ADIOS FLACO JIMENEZ!
HOMAGE TO A TEX-MEX ACCORDION GIANT BY HIS BRIXTON BLUES AMIGO DAVE PEABODY
The King of Tex-Mex with his bright smile and diatonic accordion.
Flaco Jimenez left this world on July 31st aged 86. I think its fair to say that Flaco was the foremost player of accordion in the Mexican/Texas border style known as “conjunto”, “norteno” and “tejano”. Or, to Anglos, as Tex-Mex.
Like most music lovers who are not from Texas/Mexico (or aficionados of Latin American music), I was introduced to Flaco’s music via his association with Ry Cooder, the gifted American guitarist who featured Jimenez on his Chicken Skin Music album and The Border soundtrack.
Flaco’s accordion made a beautiful noise, warm and lyrical and potent and danceable (polka rhythms remain the basis of this genre, dating back to German settlers who introduced the accordion to Mexico). He was a master musician, one who could lead a band or accompany another artist, always making what he played sound effortless.
Not that I knew anyone in Auckland who shared my enthusiasm for Mex’ music. Odd as it may sound but my fascination with Mexican music dates back to my dad taking mini-me to see violent Westerns set in the US South West and Mexico - not that these films featured Mexican music, but they sparked an interest in Mexico, a society which appeared so different to the one I lived in.
If Ry gave me a taste then Arhoolie Records’ albums of Jimenez (and many other Mexican musicians) provided a big burrito of sounds from the nation one of its presidents once described as “so far from god, so close to the United States…”
I only ever got to see Jimenez perform once - this was at Jazzfest in New Orleans in 1990. Boy, could he make that squeezebox sing! Arriving in London in 91 I expected Flaco would be a regular visitor - he having been so in the 1980s, even recording albums for UK labels - but this wasn’t to be the case.
The only time I’m aware he returned was with Tex-Mex supergroup The Texas Tornadoes in (I think) 1992. Back then I lived in Forest Gate, way out in east London, and they were playing the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden, way out in north west London. Travel time on public transport was around 90 minutes each way, so I passed - to my eternal regret.
This is a wonderful Tiny Desk performance by Flaco and guitarist Max Baca.
I’ve kept listening to Jimenez over the decades since, noting his racking up of Grammies (6 in total), recording with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Dwight Yoakam, becoming part of Los Super Seven - a supergroup of largely Latino US musicians - while remaining a Tornado, obviously enjoying his exalted status as the Tex-Mex musician who crossed over.
I also got to know Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records - the Bay Area label that did more for Mexican traditional music in the US than any other - and he spoke warmly of Flaco. I asked Chris as to whether Flaco might be up for an interview when I was researching what would become More Miles Than Money: Journeys In American Music but can’t recall why this didn’t happen; Chris did arrange for me to interview Lydia Mendoza in a care home in San Antonio, Texas, she being the pioneer of tejano music (and a pal of Flaco’s). Likely Flaco was on the road or in the studio - working musicians don’t get to spend a lot of time at home.
Anyway, Flaco’s funeral will take place in San Antonio on 7 August. To honour the great man I asked Dave Peabody, a blues/roots guitarist and singer who lives in Brixton and was a friend of Jimenez, if he would share his memories of “the King of Tex-Mex”. He graciously did so - noting how his 1986 album Americana, which features Flaco playing on it, will be reissued next year. I’ll alert Yak readers when this happens. Vaya con dios, Flaco! (and thank you Dave for your contribution)
Cover photo of Flaco for much missed UK folk/roots mag’ taken by Dave Peabody.
Flaco as remembered by Dave Peabody
Adios compadre. It was always a great pleasure to hear and see you perform, wonderful to meet, get to know you and become friends, and an absolute honour that you agreed (along with bajo sexto player Oscar Tellez) to record with me for my 1985/86 Americana album. When I asked you what fee you and Oscar wanted for the session you replied, ”Oh man… just pay for the beer!!!”
The recording session with Flaco and Oscar was to be at Topic Records’ Ideal Studios, in North London. Flaco came to my Clapham flat the day before the recording to rehearse the three numbers that I’d chosen to record with him. Although I’d never heard Flaco play blues I asked if he could try playing on the Tommy Johnson classic Big Road Blues, a number that I regularly played at gigs. No problem, Flaco’s accompaniment (as always) was spot on. He later told me that he was channelling zydeco accordionist Clifton Chenier whom he admired and had become friends with.
