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NEWSLETTER #134
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Rex Allen ->
Vern Williams Band
 

 

BOOK HANK WILLIAMS : THE BIOGRAPHY by Colin Escott Back Bay Books ● CD $15.95
Paper, 374 pages, counts as three CDs for shipping purposes, essential
Originally published in 1992 this new edition by Escoott with the help of researchers George Merritt & William MacEwen has been substantially revised based on interviews and other research in the intervening time period. A detailed portrait of the life and music of the greatest country singer and songwriter of the 20th Century. Though in frequent pain from a back ailment and plagued by demons (alcoholism, addiction to pain medication and a stormy and sometimes violent marriage) he managed to reach inside himself to create songs that were born out the turmoil of his own life yet in some indefinable way manages to find an echo within all of us. The book includes a listing of all the songs he wrote (many never recorded - some because they only consist of lyrics) and an extensive discography which includes all his studio recordings, all his live performances that have been reissued on CD and the elusive Mother's Best Flour shows. The latter includes more than 40 songs not available elsewhere by Hank but are stilled tied up in litigations. There is also a small section of photos. (FS)

 
THE ARMSTRONG TWINS Arhoolie 9046 Mandolin Boogie ● CD $9.98
17 tracks, 45 mins, highly recommended
It's a real delight to finally have Floyd & Lloyd on CD! There were many fine brother duets in the history of country music but Floyd & Lloyd Armstrong were the only twins. Originally from Arkansas they moved to California in the 40s where they recorded a series of great 78s for the Four Star label in the late 40s and early 50s. The first 10 tracks are from this period and feature some truly dynamic performances with great rural harmonies and instrumental work spearheaded by Lloyd's driving mandolin leads and featuring FLoyd sturdy guitar accompaniment. The material ranges from the traditional gospel song Mother's Only Sleeping to the wonderful novelty song Beetle With A Boogie Beat with some truly inspired mandolin from Lloyd. Other songs from these sessions include Mandolin Boogie/ Mandolin Rag/ Sparkling Blue Eyes/ Address From Heaven and others including a beautiful version of the Stanley Brothers' It's Never Too Late. The last seven tracks are from 1979 when the brothers reunited, after a period away from music, following the release of their old recordings on Old Timey. While not as sparkling as their earlier sides there is still some fine singing and playing on songs like Eight Thirty Blues/ Just A Country Boy/ Old Three Room Shack/ Beautiful Brown Eyes and more with dobro and bass accompaniment. Booklet includes affectionate notes by Chris Strachwitz. My only complaint is that Arhoolie should have include more of the duos early sides - I think they recorded at least 20 tracks. (FS)

 
JUNIOR BROWN Telarc 83612 Down Home Chrome ● CD $18.98
12 tracks, 54 minutes, highly recommended
If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Junior Brown's delightfully demented guitar work and drenched-in-molasses country voice, you owe it to yourself to highlight it on your things-to-do list. His maiden voyage for Telarc is brilliant from the start to finish as he plies insanity from his hybrid guit-steel (part six-string, part steel guitar) flying across the frets at blazing speed, and regardless of how fast he might play, it's not showboating - his style fits perfectly with what he does. He manages a moment or two of T-Bone Walker on Hill Country Hot Rod Man and his version of Foxy Lady is pure madness for seven minutes. Monkey Wrench Blues is a slow and blazing tour-de-force proving how accomplished Brown is on his instrument. Assistance from a small band is in-the-pocket with a few horn parts changing the flavor. Fusing old country, rockabilly, rock and roll, and blues isn't always a success, but Brown continues to amaze and make brilliant recordings. Superb and wonderful. (CR)

