Blue Gabor
Singer-songwriter Max Gomez lives and breathes music, and in addition to being an accomplished musician, Gomez is a producer and curator for the annual Red River Folk Festival in—get this—Red River, New Mexico. Originally from Taos, Gomez splits his time between there and Los Angeles these days, and he remains a regular fixture in our little desert musical environment. Call it country, call it folk, call it Americana-lite or roots—Gomez goes big on the sounds of the West, and he’ll bring his talents (along with singer-songwriter Joe Purdy) to town for a kinda-sorta holiday show (Wednesday, Dec. 29. $25-$40. Jean Cocteau Cinema, 418 Montezuma Ave., (505) 466-5528). Gomez spoke with SFR about his roots and the upcoming show. (Riley Gardner)
This is a big question, but let’s talk about your music career. Where’d it all start for you?
My music career started in Taos, in my hometown. I started playing at 15 with musicians like Michael Hearne, and when I was around 20 I started writing and recording my own songs. After that, I started working on making records and got a deal [with Athens, Georgia’s New West Records]. Recorded a few albums from there, and things have been in a lot of ways really wonderful. I feel lucky and fortunate. I get to make a life out of music, traveling and touring. So in a nutshell, my music career is, you might say, a great place to hang my hat. I’m happy and satisfied with it.
How did growing up in Northern New Mexico influence your music?
It’s more to do with the music in the area than, say, the area itself. Going back to Michael Hearne, when I started playing as a kid, that style of country music, this singer-songwriter folk and Americana, I got exposed to that there. Great songwriters like Mentor Williams and his wife Lynn Anderson, who was a country star. Also, a big one for me is Michael Martin Murphy. [I studied] some of his records and early work and became a friend and songwriting partner [to Murphy]. That’s really shaped me too. It’s left the mark on me, musically speaking. All of those people I wouldn’t have known.
To me, the most inspiring music is the music you can’t quite grasp because it’s so good. You have to learn and study it to understand it. To me, that kind of music can stand a timeline and be a part of today’s music, but for me it falls way back into the ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Roots blues, delta blues; artists like Woody Guthrie—these original singer-songwriters and architects of American music. There are some great new country artists that aren’t exactly mainstream. Some of my friends who are older guys are still making new records, like Ray Wylie Hubbard.
When you trace back modern music to its roots like the Stones or something, I would say that folk music and roots music are the backbone of American music. It’s where it all started, where these originators were breaking down. That’s what makes it so special. Wouldn’t you want to take in an artwork in its most original form if you could?
You’ve got a show coming up at the Jean Cocteau that looks like it’ll be rad. What can people expect?
It’s become a tradition that I play shows around New Mexico between Christmas and New Year’s, during that winter wonderland time of year. It’s a great time to have a show. We don’t sing Christmas carols or any Christmas songs in general. We call it a holiday show because of that time of year. We make some jokes and lyrics might have to do with the holiday season. But no “Jingle Bells.”
It’s gonna be me, my dear friend Joe Purdy—this very special guest on the show. There will be a small band with us, too, made up of characters from around the state.
I’ve never played a holiday show in Santa Fe before and I’ve always wanted to, and to play the Jean Cocteau Cinema. I can remember going there years ago when the windows were busted and there was plywood up and it was shut down and abandoned. I always thought it would be the perfect size as a place to have concerts. All these years later to be having a show there is special.
My family is all from Santa Fe, my dad was from Santa Fe, yet I seldom have the opportunity to play shows there, so I’m excited to play this show and make a regular thing to play shows out of Santa Fe. It feels like a second home to me.
