Here it is: finally - the second album of Brazilian's premier blues guitar master Nuno "The Beast" Mindelis on Taxim Records. Following his wonderful debut for the label "Texas Bound", BLUES ON THE OUTSIDE is another tight collaboration with two tried-and-trusted players from Texas: Tommy Shannon (bass) and Chris Layton (drums) - collectively known as Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble, of course.. So - one more blues album for guitar freaks only? Not at all.
Nuno Mindelis may be an extraordinary blues guitar-player with a strong Texas influence, but there are also new things to be discovered on BLUES ON THE OUTSIDE. A very gritty touch of Memphis R'n'B, for example. Riley Osbourne's electric piano and organ have been added to the mix, occasionally there is a tight horn section at work and the backing vocals of Tiffany & the Gospel Motions bring some additional R'n'B vocal stylings every once in a while. So it's a quite diverse mix of influences this time around for Nuno Mindelis - but Texas blues is still very much the main focus. After all is said and done, though, Nuno Mindelis is his own man, defining his own space while being aware of his influences and heroes at the same time.
There are echoes of the "three Kings" - Albert, Freddie und B.B. - to be heard on this album and a lot of Texas-style guitar à la SRV, Johnny Winter or Bugs Henderson. But BLUES ON THE OUTSIDE is not a rough'n'tough record per se. Converted from a Gibson Les Paul user to a "Strat-man", Mindelis even casts some loving glances to Memphis R'n'B without losing sight of the all-important blues feel - the central quality that fuels his music. So it's again easy to cast the verdict about the guy who made BLUES ON THE OUTSIDE: Nuno Mindelis is a bluesman.... Born in Angola/Africa, the son of portugese parents Nuno Mindelis spent his formative years in the former portugese colony before emigrating to Brazil via Canada in 1976. The mega metropolis Sao Paulo became the new home for the Mindelis family - the country's second music capital next to Rio de Janeiro. Whereas Rio is dominated by the sounds of samba, bossa and "musica popular", Sao Paulo breeds a tougher sound. This is where the avantgarde works and life is harsh for many Paulistas. But Nuno had been inflicted with the blues virus even when in Angola where he took up his blues scholarship with books and records. By the time he got to Sao Paulo he had developed a sound and soon he found an audience as well. His blues playing was first and foremost inspired by American and British players like Jimmy Page or Peter Green. And the Brazilian media took notice. The all-important Veja magazine sang his praises and the US press soon followed. Guitar Player or Living Blues magazines favorably mentioned Nuno Mindelis as Brazil's leading blues player and in late 1995 Nuno was ready to hit the US scene. Following two Brazilian releases he had the chance to record his Texas blues album with a little help of the Austin scene centering around Antone's. Some local celebritys like Lou Ann Barton or Steve James contributed. Widespread artistic acclaim and decent commercial success followed. Nuno Mindelis had arrived.