 
SMILEY BURNETTE B.A.C.M. 080 Country Songs And Comic Cuts ● CD $14.98
32 tracks from this singer. comedian and movie star. 10 of the tracks are from commercial recordings and the rest are from radio transcriptions. 
SMILEY BURNETTE: Blacker Black/ Calleop/ Can't Go On/ Chuggin' On Down "66"/ Do The Pines Grow Green In The Valley/ Eat It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do/ Full Steam Ahead/ Gordy The Little Pea Frog/ Harmonica Bill/ Hat Check Girl/ I Can Whip Any Man But Popeye/ I Can't Honest With You/ I Don't Like Work/ If I Thought I'd Make A Hit With You/ It Ain't Much Help/ Just Like A Rainbow After Rain/ Keep Your Eye On A Shootin' Star/ Lazy Locomotive/ Mucho Gusto/ My Ring Eyed Pony/ Poor Baby/ Rabbit Business/ Ring Eye/ That Long White Line/ The Dentist Song/ The Donkey Engine/ The Rich Get Richer, The Poor Get Poorer/ The Wooing Of Kitty McQueue/ Tonight's My Night To Howl/ When A Country Girl Loves You/ You Ain't Done Nothin' To Me/ You Put Me On My Feet

 
AL CLAUSER & HIS OKLAHOMA COWBOYS Krazy Kat 32 Hot Western SWing, 1937-1948 ● CD $16.98
A 33 track collection of hot western swing and cowboy jazz drawn from rare 78s, radio shows and transcriptions. Includes two tracks from 1945 featuring vocals by a 17 year old Patti Page. Includes 24 page illustrated booklet with extensive notes by Kevin Coffey and full discographical info.
AL CLAUSER AND HIS OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS: A Good Man Gettin' A Bad Deal All Around/ Broken Fingers/ Cherokee Stomp/ Crawdad Song/ Crossbow/ Dance Of The Dodo Bird/ Dark Eyes/ Devil's Dream/ Draggin' The Bow/ Foolin' Around/ Frankie & Johnnie/ I Ain't Lazy I'm Just Tired/ It's A Rugged Road/ Maggie Blues/ My Little Cherokee/ My Sweet Papa/ Never Let Those Deep Blues Get You Down/ Never Pretend/ Oklahoma Stomp/ Oklahoma Stomp/ Old Gal/ Osage Blues/ Saddle Your Worries/ Sally Gooden/ Soldier's Return/ Some Sweet Day/ South/ Stompin' At The Riverside/ Sunrise On A Guinea Farm/ Texas Quickstep/ Wake Up Susan/ Weary Heart And Worried Mind/ Why Waste Your Tears On Me

 
DICK CURLESS Sundazed 9001 Tombstone Every Mile ● CD $12.98
Reissue of 1965 album originally issued on the Tower label. It includes the hit title song a Dan Fulkerson composition about a treacherous stretch of Maine highway. Originally issued on the Maine-based Allagash label, its success landed him a contract with Tower, a subsidiary label of Capitol. It also includes King Of The Road/ Cupid's Arrow/ Tear Drops In My Heart/ Nine Pound Hammer/ Heart Talk and more. Includes repoduction of original album and new notes by country music expert Rich Kienzle.

 
BOBBY HELMS Koch 9802 The Little Darlin' Sound Of Bobby Helms ● CD $12.98
15 songs recorded for the Little Darlin' label between 1967 and 1970 including remakes of his Decca hits Fraulein and My Special Angel plus his 1967 hits He Thought He'd Die Laughing and others like By The Time I Get To Phoenix/ I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry/ Your Cheatin' Heart/ It's Such A Pretty World Today/ I Know One/ Apt. No. 9/ Look What You've Done To My World, etc.

 
RUSTY & DOUG KERSHAW WITH WILEY BARKDULL Ace CDCH2 992 Louisiana Man - Complete Hickory Recordings ● CD $23.98
Two CD set with 56 tracks featuring all the recordings made for Hickory by Rusty and Doug Kershaw and their close associate Wiley Barkdull. A mix of country, rock 'n' roll and country music including their original version of the much recorded anthem Louisiana Man, the follow up hit Diggy Liggy Lo and the fine rockabilly tune Hey Mae. In addition to being featured on a number of Rusty and Doug's cuts the distinctive bass vocalist Wiley Barkdull is featured on 16 tracks under his own name and the set includes a track by Rusty & Doug with Al Terry.

 
PEE WEE KING Collectables 7322 Country Barn Dance/ Biggest Hits ● CD $11.98
Reissue of two LPs from the mid 60s featuring vocals by Redd Stewart, Gene Stewart and others including King himself - Changing Partners/ Last Night On The Back Porch/ Till I Waltz Again With You/ Over The Waves/ Waltz Of The Alamo/ My Adobe Hacienda/ Steel Guitar Rag/ Slow Poke/Tennessee Waltz/ Rag Mop, etc.

