist.

Shawn Pittman

Shawn Pittman grew up with music all around him.  His grandmother loved to play the boogie-woogie piano at family gatherings.  Shawn's mother must have seen something in him before he discovered what would be his life's passion, his mother signed him up to take piano lessons at a young age. It wasn't long until young Shawn was sneaking into his older brother's room to play on his drum kit.  By age fourteen, Shawn had a guitar in his hands.  His discovery of Lightin Hopkins and Muddy Waters set the stage for Shawn's musical journey. 

                                                                                                                                                                   He was born into his native roots of the Choctaw nation in Talihina, Oklahoma.  Pittman later found his musical roots in Texas Blues when he moved to the state at the age of seventeen to attend the Booker T. Washington High School of the Performing Arts in Dallas. He expanded his music education courtesy of his uncle who would take him to local jams around town.  This is how Shawn first met and learned from musicians like Hashbrown, Sam Myers, Mike Morgan, Jim Suhler, Tutu Jones, and many others.

                                                                                                                                                                  Pittman recorded his first album in 1996. That album, Burnin' Up, was released on Cannonball Records the following year.  Throughout his career, Shawn has released 15 albums of original songs and a few covers featuring some of his favorite influences.  As a songwriter and performer, Shawn is constantly composing and releasing new material.

Shawn begin his musical journey sharing the stage with local musicians in Dallas nightclubs and graduating to touring in the U.S and Europe. He has shared the stage with people such as Sugar Ray Rayford, Shamekia Copeland, Susan Tedeschi, Hubert Sumlin, Joe Louis Walker, Kim Wilson, James Cotton, Pine Top Perkins, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Kidd Ramos, Kirk Fletcher, Lou Ann Barton, Tab Benoit, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and many others.

When asked who his favorite person to open for, Pittman replied, "It was awesome opening for B.B. King, it was a dream come true".  Shawn went on to share, "The weeks before opening for B.B. I thought about what question I would ask him, if I got the chance. Well I did get that change, so I asked him his secret for longevity."  B.B. King answered Shawn by saying, "Treat people how you want to be treated, and remember everybody has a boss."

In Spring 2022, Pittman toured Europe with Anson Funderburgh and Mike Morgan as part of the Texas Blues Guitar Summit. The power group continues to perform shows in the U.S. and abroad.

Shawn's latest album “Hard Road,” was released in Fall of 2022. It was recorded as a live in-studio album in Austin, Texas with his current touring trio. The album and live show present a unique sound of a traditional trio mingled with the unexpected two guitar and drums presentation on selected tracks.  Don't worry this isn't a three-piece band asking for more depth; this is a trio demanding a double take.  Shawn's fiery guitar solos and soulful vocals are backed by the intense groove of vintage bass and drums.  This house-rockin' trio leaves audiences mesmerized and wanting more. 

Mike Morgan

In 2000, Texas Man, Mike's first vocal outing was released on Severn Records. Texas Man met rave reviews and was followed up in 2004 by Live in Dallas.  Stronger Every Day was released by Seven Records in 2007 and had guest appearances by Lee McBee and Randy McAllister. Mike did not tour much after 2006. While he still played local gigs and a few scattered tour appearances, he spent most of his time with his other love, motorcycles.  As the sales manager of a Mesquite, TX-based motorcycle dealership, he was not able to tour often, but always found time to play and jam around DFW.  "Basically I didn't write any new songs between 2007 and 2018," says Morgan.  "I just quit writing and I got into that work slump.  I came home from work, turned on the TV, had dinner, maybe a drink, and went to bed.  The difference was I got to sleep in my own bed every night and I got paid every day I worked.  I didn't have to cold call bars in far-flung places, no booking hotel rooms, and no rushing around the country trying to get to gigs on time.  In comparison, a regular day job was almost a vacation. "When that shop closed, Mike once again felt the draw of the music business.  He landed a new job at another motorcycle shop but he now hopes to get out and tour again. "When the motorcycle shop shut down, I made myself start writing again," says Morgan.  "Once I got going I came up with a bunch of ideas for songs.  I do plan on touring if it makes sense financially," says Morgan.  "I want to tour.  I want to play.  The last time we went out was a midwest tour with 12 or 13 nights in a row back in 2019.  We made money on that tour, but it's very hard to get that many dates together anymore.  And that was before Covid.  People think you're just partying out on the road but it's supposed to be WORK.  If I have to sit around a hotel room for days between gigs I'd rather be at the motorcycle shop, making money every day, and sleeping in my own bed." In addition to his own band, Mike has been working with some of his old friends, Anson Funderburgh and Shawn Pittman, as The Texas Blues Guitar Summit.  Fresh off an incredible European tour in 2022 and just signed to M.C. Records finds Mike is reinvigorated and feeling the call of music once again.  His new CD on M.C. Records is expected out in September 2022.  With his years of experience, knowledge, skills, and talent, we can look forward to a lot of great new music from Mike Morgan and the Crawl.

