Ain't Giving Up, Chris Duarte, CD

2023 release. Blues-roots guitarist Chris Duarte releases Ain't Giving Up, his 15th studio album. Featuring a wide range of outlaw blues, Americana, roots, and even alt-country influences, Ain't Giving Up finds the Austin, Texas guitarist teaming up for the first time in 22 years with producer-guitarist Dennis Herring, also known for his work with artists like Buddy Guy, Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, and the Hives. But the resulting album isn't a calculated return to roots affair. Recorded live on the studio floor with vintage gear and minimal overdubs, it's a raw and revved-up showcase for the virtuoso's jaw-dropping chops; his mastery of the elusive Texas shuffle; and his deep love and commitment to the blues. Ain't Giving Up is intimate and gritty, but it also boasts pristine fidelity, as if we the listener are in the studio with Duarte and his buddies. It's a reset for Duarte that shows his resilience and his undiminished love of the blues and American roots. "I am so grateful to be signed to Provogue and to work with Dennis again-it's been a dream come true," Duarte enthuses. "I have been so fortunate to play music and do my thing for almost 30 years, and I couldn't ask for a better life."