To my mind, when a band kicks off a album with a Tex-Mex version of a Huey P. Smith song, you're in good hands -- in the hands of people who know music and respond to many genres.

Los Fabulocos consists of that type of musician. Led by Kid Ramos, a guitar-slinging veteran of the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Mannish Boys, and Jesus Cuevas, who spent a decade playing accordion for the Blazers, these are veteran musicians who have spent their careers playing pretty near every form of roots music, from the classical Mexican styles to blues, rockabilly and country.

On this, their debut CD on Delta Groove records, they range all through their repertoire, showing exactly how versatile and talented they are. Cuevas' accordion solos blaze, taking unexpected turns and showing that the instrument is, in the hands of a master, so much more flexible and expressive than we ever expected. Ramos' guitar is brilliant, with an expressive subtlety that underscores the tunes while driving them forward. He knows the standard licks and uses them but always brings something extra and unexpected to his playing. Combine them with a killer rhythm section -- bassist James Barrios and drummer Mike Molina, Los Fabulocos is a band that has a future as fabulous as its music.