Chris Duarte (born February 16, 1963, San Antonio, Texas, USA) is an Atlanta-based guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. Duarte plays a rhythmic style of Texas blues-rock that draws on elements of jazz, blues, and rock 'n' roll.

Background
Duarte won a major label deal with Silvertone Records and released Texas Sugar/Strat Magik in 1994, and was named “Best New Talent” in Guitar Player’s 1995 Reader's Poll. He finished fourth in the magazine’s “Best Blues Guitarist” category behind Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and B.B. King.

Though Duarte has played a limited number of U.S. dates in recent years with the Japanese band Bluestone Company backing him, he performs primarily as a power trio, The Chris Duarte Group. Originally formed with long-time friend and collaborator John Jordan on bass, the latest incarnation features Joel Powell on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums. Apart from his band, Duarte has performed as a session player with Julie Burrell, Diana Cantu, Alan Parsons, Bobby Mack, Tracy Conover, Indigenous, Omar & the Howlers, and the Talking Heads.

Chris recently wrapped recording on a new CD with Bluestone Company. Produced by Mike Varney, the album was recorded at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, CA and is tentatively scheduled for a January 2009 release on Blues Bureau. There will be a full 11 city tour of Japan in support of the release including Osaka, Kyota, Hiroshima, and Tokyo.

The Chris Duarte Group's December dates in Asheville, Charlotte, & Greenville were filmed for the "The PBS Project". The shows featured Steve Bailey on bass and Jeff Sipe on drums, both of whom are renowned musicians. Jeff Sipe has toured and recorded extensively with Leftover Salmon and Aquarium Rescue Unit among others. Steve Bailey who's featured on several Victor Wooten albums including 2005's "Soul Circus, has also recorded and toured with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Tab Benoit, and Jethro Tull.