Texarillo; The Blues Come Full Circle

A funny thing happened on the way to success for Montreal born Dwane Rechil. He hit the blues … again!

“It’s funny …” Says the forty – seven-year old singer, songwriter and guitar master. ” For years playing in my heavy rock band Top Johnny, I was always waiting for success to come. I was always on edge, never quite content with what I was doing. I thought I was having fun yet now that I am playing the Blues – I have never been more content in my life.”

Rechil is referring to his new band; Texarillo.

A band which has played together for a couple of years. A band which has just completed its first full album and is getting ready for the launch party on Feb. 7 at Calistoga Grill in Pte Claire.

A launch which will launch Rechil and his mates, Ricardo Bacardi ( Bass and vocals) and Ken Loudmann ( Drums and percussion) into the upper levels of the Montreal Blues scene.

That’s the plan anyways …

“Right now, we are number ten on the Reverbnation Blues charts.” Says Rechil right before one of the band’s many gigs. ” The album has not been officially launched and it was only ready on the 18th of January. Not bad eh?”

Not bad at all for a trio which delivers high-octane Blues on any given night.

“I think what makes me and the band different from most Blues bands, is the fact that I come from a heavy metal band.” Says Rechil. “Blues was always my first love and now I have returned with an education in music. The songs on the album are an indication of my experience over the years.”

Drummer Loudmann is no slouch in the experience department either. Ken started playing drums when he was but three years old. An entire lifetime sits behind the ‘kit’ and provides an anchor for Rechil’ s songs and Bacardi’s profound bass playing.

” I was not influenced by any one drummer.” Explains Ken. ” Really – it is a mixture of many drummers and drumming styles. I grew up listening to Jazz, Country, Rock – you name it. I saw Buddy Rich play five times so obviously it paid off, yet he was not a principle influence. I knew that Rich was an exception. He was born into a Vaudeville family and started playing on stage when he was three years old.

C’ mon – he was in another world, one that was out of my reach so I never strove to be like him …!”

Bacardi’s bass playing, along with a sense of humor that injects even more life into a stage show ripe with Rechil’s uncanny ability to connect with an audience – anchored deeply in the 1980’s. An era which Bacardi pinpoints as the training ground for his guitar and eventual bass playing.

” I just missed the Kiss period ( referring to the band Kiss – not the affectionate lip posturing).” Explains Ricardo. ” So my influences were Van Halen, AC/ DC and even U2 … I enjoyed the overall sound. Obviously Eddy Van Halen is a great guitar player and so is The Edge. I was more influenced by the overall sound these guys put out …”

Playing guitar is also what Rechil loves doing. It is something he started learning at the age of twelve after his Dad bought him an acoustic guitar. By the tender age of thirteen; Rechil was – a two song virtuoso.

” I knew how to play ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd and ‘Stairway to Heaven‘ by Led Zeppelin.” States Rechil with a hint of pride.

” My favorite artist was Jimi Hendrix. To this day – when I listen to his songs. I still discover something new in them. I still cannot understand how someone could be that creative musically. Hendrix was not just a great guitar player, what made him stand out was his songwriting. He was a genius …”

Texarillo’s new album – ‘Black Satin Blues’, was a year in the making. All songs were composed by Rechil and he would create demos and play them to Ken and Ricardo. Three times a week, the trio would get together to practice and record them. Unfortunately yet fortunately, gigs interrupted the process as the band did not want to play any new songs live. According to Rechil, there was no point having a CD launch if everyone has heard the new stuff.

Otherwise – everyone in the band would get the blues …

Which is exactly what Rechil requires for happiness!