Flaco didn’t really need to rehearse Tu Pardida, but I did. The song was by Tex-Mex songstress legend Lydia Mendoza. Of course, Flaco personally knew Lydia and was familiar with the song. I chosen this number because (a) I really liked it, and (b) I wanted to include a song that came from Flaco’s musical tradition. I had the song on a Lydia Mendoza Arhoolie compilation and the lyrics were printed in both Spanish and English on the sleeve so I could understand what he song was about.
The Jimenez Brothers - Santiago Jr. and Flaco (playing a bajo sexto). Photo by Dave Peabody.
Musically I could play the guitar part but I wanted to sing at least part of it in the original Spanish, a language I don’t speak. Flaco was really patient with me as he taught me phonetically, word by word, line by line, to sing the song in Spanish. In the studio we recorded the music track in one take, then, as I overdubbed the vocals, Flaco sat on the floor with his back against the wall listening intently. He made me go over it again and again until eventually I got it right… “You got it, man!!”
Back in 1976, Flaco recorded the Leadbelly song Irene Goodnight with Ry Cooder on his Chicken Skin Music album. I always thought that another Leadbelly song, On A Monday, would have been perfect for Cooder and Flaco, so I was surprised, when Flaco and I started going over it, he seemed to be having a little difficulty.
It was a particularly intricate run down of notes that seemed to be the problem. We kept going over it again and again until Flaco felt he had mastered it and, of course, next day in the studio he absolutely nailed it… “We did it, man!!”
Oscar Tellez, Dave Peabody and Flaco Jimenez - Americana session photo.
We listened to the playback and Flaco was really pleased. As we drank beer and listened to the music we’d just made, he told me what was the problem he’d had with On A Monday. Flaco played a diatonic accordion that had a certain note configuration and Flaco had to learn to reverse his normal fingering pattern to be able to play this particular set of notes in the key I had chosen. He could have asked to play the song in a different key but, being Flaco, he was determined to master it in the key I’d chosen.
We’d agreed Flaco would stay the night at my flat so to get to the studio together the next day (we’d pick up Oscar Tellez on the way). I had a foldout sofa bed in the living room that Flaco said he was happy to sleep on. Next morning, I went to check on Flaco, to discover him asleep on the sofa bed which he’d pulled perilously close to the living room gas fire. Flaco’s head was very close to the fire, which was on full heat. He was fully dressed and he still had his cowboy boots on. When he was awake I asked him if had slept O.K. “Man, that was the best night’s sleep I’ve had since I’ve been in England. That’s the first time I’ve been warm!!”
I’d photographed Flaco numerous times, first when he came to England touring with Peter Rowan and Tex Logan in 1983, for fROOTS magazine, at Cambridge Folk Festival in 1986, and at numerous gigs. My photographs have graced the covers of at least three of his albums plus a single.
Flaco’s well worn photograph of his father c.1935. L-R: Ismel Gonzalez (bass), Jose Ramon (vocal), Santiago Jimenez Sr. (accordion), Lorenzo Caballero (guitar).
One day, when I was alone with Flaco, he reached for his wallet and pulled out a very old, worn, creased photograph of his father Santiago Jimenez Snr., which Flaco had been carrying around for years. Flaco showed me the photograph and asked if I could somehow repair it and make extra copies. This I did and Flaco was very pleased with the results. When I tried to give him back the original he exclaimed he didn’t need it and that I could keep it. It’s one of my most treasured possessions along a postcard Flaco sent me from San Antonio.
Flaco esta muerto… Viva Flaco !!!
IN HONOUR OF FLACO I’VE KEPT THIS YAK FREE - IF YOU ENJOYED READING IT PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS & CONSIDER BECOMING A PAYING SUBSCRIBER.
Wonderful tribute from Dave Peabody. That story about Flaco and the fire is both hilarious and hair-raising, but I guess that says something about the difference in climates between San Antonio and London!
Great read, thanks Garth and Dave. I knew of Jimenez by name and reputation but little about him.