Ruben V

Ruben V is an accomplished artist.  He’s released eight solo CDs, 14 group albums and averages over 120 shows a year.  He is a guitar player, songwriter, producer and family man. He’s built a huge following of Ruben V Band fans – all while keeping a sense of humor and a genuine Texas charm. But first and foremost, there is the music.  It’s a fresh, smooth blend of blues, Latin, soul, and rock. It’s an ambitious mix of the music that moves him and in his skillful hands, becomes a truly energizing and enjoyable experience.  The result is stylistically different from his peers – it’s alluring, soulful, fun and mature.  As he says, “it’s everything I love about music.” For a man who would turn out to be such a celebrated guitar player, Ruben was self-taught – old school style.  “I would slow down our old 45 albums on the record player and learn that way. I was also front and center at every concert – watching and listening. Then it was just hitting the road. There’s no better way to learn.” Hitting the road began at 15 for Ruben, who played in a string of bands and eventually landed an Indie record deal with his heavy metal band, Final Assault.  The unexpected death of a friend, the band’s bass player, brought everything to a halt for Ruben and he began questioning his direction.  Again, it was music that pulled him back in.  “I was in a dark time in my life when I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan in concert.  It was the opposite of the heavy metal bands that were defining the time.  I wanted to play Stevie’s kind of music – to bend a guitar string like that because that’s what I felt.”  That performance is what drove him back to writing and playing, but this time, he surrounded himself with his brothers and the group began touring clubs in the area.  As time passed, the shows became bigger and the four albums they put out became heavier, but, again, that sound wasn’t what Ruben had envisioned for himself.  Forced to confront the different directions the brothers were heading, Ruben parted ways with the group to pursue his own musical path – one that was true to him.  That becomes the essence of Ruben V’s music. Putting out great music meant finding a producer with equally high standards and the talent to match.  It was sheer determination that led Ruben to search out two famed producers.  Richard Mullen produced Ruben V’s first three CD’s: In His Hands, Home and Let Me In.  Mullen’s previous work included Eric Johnson, Joe Ely, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Jim Gaines, whose previous credits included multiple Grammy Awards and 4X Platinum work with Santana, Blues Traveler and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  The collaboration between Gaines and Ruben produced I AM, Labor of Shame and Come to Me.  “Jim pushed me and brought out a more Hispanic flavor than what I had done in the past. He’s an amazing man and I’m blessed to work with him.”  Every show is different; Ruben has a vast catalog of songs to pull from.  They may play a familiar song but change the tempo or instruments.  The Ruben V shows become enlivened jams inciting the audience into a musical frenzy.  It keeps the audience entertained and coming back for more.  From here, Ruben V will continue to pursue what has been in his life at every turn – he’ll tour, write songs and make albums.  The musical path that he’s followed – varied, honest and sincere – may not have always proved the easiest, but from a man who knows where he comes from, playing music his way is the only way to go.  “My guitar might change shape and size; but, those six strings will always be a part of who I am and who I have grown up to be.” 
Accomplishments include:

Shared the stage with such stellar musicians such as Gatemouth Brown, B.B. King, Los Lonely Boys, Robert Cray, George Thorogood, Delbert McClinton, Buddy Guy, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, just to name a few.
Endorsements by premiere music companies: Curt Mangan Strings.
Recording a commercial promoting the pride of Texas, Lone Star Beer.
Airplay on XM Satellite Radio.
Awarded the title of “Best Guitar Player” by the city of San Antonio, his current residence, four times as well as “Best Songwriter” and “Best Blues Band.”

Bobby Mack

Born in Fort Worth Texas Bobby Mack grew up in the rich DFW music scene, performing in public since 1970. Bobby relocated to Austin Texas in 1972. Playing in several bands in the late seventies Bobby cut his teeth at legendary Austin venues including Armadillo World Headquarters, Soap Creek Saloon, The One Knight, and The Split Rail as part of the developing Austin blues scene. Bobby was a house regular at the famed Austin landmark, Antones “Home of the Blues” leading the stage every Wednesday night through the mid- 80’s. As a staple of Austin blues crowd, Bobby shared the stage with notables such as Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Luther Allison, Willie Foster, Doyle Bramhall, Lou Ann Barton, and Jimmy Rogers. Bobby Mack has released 7 CDs with distribution in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia and Europe. His 1999 CD “Live at J&J Blues Bar” was released in the top ten on the British Blues Charts. Mack and his band have had touring performances in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, all of Europe and , Scandinavia. In 1986 Bobby was a musical director in a Texas cultural exchange touring with a troupe of Texas musicians in the former Soviet Union. As a performer and producer Bobby has been involved in recording sessions with the Neville Brothers, Lonnie Mack, Doyle Bramhall, Willie Foster, Joel Guzman, and many others.

Beth Lee & The Breakups

Based out of Austin, TX, Beth Lee grew up on the grit and soul of the Houston music scene, her dad a long time musician of the Bayou City. Since recording her first album in 2008, Lee has been playing her evolving blend of blues, soul, country, and rock 'n' roll in the studio and onstage with a handful of Capital City’s best. You can find her playing intimate solo shows of soulful originals, or with her rock ‘n’ roll band Beth Lee & The Breakups. Her last album, Waiting on You Tonight, produced by Chuck Prophet & the Mission Express drummer Vicente Rodriguez, utilized even more of her diverse influences, from her nineties love of the ethereal vocals of Hope Sandoval, to the pop-friendly melodies of sixties girl groups, and the southern soul of Stax Records.  It received praise from Glide Magazine, Americana Highways, and No Depression, among others - “An 11-song sequence that highlights the Austin-based artist’s songwriting craft and performative charisma, Waiting on You Tonight emerges as one of 2021’s early benchmarks for Americana album of the year”- No Depression. Lee is currently finishing her next full length release for October of ‘24, again with producer Rodriguez and guitarist James DePrato of Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express.

Performance Times:

Beth Lee 4pm

Bobby Mack 5:15pm

Ruben V 6:45pm

Jim Suhler & Mike Morgan 8pm

Chris Duarte 9:30pm

GA Advance tickets online $18 + fees/taxes. Day of show @ gate $25

Under 21 must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian and must be supervised and remain with parent/legal guardian at all times. Under 12 free admission.

No outside food or drinks.

Brews provided by local area micro-breweries. BBQ provided by Beat Farm.