 
LEON MCAULIFFE Harlequin 185 Take It Away Leon ● CD $16.98
25 track collection including all 12 sides Leon McAuliffe recorded for Majestic in 1947, a four track big band set from 1946 with 2 brass and 3 reeds and eight live tracks from 1947/48. Sidemen include Eldon Shamblin, Morris Billington, Don Harlan and others. Includes 24 page booklet with notes by Kevin Coffey.

 
JAMES & FRANK MCCRAVY B.A.C.M. 085 Old Time Harmony Singing ● CD $14.98
Although they were prolific and popular in the late 20s and early 30s and recorded more than 200 sides this is the first CD reissue of this duo. Their performances sound very and they are backed by small studio groups which sometimes includes Carson Robison or Roy Smeck.
FRANK & JAMES MCCRAVY: Down Where The Cotton Blossoms Grow/ Leave It There/ Let Me Hear The Songs My Mother Used To Sing/ No Hiding Place Down There (sister Lucy)/ Old Fashioned Photograph Of Mother/ Ring Them Heavenly Bells/ She Was Bred In Old Kentucky/ Six Feet Of Earth/ Stand By Me/ Sweet Genevieve/ Sweet Marie/ Swinging On The Golden Gate/ The Vacant Chair/ These Bones Gwine Rise Again/ Till The End Of The Waltz/ Trail Of The Lonesome Pine/ Trundle Bed/ When I Wore My Daddy‘s Brown Derby/ When The Rest Of The Crowd Go Home/ When They Ring The Golden Bells/ When You And I Were Young Maggie

 
CLAYTON MCMICHEN B.A.C.M. 081 The Legendary Fiddler ● CD $14.98
24 tracks recorded between 1926 and 1939 by this legendary fiddler who is best known for his work with The Skillet Lickers and features him with various groups mostly going under the name of McMichen's Georgia Wildcats. About half instrumental and half vocal it includes some vocals by McMichen himself, Riley Puckett, Slim Bryant and others.
CLAYTON MCMICHEN: Arkansas Traveller/ Bummin' On The I. C. Line/ Cumberland Valley Waltz/ Devil's Dream/Rickett'Hornpipe/Fisher's Hornpipe/ Fire On The Mountain/Ida Red/Sally Goodin/ Frankie & Johnny/ Georgia Wildcat Breakdown/ Honolulu Moon/ I Don't Love Nobody/ Little Darling I'll Be Yours/ Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane/ McMichen's Reel/ Mississippi Sawyer/ Missouri Waltz/ My Carolina Home/ Please Don't Sell My Pappy No More Rum/ Rose Of Shenandoah Valley/ Smoky Mountain Home/ Soldier's Joy/Arkansas Traveller/ Sourwood Mnt./Peter went a-fishin'/Sugar In The Gourd/ Sweet Bunch Of Daisies/ The Dying Hobo/ Turkey In The Straw/Hen Cackle/Dance All Night/ WildCat Rag/ Yum Yum Blues

 
BILL NETTLES & THE DIXIE BLUE BOYS Jasmine 3548 Hadacol Boogie ● CD $11.98
Fine collection of 24 sides recorded in late 40s and early 50s by excellent group including the original version of the much covered Hadacol Boogie plus Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me/ You're Breaking My Broken Heart Again/ Do Right Daddy/ Long Road To Travel/ I'm Footlose Now (And Free To Run)/ Hadacol Bounce/ The Same Thing Could Happen To You and more.

 
JOHNNY PAYCHECK Koch 9800 The Little Darlin' Sound Of Johnny Paycheck ● CD $12.98
15 of the earliest recordings by this distinctive performer recorded between 1958 and 1962 - most of the previously unissued! Includes Don't Start Countin' On Me/ High Heels And No Soul/ Passion And Pride/ I'm Glad To Have Her Back Again/ Gallaway Bay/ Shackles And Chains/ When You're Tired Of Breaking Their Hearts/ Stone Heart, etc.

