Chicano Soul: San Antonio's Westside Sound

Chicano Soul is the first in a three-volume set of compilations documenting the vibrant soul scene that flourished throughout the '60s in the Latino communities of San Antonio’s west side. A host of teen bands were plying the city’s high school dance circuit, covering soul ballads (by the likes of Billy Stewart, Smokey Robinson, and Little Willie John) and penning originals that evoked the heartsick longing and disenfranchisement that they heard in their idols' music. Foremost among these groups was Sunny Azuna’s band The Sunliners. They cut some sensational records for Huey Meaux’s Teardrop label, garnering them a handful of national hits and a fanatically devoted following among Latinos throughout the southwest. The Sunliners’ sides collected here are among their very best, including slow-dance classics like “My Dream” and “Put Me in Jail.” Songs here by their contemporaries like The Royal Jesters, The Playboys, and Danny & The Tejanos are equally engaging, giving listeners a startlingly intimate glance into one of the most fascinating local music scenes of the ‘60s.