A founding member of the Hacienda Brothers and a renowned west coast country/soul singer/songwriter, Chris Gaffney moved people as much with his smile as with his trademark croon.

Gaffney passed away in 2008, after a courageous battle with liver cancer, and is survived by his family and the litany of musical heroes he called friends and collaborators. Gaffney’s close friend Dave Alvin (founder of The Blasters) set forth to put together an album of Gaffney’s songs to raise money for his mounting medical bills. Unfortunately, the project became a posthumous tribute after Gaffney’s passing, but that gave more meaning to these interpretations of Gaffney’s songs.

The track list of the album, “A Tribute to Chris Gaffney: Man of Somebody’s Dreams,” reads like a who’s who of country, rock and Americana, with heavyweight friends like Alvin, Joe Ely, Los Lobos, Calexico, Alejandro Escovedo, James McMurtry and more, all weighing in with their versions of Gaffney’s classic country tunes. Dave Alvin’s Yep Roc label mates, Peter Case, Jim Lauderdale, The Iguanas, John Doe, Big Sandy with Los Straitjackets and Robbie Fulks also contribute tracks that, much like the man, range from fiercely rocking to hair-raisingly poignant.

All proceeds from the album will benefit the non-profit group “Hungry For Music” and the surviving members of Gaffney’s family. Highlights of the album include McMurtry’s version of “Fight (Tonight’s the Night),” Boz Scaggs’ “Midnight Dream,” Dan Penn’s “I’m So Proud,” Freddy Fender’s “The Gardens,” and Gaffney’s final recording, done just a few weeks before he passed away, “Guitars of My Dead Friends.”

The sincerity of the performances makes this a deeply moving album. Whether or not you are familiar with Gaffney’s beautiful body of work, you will be a fan of his music after hearing this wonderful record.

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