 
THE PICKARD FAMILY B.A.C.M. 084 Walking In The Parlour - Old Time Playing And Singing ● CD $14.98
Delightful collection of 21 tracks by this family who are little known today but were among the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Led by multi instrumentalist Obed Pickard who played fiddle, guitar, banjo, harmonica and Jews harp he was usually joined by his wife Leila May on piano, daughter Ruth on accordion and sons Bubb & Charlie on guitars. A varied collection recorded between 1927 and 1930 it includes traditional and vaudeville songs performed with skill and enthusiasm including Behind The Parlour Door/ Get Away From That Window/ Kitty Wells (the song that inspired Muriel Deason to change her name to Kitty Wells)/ The Old Grey Horse (a solo Jews harp piece)/ On The Dummy Line/ She Never Came Back/ She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain/ Buffalo Gals/ The Blind Boys Lament, etc.
THE PICKARD FAMILY: Behind The Parlour Door/ Birmingham Jail/ Buffalo Gals/ Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie/ Down In Arkansas/ Get Away From That Window/ Goodbye My Honey/ I’ll Meet Her When The Sun Goes Down/ Kitty Wells/ Life’s Railroad To Heaven/ My Old Boarding House/ On The Dummy Line/ Rabbit In The Pea Patch/ She Never Came Back/ She’ll Be Comin’ Round The Mountain/ The Blind Boy’s Lament/ The Little Red Caboose Behind The Train/ The Old Gray Goose Is Dead/ The Old Grey Horse/ The Picture On The Wall/ Walking In The Parlour

 
RED SIMPSON Sundazed 9003 Roll, Truck, Roll ● CD $12.98
12 tracks, highly recommended
This is a real sleeper, a fine collection of trucker standards recorded before Simpson, Bakersfield's answer to Dave Dudley, had his biggest hit with I'm A Truck. It includes the predictable in Six Days On The Road, Give Me Forty Acres (catch the 12-string electric guitar picking here) and Truck Driver's Blues. Most of the obscure material was penned by Bakersfield artists. Tommy Collins wrote the title track. Buck Owens and Red penned Motivatin' Man/ My Baby's Waitin' and Runaway Truck. Simpson's version of Truck Drivin' Man was copied note-for-note by Commander Cody on their 1972 "Hot Licks, Cold Steel" album. This great specimen of mid-60s Bakersfield is one you might be inclined to pass by. Don't, especially if you like Dwight or the "Town South Of Bakersfield" albums. Reissue of Capitol ST-2468 from 1966. (RK)

 
RED SIMPSON Sundazed 9004 Truck Drivin' Fool ● CD $12.98
12 more fine songs about the trucking life including originals and covers - Diesel Smoke & Dangerous Curves/ Black Smoke Blowin' Over 18 Wheels (That's Home Sweet Home)/ Take Me Home/ A Tombstone Every Mile/ I'll Be Going Home To Momma/ Old Sam and more.

