Firebrand blues guitarist Chris Duarte dropped his sophomore album, Texas Sugar Strat Magik, in 1994, and it sold an excess of 100,000 units. It was a big success for a modern blues album. Duarte went onto win the highly coveted “Best New Talent” in Guitar Player’s Reader’s Poll, and he finished fourth in the magazine’s “Best Blues Guitarist” category, behind legends Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and B.B. King. He would go on to issue a string of critically acclaimed blues, blues-rock albums, and experimental fusion-tinged albums. In the ensuing years, Duarte would also maintain an in-demand touring schedule both as a solo artist and as a sideman.

Throughout it all, fans have hungered for the ferocious blues stylist to dig into some Texas blues with his own unmistakable magic. For his 15th album, his first since 2014, he does just that: The Austin, Texas blues guitar slinger teems up with Texas Sugar Strat Magik producer-guitarist Dennis Herring for the first time in 22 years. The resulting album, the gritty and sexy Ain’t Giving Up, out September 2022 on Mascot Records, isn’t a calculated return to roots affair, though. Recorded live on the studio floor with vintage gear and with minimal overdubs, this is a raw and revved-up showcase for the blues virtuoso’s jaw-dropping chops; his mastery of the elusive Texas shuffle; and his deep love and commitment to the blues.

Chris Duarte was inducted into Canada Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.