Hector Anchondo Band - Roll the Dice

2017 – Hector Anchondo
By Phillip Smith; Mar. 25, 2017

Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska, and finalist in the 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, the Hector Anchondo Band is one tight-as-hell band. Alongside lead guitarist/lead singer Anchondo is drummer Khayman Winfield, bassist Josh Lund, and Justin Shelton on harmonica. Anchondo’s spectacular guitar playing and suave vocal stylings stand out front in his newest release, Roll the Dice. Immersed in blues and Americana, this ten song album is a wonderful delight.

The lovely Kansas City songstress Amanda Fish joins Anchondo to dish out some riveting vocals in the energetic “Dig You Baby”. Anchondo rips it up on guitar while Eric Stark and Kenny Glover dole out a clutch horn accompaniment. This, fused to an outstanding harmonica performance from Shelton, sets the pace for the rest of the album. “Masquerade”, a wonderful cocktail of blues and rockabilly is the perfect vehicle for Anchondo’s debonair voice. It’s a great tune for sure. Anchondo brilliantly pulls the listener into his sad and lonesome world in “Sometimes Being Alone Feels Right”, a ballad he sings with heart-felt emotion. He masterfully does it again in “Here’s To Me Giving Up”, performed in an absolute troubadour fashion. Following an exquisite guitar intro, Winfield and Lund create a worldly magnificent space for Anchondo’s guitar prowess to explore in the flawless cover of “Black Magic Woman”. It’s absolutely beautiful.

I had the pleasure of catching two stellar Hector Anchondo Band performances last summer. The first show was at the North Liberty Blues and BBQ Festival in North Liberty, Iowa, and the second, was at the fabulous Tommy Bolin Music Festival in Sioux City, Iowa. I’ve been a fan since.