 
TUT TAYLOR & NORMAN BLAKE Tut-Lee 1001 Flat Pickin' In The Kitchen ● CD $15.98
24 tracks recorded informally between 1970 and '73 with various other musicians turning up including John Hartford, Vassar Clements, Sam Bush, Randy Wood, Grant Boatwright and others. Norman does a couple of vocals but it's mostly instrumental versions of traditional and more recent tunes like Running Wild/ Train Wreck/ Arkansas Traveler/ Liberty/ Rosinea/ In The Old City/ Cakewalk, etc.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Big Beat CDWIKD 232 Bakersfield Rebels ● CD $16.98
A collection of country and country rock from the vaults of Maverick producer Gary Paxton's Bakersfield Internation labels. 25 tracks including 10 previously unissued from Kenny Vernon, Dennis Payne,The Dudes, Jan Paxton, The Spencers, Guilbeau and Parsons, Dee Mize, Gary Paxton, Larry Daniels & The BuckshotsBakersfields Big Guitars, The LeGarde Twins and others. Sidemen on these recordings include Clarence White, Gib Gilbeau and Gene Parsons. Come with 20 page illustrated booklet.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Collector 2873 Rough Stuff Boppin' ● CD $16.98
More obscure up-tempo hillbilly from Collector including sides by Honey & Sonny, Cliff Clay & The Rainbow Rhythmaires, Bill Mercum & Jimmie Evans, James O'Gwynn & His Cry Babies (one of the few "names" here with the fine honky-tonker Ready For Freddy), Bill Price With The Cunningham Brothers, Harold Cavallero, Th Old Dixie DrifterSalty Holmes with Joe Maphis, Marty Martin, Don Cathey, Bennie Hess and others.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Country Routes 33 Country Girls On Western Ranch Party ● CD $16.98
35 tracks recorded live from the T.V. show "Western Ranch Party" between 1957 and 1960. Hosted by Tex Ritter who does several of the introductions it includes performances by Bonnie Guitar, The Collins Kids, Patsy Cline, Lorrie Collins, Tabby West, Rose Lee Maphis, Fiddlin' Kate, Jeannie Mack, Wanda Jackson (a great live version of her classic I Gotta Know with great guitar from Joe Maphis), Mary Lou Nell, The Three Rays, Rose Lee Maphis, Audrey Williams (oh the pain!), Marilyn Tuttle and others.
PATSY CLINE: I've Loved And Lost Again/ Walkin' After Midnight/ LORRIE COLLINS: Beautiful Lies/ Heartbeat/ Just For You/ Oh Ma! Can't You Make Him Behave/ Red Suede Jacket/ Soda Poppin' Around/ THE COLLINS KIDS: Bye Bye Love/ Hey Mr. Guitar (play A Tune For Me)/ How'd Ya Like/ FIDDLIN' KATE: Carroll County Blues/ Fiddle Tune/ Liberty/ Rubber Dolly/ BONNIE GUITAR: Dark Moon/ Don't Be Cruel/ I Almost Lost My Mind/ I Get So Lonely/ WANDA JACKSON: I Gotta Know/ JEANNIE MACK: Dirty Dishes/ ROSE LEE MAPHIS: Old Fiddler Joe/ You Ain't Got The Sense You Were Born With/ MARY LOU NELL: Bill Bailey/ THE RANCH PARTY GANG: Seein' Nellie Home/ THE THREE RAYS: You Are My Sunshine/ THE TOWN HALL GIRLS: Skip To My Lou/ THE TOWN HALL GANG: Wait For The Light To Shine/ MARILYN TUTTLE: Look What Followed Me Home Tonight/ TABBY WEST: Take A Look At That Moon/ AUDREY WILLIAMS: Tornado Of Love/ DOROTHY WRIGHT: I Ain't Gonna Wash My Face/ Just A Closer Walk With Thee

