Música de Tiempos Pasados,
del Presente, y Futuro
(Watermelon)
If ever there was an accordion dynasty, it would have to be the Jiménez triumvirate founded by the late Santiago Jiménez, Sr. Although no longer with us, he left two capable sons to carry on the squeeze-box banner. The elder son, Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez, is already a living legend. Bearing his father's name, the younger Santiago is certainly less high-profile but no less an heir to his father's extraordinary legacy. And it is with the sincere hope of preserving his father's yesteryear sound while still forging ahead into the future, that Santiago Jiménez, Jr., offers his latest. Produced by conjunto junkie and Bad Livers bassist Mark Rubin, Música de Tiempos Pasados, del Presente, y Futuro takes traditional conjunto into uncharted territories. "Chief," as he is often called by his friends, is in fine form on a record which includes Jesús "Jesse" Castillo on bajo sexto; Rubin on tololoche, tuba, and valve trombone; Erik Hokkanen on violin; and Abel Rocha on the harp. The eclectic instrumentation alone makes the album a curious throwback with no recent base in the kind of popular conjunto that evolved through the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties. Instead, Santiago and his friends have created an endearing "chamber conjunto." While the songs bear the mark of traditional styles, among them rancheras, corridos, and boleros, there's an unmistakable old-world charm running through each tune. Far from a crooner with honey pipes, Santiago is a spotty, hard-working vocalist whose voice reeks of sincerity and long hours spent learning styles that most conjunto musicians tend to stay away from, such as the redova, the chottis, and even a German-style polka complete with tuba and valve trombone. While the spirit of the cantina can be faintly detected in polkas like "La Nopalera" and "El Satelite," or a corrido such as "Gabino Barrera," the songs hearken back to a time before the accordion was considered a working-class expression. They are much more reminiscent of the 19th-century orquestas típicas, small anteroom ensembles, salón-era entertainment provided for guests in the interest of musical taste and good breeding. Unsurprisingly, some of the best songs are purely instrumental. Past, present, future, or a clever synthesis of all three, this is a lovely homage to the truest beginnings of border music. The record is vibrant and warm, a splendid addition to any serious Tex-Mex musical collection. - Abel Salas