Artist Chris Duarte Group

Texas native Chris Duarte has the Stevie Ray Vaughan sound down pat, from the vocal texture to the guitar approach: Duarte’s 1994 debut, TexasSugar/Strat Magik, sounded like he was channeling Vaughan’s spirit. But each subsequent album has expanded Duarte’s approach, proving that he’s grown beyond mere emulation. Despite his undeniable chops, Duarte hasn’t come close to replicating Vaughan’s success, at least not in this country. On 2009’s 396, Duarte teamed up with popular Japanese blues band Bluestone Company as a nod to his sizeable fan base in the country.

Updated 12/01/2009