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS JSP JSPCD 7731 Bluegrass - Classic Recordings Remastered ● CD $28.98
Four CD set with 96 tracks. Two-thirds of of the tracks feature bluegrass recordings from the 1940s and early 50s and the rest features old time country music from the 30s and early 40s that forms the roots of country music.
HOBO JACK ADKINS: Going Back To Old Kentucky/ You Have Left Me Memories/ THE BAILEY BROTHERS & THE HAPPY VLLEY BOYS: Rattlesnake Daddy/ RED BELCHER & THE KENTUCKY RIDGERUNNERS: Kentucky Is Only A Dream/ RED BELCHER & THE KENTUCKY RIDGERUNNRS: The Old Grey Goose/ BUSTER CARTER & PRESTON YOUNG: I'll Roll In My Baby's Arms/ MARVIN COBB, FRANK WAKEFIELD & THE CHAIN MOUNTA: New Campdown Races/ THE COLWELL BROTHERS: Blue Bonnet Lane/ CONNIE & BABE: How Will The Flowers Bloom/ Roll On Blues/ The Last Love Letter/ The Lonely Waltz/ STONEY COOPER & WILMA LEE: This World Can't Stand Long/ Wicked Path Of Sin/ JIM EANES & HIS SHENANDOAH VALLEY BOYS: Blue Yodel #1/ Curtains Of Sorrow/ Down Among The Budded Roses/ Florida Blues/ Little Brown Hand/ Missing In Action/ Tomorrow May Be Different/ ROY HALL & HIS BLUE RIDGE ENTERTAINERS: Can You Forgive/ Come Back Little Pal/ Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die/ I Wonder Where You Are Tonight/ Little Sweetheart Come And Kiss Me/ Lonesome Dove/ Loving You Too Well/ Natural Bridge Blues/ Polecat Blues/ The Best Of Friends Must Part Sometime/ Wabash Cannonball/ Where The Roses Never Fade/ ’neath The Bridge At The Foot Of The Hill/ THE HALL BROTHERS: Little Mohee/ The Wrong Road/ THE HAMM BROTHERS: He Saved My Soul/ FRANK HUNTER & HIS BLACK MOUNTAIN BOYS: Long Time ,no See/ JERRY & SKY: Orange Blossom Secial/ HACK JOHNSON & HIS TENNESSEANS: Home Sweet Home/ RONNIE KNITTEL & HOLSTON VALLEY RAMBLERS: Holston Valley Breakdown/ PEE WEE LAMBERT & CURLEY PARKER: Just A Memory/ Weary Hobo/ THE LILLY BROTHERS: They Sleep Together Now At Rest/ What Are They Doing In Heaven Today/ THE LONESOME PINE FIDDLERS: Don't Forget Me/ I'm Left Alone/ Lonesome Pine Breakdown/ Lonesome, Sad And Blue/ Nobody Cares (not Even You)/ Pain In My Heart/ Twenty One Years/ Will I Meet Mother In Heaven?/ You Broke Your Promise/ TED LUNDY: I've Never Been So Lonesome/ WADE MAINER & THE SONS OF THE MOUNTAINEERS: Don't Leave Me Alone/ I Won't Be Worried/ Lonely Tombs/ Old Reuben/ Poor Drunkard's Dream/ Rambling Boy/ Ramshackle Shack/ Short Life And It's Trouble/ Wild Bill Jones/ You May Forsake Me/ J.E. MAINER'S MOUNTAINEERS: Blue Ridge Mountain Blues/ Concord Rag/ Don't Get Trouble In Your Mind/ Drunkard's Hiccoughs/ Johnson's Old Grey Mule/ Maple On The Hill/ Seven And A Half/ THE MORRIS BROTHERS: Salty Dog Blues/ SONNY OSBORNE: I'm On My Way To The Old Home/ BUSTER PACK & HIS LONESOME PINE BOYS: Better Late Than Never/ BYRON PARKER & HIS MOUNTAINEERS: C & N.w. Railroad Blues/ Carroll County Blues/ Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar/ Married Life Blues/ Up Jumped The Devil/ We Shall Rise/ REBE & RABE: Helen/ Mother, Sweet Mother/ JOHN REEDY & HIS STONE MOUNTAIN BOYS: Somebody Touched Me/ THE ROUSE BROTHERS: Orange Blossom Special/ THE SAUCEMAN BROTHERS: Hallelujah, We Shall Rise/ THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY TRIO: Let Me Rest (at The End Of My Journey)/ L.C. SMITH, RALPH MAYO & THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAI: Radio Boogie/ TOBY STROUD & THE BLUE MOUNTAIN BOYS: Jesse James/ Tragic Romance/ CECIL SURRATT & HIS WEST VIRGINIA RAMBLERS: The Bright Crystal Sea/ Where Will You Spend Eternity/ FRANK WAKEFIELD & BUSTER TURNER: Leave Well Enough Alone/ You're The One (i See In My Dreams)/ WHITEY & HOGAN: Jesse James/ PHEBEL WRIGHT: Lint Head Stomp

