Alex Zayas - Deal With The Blues (2019)

Alex started playing guitar and singing at age 7. Influenced by his brother, who opened him the doors to all kinds of music. After playing with several local outfits in Barcelona, an 18 year old Alex joined harp bluesman Hook Herrera (Gov’t Mule, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Kid Ramos, Denny Freeman)

Hook was Alex’s first mentor and also introduced him to the start of a music career by teaching him how to understand the music, specially the blues, and opening the doors into the profesional bussiness. With Hook Alex had the chance to play in the best festivals and clubs all over Europe.

Three years later he formed his own band Alex TNT, and got a residence in “La Boite”, a prominent Barcelona music club, as well as playing in other clubs and festivals in the Barcelona area. As Alex TNT, he has released 3 albums, Walking your way (Discmedi, 2001), I feel the blues again (Mas i Mas, 2003) and Alex TNT (Gaztaluzpeko, 2009) all on which he explored different facets of the Blues exclusively.

He later joined African bassist/vocalist Steve de Swardt’s blues band, where he met a key influence in his career, string master Javier Mas (Leonard Cohen, Mª del Mar Bonet, etc). He shared countless nights onstage playing together with them and St. Louis drummer Julian Vaughn (Albert King, B. B. King, Johnny Copeland) at the Jamboree Jazz club in Barcelona. During this time he toured in Canada and the US with a couple of Chicago artists and later with his own band. In November of 2006, Alex had the privilege to open for the King of Blues B. B. King at the Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. After many years on the circuit and being known as Alex TNT, he decides to ultimately shift his artistic identity to ZAYAS / Alex Zayas for the occasion of the release of his fourth album Guitarshock (Mitik, 2012), where he underwent a deep self exploration to find a new path through which to forge all of his past and present influences. Alex Zayas has also played with artists such as Larry McCray, Johnny B Gayden, Lynwood Slim, U.P. Wilson (Texas Tornado), Paul Orta, Alvin Youngblood Heart, Julian Vaughn, Javier Mas, Slam Allen, The Roadmasters, Mike Wheeler, Russell Jackson, Larry Williams, Alex Napier (Bassplayer for The Cobras), Carl Weathersby, Keith Dunn, among others.. And has perfomed all around Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Italy, Canada and the USA, where he performs in venues like Buddy Guy’s legends (Chicago), Knuckle down saloon (Madison), The Blu room (Dubuque), The Barrel room (Fort Myers), The Funky Biscuits (Boca raton), The House Pub (St.Charles), Saxons pub, Kenny Durham backyard, Vince Young steakhouse and Sams burger joint music hall, in Texas.

Alex tours Canada since 2005 playing in venues like: The Blues on Whyte (Edmonton), The Blues Can (Calgary), Fratter’s (Red Deer), The Drake (Canmore) and Lynnwood Station (Calgary) to name a few. In the summer of 2014 he toured Nova Scotia and played at The Calgary international Blues Festival.

In 2015 Alex had the honour to replace Walter Wolfman Washington at the Calgary Blues festival and play with The Roadmasters from New Orleans.

In 2016 also at The Calgary international Blues festival, Alex Zayas became an Honor citizen in Calgary by doing the White hat ceremony, a very old tradition in the city.

On his fourth album “Guitarshock”, he found his own and original style and it’s an electric blend of Blues, Funk and Rock.

His fifth album “Electric Ryder Vol.1 (Sun)” Alex keeps flying from The Blues to Rock, Funk and Psicodelia.

On his latest work “Deal with the Blues”, Alex go back to his Blues roots, 8 originals Blues tunes where you can hear his earliest influences, Albert King, B.B.King, Buddy Guy, etc….