An Interview With Burrito Deluxe

In a ritzy rehearsal studio, somewhere south of Nashville, Burrito Deluxe are putting the finishing touches on a sound check and preparing themselves for a press reception and upcoming European tour. Now, Burrito Deluxe are no spring chickens. According to a jocular Carlton Moody, lead singer and formerly with the Moody Brothers for years and years, they have “about 175 years experience in the music business between them.” Walter Egan and Carlton Moody, guitarist and lead singer respectively, jump off stage to talk to AMC about their plans.

“We have this incredible European tour coming up which is very exciting for all of us. You know we have all been doing this music thing for a long time so to get to go play overseas to audiences who really appreciate the whole country rock thing is very cool”. Egan agrees, “Audiences in Europe definitely get what we are doing. We understand the legacy of Gram Parsons and it comes through in our music and so do the fans over there.”

Burrito Deluxe the band was formed in 2000 by ‘Sneaky’ Pete Kleinow (since retired), with the name coming from the title of the Flying Burrito Brothers’ 1970 album, Burrito Deluxe. The band has recorded two critically acclaimed albums: 2002’s Georgia Peach, a tribute to Gram Parsons; and 2004’s The Whole Enchilada, which included keyboard guru Garth Hudson of The Band. The new album Burrito Deluxe is recording for Luna Chica Records with producer Greg Archilla (Matchbox 20, Neil Young, Santana, Collective Soul) might be their best yet, if the MP3 samples are anything to go by.

Carlton Moody, the guitarist, mandolin player and lead singer of Burrito Deluxe, is also the founder and front man of the internationally acclaimed Moody Brothers. Walter Egan shares the electric guitar work and adds lead and harmony vocals. Egan’s ties to the Burrito legacy run deep. He co-wrote "Hearts on Fire," recorded by Gram Parsons on his last album, Grievous Angel. Jeff Davis anchors the Burrito Deluxe sound on electric and upright bass. He also contributes to the wonderful vocal blend. Davis, a founding member of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, has worked with several music biz heavyweights, including John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Al Green. Canadian Richard Bell on piano was a member of Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks in the late 60’s, as well as Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band. He played on Joplin’s final album, Pearl.

For Moody and Egan the Burrito Deluxe experience has rejuvenated their passion for the music business. “It has been remarkable”, says Moody. “We didn’t really know each other until we got together as a band. I mean we knew of each other, and respected everyone as players, but we didn’t know how the chemistry would work. And being older has been a definite advantage--we appreciate what we are doing--I think it’s true to say that we have found our own sound and created a unit on stage that is still evolving. “It’s cool,” says Egan, “ we may even be heading to Japan. I have a yen to go there.” Boom Boom.

Walter Egan remembers Gram Parsons

“In late 1970, when I had just completed my studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., my band Sageworth was playing the Georgetown club circuit at the same time as a young folksinger named Emmylou Harris. She was singing a Judy Collins type of repertoire, very ethereal. She even played the Burt Bacharach favorite "I'll Never Fall in Love Again." At that time I was under the influence of the latest advancement in folk-rock as purveyed by the Byrds and that new group with the funny name, the Flying Burrito Brothers. What these two had in common was a guy named Gram Parsons. It was he who had steered the Byrds (one of my favorite groups) away from the psychedelic folk-rock of songs such as "Eight Miles High" and into the strange territory of, of all things, country and western music (as it was called) with the album Sweetheart of the Rodeo in 1968. And so for the first time I took C&W seriously.

Fast forward to the winter of '70-'71 when Emmy was gigging at a place called Clyde's in Georgetown, and she is approached by one Chris Hillman, who's Flying Burritos are playing down the street at the Cellar Door. By now Gram has left and is starting his solo career...and in fact when Chris hears Emmy sing he thinks he has found the female foil for Gram. After Chris left that fateful night Emmy admitted to me that she didn't know who this Gram Parsons guy was. You've come to the right place, I tell her, and proceed to have her come back to Sageworth House (as we called it) on Wisconsin Avenue and listen to my collection of Gram on record, all the while extolling the virtues of this man, my last idol.

The following week Gram came to town and met with Emmy who again was singing at Clyde's on M Street. I happened to be there that night as well, and was of course thrilled to meet this guy whom I had admired from afar for two or three years now. The discussion turned to the prospect of them getting together to harmonize a bit, but they needed a place that was centrally located since Gram was staying in Baltimore and Emmy had a place out of town. So I offered my house, my band's house, Sageworth House.

I was understandably excited the next day as I let this cool, charismatic customer in his Nudie jacket into the house and directed him to our psychedelically painted kitchen where Emmy was waiting for him. As they sat down and began to sing I was all but pinching myself that this was really happening, Gram Parsons was in my kitchen! The first song they tried was the George Jones/ Gene Pitney duet "That's All It Took," then moving on to “Sweet Dreams”; and what a sound they made, their voices caressing one another in sympathetic harmony. It was truly a moment in country rock history, and I had a front row seat all to myself.”

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Andrew Vaughan