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS Proper BOX 75 SWinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys ● CD $25.98
4 CD box set, 114 tracks, essential
This well-conceived 4-CD set anthologizes the country-and-western style that dominated juke-joint Wurlitzers between 1945 and 1950. Spawned in southern California dance halls, it took full advantage of newly available p.a. systems, placing vocalists front and center over a band's airtight, guitar-driven backbeat. Filled with instrumental breaks of dazzling virtuosity, this music was really more uptown than hoedown. Heavy on novelties, uptempo blues and boogies, it hastened the end of the classic Western swing era and inspired a future generation of honky-tonkers. Though Columbia, RCA Victor and Decca had a strong Los Angeles presence, much of this music was captured by feisty independent labels, few of which survived into the microgroove era. Disc One focuses on music from these labels, including classic tracks by Arkie Shibley (Hot Rod Race), Jimmy Walker (Detour/ High Geared Daddy), Merl Lindsay (Shimmy Shakin' Daddy), Luke Wills (Four or Five Times), Merle Travis (Hominy Grits/ I Used to Work in Chicago), Jimmy Dolan (Tennessee Baby), Maddox Brothers & Rose (Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down), Porky Freeman Trio (Boogie Woogie Boy) and many others. Betsy Gay's 1953 cut of Leiber & Stoller's Hound Dog is a fascinating curio. Disc Two covers tracks released by Capitol, the era's only West Coast indie to reach major-label status. Artists surveyed here include Cliffie Stone, Eddie Kirk, Wesley Tuttle, Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant, Jack Guthrie, Tex Williams, Merrill Moore, Gene O'Quinn, Roy Hogsed, Leon Chappel, Skeets McDonald, Red Murrell and others - few national hits here, but lots of great music. Disc Three is "Cowboy & Western," a catch-all category for sides by Bob Wills, Hank Penny, the Sons of the Pioneers, Smokey Rogers, Spade Cooley, Tex Ritter, Foy Willing and Tex Williams, among others. Disc Four is "The Hits" - shellac that coin-ops bought by the crateload. Many are familiar (Jack Guthrie's Oklahoma Hills; Hank Thompson's The Wild Side of Life and Whoa, Sailor; Jimmy Wakely's One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart; Skeets McDonald's Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes), but others are not. Some might quibble that this disc uses Johnny Bond's Divorce Me C.O.D. and So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed instead of Merle Travis's originals. But hey, Columbia sold tons of these covers and how often does Bond's music get reissued, anyway? The box includes a 64-page booklet with a discography and grammatically awkward but informative notes by Adam Komorowski. The sound quality varies from track to track but is generally superior to most Proper reissues. All in all, this is a great budget-priced sampler of a significant, transitional period in country music history. (DS)
LES ANDERSON: And I Shook/ GENE AUTRY: I Wish I Had Never Met Sunshine/ Over And Over Again/ JOHNNY BOND: Divorce Me C.O.D./ So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed/ Tennessee Saturday Night/ The Daughter Of Jole Blon/ JIMMY BRYANT: Jelly Beans Daddy/ JENKS (TEX) CARMAN: Hillbilly Hula/ LEON CHAPPEL: Streamlined Gal/ True Blue Papa/ ZEKE CLEMENTS: Oklahoma Blues/ SPADE COOLEY: Yodelling Polka/ TED DAFFAN'S TEXANS: Too Far Gone/ AL DEXTER: Honey Do You Think It's Wrong/ Triflin' Gal/ Wine Women And Song/ JIMMIE DOLAN: Tennessee Baby/ RAMBLIN' JIMMIE DOLAN: Hot Rod Race/ Juke Box Boogie/ TRUMAN DUFF: Rougue River Boogie/ TOMMY DUNCAN: Who Drank The Beer (While I Was In The Rear)/ PORKY FREEMAN: Boogie Woogie Boy/ BETSY GAY: Hound Dog/ HOMINY GRITS: Tem Martin/ JACK GUTHRIE: No Need To Knock On My Door/ Oklahoma Hills/ JOHNNY HICKS: Hamburger Hop/ BUDD HOBBS: Lazy Mary/ ROY HOGSED: Cocaine Blues/ Put Some Sugar In Your Shoes/ She's A Mean Mean Woman/ BILLY HUGHES BUCKAROOS: Take Your Hands Off It/ LEODIE JACKSON: Steelin' The Blues/ ANN JONES: Baby Sitter's Blues/ OAKIE JONES: Love Fever/ BRAD KING: You Ain't Got My Number Anymore/ EDDIE KIRK: Saturday Night Time Blues/ Sugar Baby/ The Gods Were Angry With Me/ MERL LINDSAY: Shimmy Shakin' Daddy/ THE MADDOX BROS & ROSE: I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again/ Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down/ KEN MARVIN: Why Don't You Haul Off And Love Me/ LEON MCAULIFFE: Take It Away Leon/ SKEETS MCDONALD: Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes/ Scoot Git And Begone/ MERRILL E. MOORE: House Of Blue Lights/ ELLA MAE MORSE & TENESSEE ERNIE FORD: I'm Hog Tied Over You/ RED MURRELL: Ernest Tubb's Talking Blues/ Get That Chip Off Your Shoulder/ Git Fiddle Boogie/ Paper Heart/ GENE O'QUINN: Boogie Woogie Fever/ Keep A Talkin' Baby/ HANK PENNY: Merle's Buck Dance/ Fan It/ OLE RAMUSSEN: Sleepy Eyed John/ DICK REINHART: Hot Rod Baby/ TEX RITTER: Cattle Call/ ROY ROGERS: I'm Gonna Gallop Gallop To Gallup New Mexico/ My Chickasay Gal/ SMOKEY ROGERS: Catch Me Cheatin'/ I Can't Help The Way I Feel/ ARKIE SHIBLEY: Hot Rod Race/ CASEY SIMMONS: Juke Box Boogie/ THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS: Cigareets And Whuskey And Wild Wild Women/ Cool Water/ Red River Valley/ RUDY SOOTER: Easy Payment Blues/ DEUCE SPRIGGINS: Who Broke The Lock On The Henhouse Door/ GEORGE STOGNER: Hard Top Race/ CLIFFIE STONE: He's A Real Gone Okie/ Jump Rope Boogie/ Knock On Wood/ Peepin' Through The Keyhole/ Silver Stars, Purple Sage, Eyes Of Blue/ When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again/ TIN EAR TANNER: I Used To Work In Chicago/ DUSTY TAYLOR: Ranger Boogie/ HANK THOMPSON: Rub-A-Dub Dub/ The Wild Side Of Life/ Whoa Sailor/ MERLE TRAVIS: What A Shame/ WES TUTTLE: Mail Order Mama/ Out On The Open Range/ Rainin' On The Mountain/ With Tears In My Eyes/ JOHNNY TYLER: That Wild And Wicked Look In Your Eye/ T. TEXAS TYLER: Divorce Me C.O.D./ JIMMY WAKELY: I Love You So Much It Hurts Me/ One Has My Name, The Other Has My Heart/ Til The End Of The World/ JIMMY WALKER: Detour/ High Geared Daddy/ SPEEDY WEST: Speedin' West/ Bryant's Bounce/ JIMMIE WIDENER: I'm All Through Trusting You/ JESS WILLARD: Slippin' Around With Jole Blon/ Truck Driver's Boogie/ CURLEY WILLIAMS: Just A Pickin' And A Singin'/ TEX WILLIAMS: Artistry In Western Swing/ Never Trust A Woman/ Suspicion/ Talkin' Boogie/ Wild Card/ FOY WILLING: Detour/ BOB WILLS: Bottle Baby Boogie/ Smoke Across The Water/ Stars And Stripes On Iwo Jima/ JOHNNIE LEE WILLS: Lazy John/ LUKE WILLS: Four Or Five Times/ A Nickel In The Jukebox/ SHEB WOOLEY: Hoot Owl Boogie

