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The Murali Coryell and Ernie Durawa Band bringing jazz-influenced sounds to Sam's Burger Joint on Wednesday

Native son Ernie Durawa cut hits with the late Doug Sahm, then won Grammys with the Texas Tornados and Flaco Jimenez.

By Bill Baird on Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 8:17 am

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Courtesy Photo / The Wittliff Collections

Left to right: Ernie Durawa, Doug Sahm and Atwood Allen appear together in this 1970s photo.

San Antonio native son and Texas Tornados drummer Ernie Durawa will perform at Sam's Burger Joint this Wednesday with a jazz-infused trio that includes Murali Coryell, son of legendary fusion guitarist Larry Coryell.

Durawa, who grew up in the back of a West Side conjunto bar, left his stamp on some San Antonio's most significant musical eras, performing in both Chicano Soul bands and sax giant Spot Barnett's 20th Century Orchestra. He later cut hits with Doug Sahm, then won Grammys with the Texas Tornados and Flaco Jimenez.

click to enlarge

Courtesy Photo / The Wittliff Collections

Ernie Durawa has drawn praise from Augie Meyers and others for his versatility as a drummer.

In defiance of his 81 years, Durawa has remained vital by growing as a musician. After finding his footing in the Alamo City scene, he moved to Chicago to study jazz drumming with Roy Knapp, a top instructor whose other students included Gene Krupa and Hal Blaine.

Durawa's latest act — the Murali Coryell and Ernie Durawa Band — is a jazz-inflected project that draws on guitarist-vocalist Coryell's versatile approach to blues and soul. Coryell's father introduced Durawa to Jimi Hendrix at a young age.

“Hendrix used to hold him as a baby,” Durawa marveled about his bandmate.

Among Durawa's many admirers is friend, collaborator and San Antonio music icon Augie Meyers.

“Ernie, as a drummer, is one of a kind,” Meyers said. “Let me put it this way: no matter if you're gonna play country, rock, jazz or blues, Ernie's your drummer. He can play any style — don't make no difference.”