We've all heard the late '90s catch phrase, "celebrate diversity" but rarely do we get a chance to do so in country music today. Rick Trevino brings a lot to the table and succeeds not only as a mainstream country artist but as a conduit for introducing Tex-Mex music to a broader audience. As he told 2Steppin, "I try to keep my show as traditional country as possible and then add some of my Mexican culture into the music - because it's there."

Trevino is from Austin, Texas, part of the basis for his rich musical heritage. "The reason Texas has such a thriving musical culture is because it's so diverse," said Trevino. "You have a lot of Mexican music, you have a lot of country music. Austin, for example, is like a bottomless pit for all kinds of music, punk, funk, rock, jazz. Texas is a world of its own. I grew up listening to Mexican-American music because my father was a Tejano musician. He was always playing music by Little Joe, Ruben Ramos and the Texas Revolution and others...but they (his father's band) didn't just play Mexican music, they were a Top 40 Tex-Mex band, with a brass section, so they played big band Mexican music and drew songs from Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears and similar groups. As I got older, I started listening to Top 40 and country. My heart has always been in country music."

In concert, Trevino presents a tight, professional show, one that highlights his ability to mix it up vocally, musically and instrumentally. Each musician in the band is talented in his own right and they contribute extensively to the liveliness of the show as they move about the set, grouping and re-grouping, playing mini-duets, and hammering the audience with intricate instrumentals at stage's edge.

Trevino, himself, will stroll the stage, microphone in hand, or strum the guitar but it's when he sits down at the keyboard that he really shines. Maybe it's because, as he says, "Piano is the instrument I'm most educated in", or maybe it's the nature of the songs that he chooses to play at the keyboard, but, for me, it's always the highlight of his show. As the lighting dims, Trevino will ease into big ballads such as "I Only Get This Way with You," or "She Can't Say I Didn't Cry," and make that keyboard sound more soulful than a weeping fiddle. Later in the show, he'll light it up, in rockin' honky-tonk style, as he pounds out those ferocious Jerry Lee Lewis classics," Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire."

Of course, a Texan can hardly present a country music show without including a Bob Wills tune or two, in this case, the Wills classics "Big Balls in Cowtown" and "Stay All Night, Stay a Little Longer."

"Swing music is different than any other style of music. It comes from Texas and Oklahoma. A lot of country artists pull from, or grab their roots from, Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell, George Jones...I pitched a bunch of Bob Wills records (for the Tribute to Tradition album) but my producer wanted me to do Ray Price ("City Lights") because he's a little more familiar to the fans. I'm going to be doing an album with Ray Benson (of the modern day western swing band, Asleep at the Wheel) probably in the spring.

Trevino, as all artists do, includes his hits in his concerts, "Learning as You Go," "Running Out of Reasons to Run," "Bobbi Ann Mason," and "Doctor Time," and his first chart single, "Just Enough Rope," (alternating English and Spanish). But on this night the show also had a nice Tejano flavor. Guest artist Joel Guzman contributed to several numbers, playing the diatonic accordion (which he described as "three harmonicas in a box"). Trevino, not only closed the show with "La Bamba," but he introduced a beautiful ballad, " Ranchito," sung entirely in Spanish.

"Mi Ranchito" is a song that Trevino contributed to the Los Super Seven project. Los Super Seven is a Mexican-American all-star band whose album offers a journey into the roots of traditional Mexican music. The album was recorded in Trevino's hometown of Austin, Texas in April 1998 and included contributions from Freddy Fender, Flaco Jiminez, and Ruben Ramos among others. The aforementioned Joel Guzman also contributed his considerable talents to the project. The album has been nominated for a grammy in the category of Best Mexican-American Music Performance.

Rick Trevino is currently working on his fourth studio album and talks about songwriting and cutting the new album. "When putting together a new album, I like to find songs that are uptempo, that people can dance to, first of all. Then, after I find songs that really move me, that are uptempo, I look for the ballads. I like to make sure that I have at least 6 songs that are uptempo. It's easier to find big love songs than it is to find really good uptempo songs."

"I stopped writing about a year ago, I just took a break from it and I'm going to get back into it definitely this year. George Strait hasn't written one song. Well, he had one song on one album. But he could sing a mediocre song, I promise you, and put his voice on it and all of a sudden it's a fabulous song. When I get the mediocre songs, it's not going to be as successful because it doesn't have that voice on it. It would be wonderful to have a natural ability to be able to write great songs."

Rick Trevino feels that country music is a healthy format today because "everyone communicates. The industry cares about the format and they will do what's best to keep it popular. Radio stations, artists, fans, record labels, publishers, and booking agencies all communicate with each other first hand. If we all help each other we're going to be successful."

I don't think there's much argument that country music is successful, but success can be measured in various ways. Country needs more artists like Rick Trevino. We need him for his talent, professionalism, and commitment to excellence as well as his cultural "differentness". That extra added "flavoring" he brings to the music can only enrich us all and, hey, when you throw in that great nasal Texas twang, well, it just can't get any better than that!

Rick Trevino Photo Album

Mountain West Music 2002