 
THE VERN WILLIAMS BAND Arhoolie 514 Traditional Bluegrass ● CD $12.98
16 tracks, essential Mandolin and tenor lead Vern Williams did for Berkeley what the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover did for Cambridge: they introduced the driving, unrelenting bluegrass of Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and Jimmy Martin to a generation of urban college students. Williams's 1959-1974 partnership with the late guitarist Ray Park inspired such budding musicians as Jerry Garcia, Herb Pedersen and Sandy Rothman, and yielded a classic Starday EP. From 1974 to 1989 he helmed the Vern Williams Band, which recorded a superb Rounder album ("Bluegrass from the Gold Country," Rounder 0131, $15.98) and backed Rose Maddox on one of her final albums ("Rose of West Coast Country," Arhoolie CD 314, $12.98). Recently Tom Diamant (former proprietor of the innovative, much-lamented Kaleidoscope label) culled through hours of superbly recorded 1982-88 concert tapes to assemble the first new Vern Williams Band album in more than two decades. Many songs here will be familiar to longtime bluegrassers - ten come from the Monroe & Stanley repertoires - but so what? These are intense, killer performances of a caliber that contemporary bluegrass bands rarely match. The liner notes include a recent interview with Williams. Kudos to Diamant and Arhoolie for rescuing these recordings and sharing them with us. (DS)

 

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