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H.R. No. 92
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The West Side Horns have occupied a prominent place
in the San Antonio music scene for decades, developing and honing a
distinctive sound that is as unique as the River City itself; and
WHEREAS, Emerging from San Antonio's renowned and diverse
musical traditions, the West Side Horns have incorporated elements
of blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, rock and roll, and other regional
styles to create the powerful and passionate West Side sound; and
WHEREAS, This talented group of musicians includes Rocky
Morales, Louie Bustos, Spot Barnett, Al Gomez, Arturo "Sauce"
Gonzalez, and Jack Barber; and
WHEREAS, A saxophone player since his school days, Mr.
Morales was inspired to take up the tenor sax after hearing Clifford
Scott play; during the early 1960s, Mr. Morales worked with the
late, great Doug Sahm in the Mar-Kays and later joined him on stages
across the globe; throughout the years, he also has made music with
Joe & the VIPs, Rudy & the Reno Bops, and Randy Garibay; and
WHEREAS, Louie Bustos began his career playing rock and roll
and rhythm and blues with Sunny & the Sunliners; Mr. Bustos, whose
passion for music equals his talent, made a name for himself as a
saxophone player with the legendary Little Joe as well as with the
Love Machine; and
WHEREAS, A late addition to the West Side Horns was San
Antonio's premier band leader during the 1950s and 1960s, Spot
Barnett; headquartered in the Ebony Lounge, Mr. Barnett mixed the
sounds of blues, jazz, and rock and roll while playing with local
favorites Ernie "Murphy" Durawa and Doug Sahm; during the 1970s, he
played sax with Bobby Bland, and after a long hiatus from the music
business, he returned to San Antonio in the 1990s and joined the
West Side Horns; and
WHEREAS, Al Gomez grew up in a family of musicians and made an
early mark in music working with keyboard player "Sauce" Gonzalez
in Joe Bravo's band; an arranger and first-call studio player for a
wide range of artists, Mr. Gomez is an ace trumpeter who has played
with the West Side Horns since the mid-1980s; and
WHEREAS, The piano and organ sounds of Arturo "Sauce"
Gonzalez have been influenced by Jimmy Smith, Fats Domino, and
Jerry Lee Lewis; Mr. Gonzalez has played with such notable
musicians as Sunny & the Sunglows, Little Joe, Joe Bravo, the
Drifters, and the Coasters; during the 1970s, he divided his time
between Mr. Sahm's various groups and Miss Lavelle White's Blues and
Soul Situation, and he currently leads San Antonio's West Side
Sound; and
WHEREAS, Early in his career, Texas blues bassist Jack Barber
jammed on the East Side, played with the Dell-Kings, and became the
original Sir Douglas Quintet bass player; over the years, he made
regular appearances in Mr. Sahm's blues projects and now regularly
gigs with Ruben V; and
WHEREAS, Through their dedication, hard work, and passion,
these talented musicians have achieved excellence in their craft,
and the contributions they have made to Texas blues music truly
merit special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas
Legislature hereby honor the West Side Horns and extend to its
members sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the West Side Horns as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.
McClendon
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 92 was adopted by the House on March
28, 2003, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House