Partners (1992) is a very nice album from multi-Grammy awarded accordionist Flaco Jimenez. He collaborates with an interesting variety of vocalists, as well as Los Lobos, producing an album filled with heart and warm energy, centered on the conjunto style and Jimenez’s accordion work. Featured on the album are Stephen Stills, Linda Ronstadt, Dwight Yoakam, John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, Emmylou Harris and Los Lobos.

Jimenez began performing, at the age of seven, with his father, Santiago Jimenez Sr, who was a pioneer of conjunto music and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. After working with Douglas Sahm (founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet) in the 1960s, Flaco then went on to New York City and worked with Dr. John, David Lindley, Peter Rowan, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. He appeared on Cooder’s world music album Chicken Skin Music and on the Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge from 1994. This led to greater awareness of his music outside America.

Jimenez won a Grammy Award in 1986 for “Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio”, one of his father’s songs. He was also a member of the Tejano fusion group Texas Tornados, with Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. The Texas Tornados won a Grammy Award in 1990, and Jimenez earned one on his own in 1996, when his self-titled album Flaco Jimenez won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance.