Son of conjunto great
Santiago Jiminez, and brother of conjunto great
Flaco Jiminez, Santiago Jiminez Jr. is in his own right an "ambassador for traditional Tex-Mex accordion music." So say the liner notes to this compilation of songs by the San Antonio musician. The works are from his other two Arhoolie albums:
El Mero Mero and Santiago Strikes Back, along with some material recorded in 1988 but unreleased. The tempos and styles range from the Tejano mainstay the ranchero to polkas to mazurkas, boleros, huapangos, and cumbias. Every facet of the Tex-Mex accordion repertoire is represented. Realistically, even fans of conjunto might have heard of
Santiago's father and brother before they've heard of him, but if that's the case, they might be missing out to some degree. Fans of the genre would likely enjoy this recording, though those new to the styles might be better suited listening to
Flaco on
Los Super Seven's debut album for a start. ~ Adam Greenberg