First Round Nominated

 Conjunto con Padres

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*      Mira Las Palomas

    Conjunto con Padres was put together  by Geronimo Treviño III as a tribute to his father and his uncle. It is a history lesson in some of the earliest conjunto music that first evolved in South Texas.  Brothers Gilberto S. Treviño and Geronimo Treviño Jr., known by their nicknames “Beto” and “Bebe”, grew up in the South Texas town of Laredo and were exposed to this music at an early age.  Before they reached their teenage years they had already performed on local radio stations, honing in on their family harmonies.  As they grew older, “Bebe” would learn more of this music form in cantinas, often paying mariachi singers five dollars to write down the words of the songs they were singing about.  He would take the words and melodies with him to learn and sing at family gatherings on their ranch just outside of Laredo.

  Conjunto music originated in the late 1800’s after inexpensive duty-free, German and Italian made one-row button accordions became available in the border regions along the Rio Grande River.  German and Czech immigrants entering the Gulf Coast region of Texas introduced their musical style and it quickly spread across the area and found it’s way into rural communities.  The addition of the bajo sexto (twelve string guitar) was the final ingredient that established the conjunto sound and allowed the accordion to become the lead instrument.  The rancheras and corridos (ballads) spoke of the common folk and the accordion became the instrument of the people.  Ranch hands and field workers embraced this art form because it sent a message about the hardships they endured and racial conflict to Anglo domination became a major theme.  The folk roots of conjunto are equivalent to the hillbilly roots music that formed country music.

  In 1964, “Beto” and “Bebe” and a twenty-four year old accordionist by the name of Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenez  recorded some of the old corridos at Tanner N Texas Recording Studio in San Antonio under the Disco Grande label.  The session captured “Bebe’s” beautiful tenor voice harmonizing with “Beto’s” great vocals.  Flaco’s accordion  gave the songs the traditional conjunto style that he learned from his Father, Santiago Jimenez Sr.  Santiago Sr., credited as the “Father” of modern conjunto music, was a pioneer accordionist and songwriter who took German and Czech influenced accordion music and created his own Mexican-American sound that his sons, Flaco and Santiago Jimenez Jr. have carried on.  Santiago Sr. was the first to incorporate the tololoche (upright bass) to conjunto music.  His father, Patricio, was also an accordion player, from Eagle Pass, Texas, and Santiago Sr. became a protégé learning traditional European dance songs while accompanying him at dances throughout South Texas.  The traditional two- row button accordion style has been passed down through three generations.  Santiago Jimenez Jr. has dedicated himself to preserving the traditional conjunto style his father made popular.  Flaco has created a contemporary accordion style that has no limits.  A five-time Grammy Award winner, Flaco has become an ambassador to Tex-Mex  conjunto.

  Under the tag Hermanos Treviño, the 1964 recording sold about 4,000 copies through Seeburg, Inc.  The EP was distributed in Jukeboxes from San Antonio to Laredo and were extremely popular during that time.

  Several ballads recorded by “Beto” and “Bebe” in 1963 in Fort Knox, Kentucky on a reel to reel home recorder and transferred to acetate, were recently found and digitally mastered.  The brother’s close harmonies and “Bebe’s” guitar playing standout on the recording..  The traditional accordion work of Santiago Jimenez Jr. was added thirty-six years later back at the old Tanner N Texas recording studio.  These songs came back to life as three time Grammy nominee Santiago Jimenez Jr. weaved his traditional accordion style to the classic corridos.

  Geronimo Treviño III joins his Dad and Flaco Jimenez on two songs recorded in 1989 at Toby Torres’ Custom Studio in San Antonio with superb guitar and mandolin by Jackie King and Sergio Lara.  Father and son are featured on the Cesar Rosas’ song Estoy Sentado Aqui recorded in 1992 at the Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, Texas and again on the Grammy winning song Soy de San Luis, written by Santiago Jimenez Sr. and recorded in 1993 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Spicewood, Texas.  Johnny Rodriguez joins Geronimo III and the Geronimo Band at C.A.M. Studio in Bulverde, Texas on the tribute song Mira las Polomas, written by songwriter and western novelist Mike Blakely.

  This album is a great example of the route conjunto music has taken over the years and with the family harmonies of the Trevino brothers and the  master accordion style of Flaco and Santiago Jimenez Jr., these songs will touch the heart and soul of the listener.