Jeanie C & The Country Caravan "First Time" (Lark Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
According to the liner notes, this group from Frederick County, Maryland was led by singer Jeanie Class and first formed in 1975. They performed steadily throughout the region, with perhaps the band's high point being its selection to represent the county during Maryland's inaugural ceremonies for President Jimmy Carter. At the time this album came out they were holding down a gig at the Statler Hilton Hotel in Annapolis and like many local bands, seem to have had a shifting lineup over the years. The group recording on this album included Keith Carter on drums, Juggy Donovan (piano), Dale Higgs (bass), Dennis Jackson (drums), Buck Lighthorn (lead guitar), Bill Shanholzer (steel guitar), Bobby Weddle (vocals) and Buddy Weddle on rhythm guitar. Their repertoire included popular hits such as "If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body" and Gene Watson's "Farewell Party," as well as oldies like "Crazy," "Statue Of A Fool" and "Sea Cruise," as well as relatively obscure tunes such as Delbert McClinton's "Two More Bottles Of Wine," which I presume they picked up from Emmylou Harris. Not sure how long Ms. Class stayed with the band, but this disc is a fine legacy; a different lineup, still featuring Buddy Weddle, recorded an album as Country Caravan a few years later, in 1985.

Cactus Country Band "Flor Del Rio" (Hacienda Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by James Lisenba & Jerry McCord)
Singers Janie C. Ramirez and Hilario Ramirez fronted this Tex-Mex-meets-twang band from Corpus Christi, Texas, playing a mix of classic country hits ("Paper Roses," "Pretty Fraulein," "Jambalaya" and "Margaritaville") and traditional Mexican folk and ranchera tunes. They recorded several albums, which I hopefully can track down soon.

Shirley Caddell - see artist discography

Calamity Jane "Calamity Jane" (Columbia Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Sherrill)
Terrible. Utterly forgettable and un-noteworthy except that this all-gal band was the genesis of the songwriting partnership of Pam Rose and Mary Ann Kennedy, who went on to bill themselves as "Kennedy Rose" and develop a faithful following in the '80s and '90s. This is a remarkably tepid album, marked by the sad, impotent dregs of the '70s countrypolitan sound -- Billy Sherrill was billed as producer, but there's very little of his signature wall-of-sound style on display here. It's a very thin-sounding album, with arrangements that do very little to boost their voices, leaving the vocals sounding flat and forlorn. Some unfortunate pop covers, as well as some original material that may be of interest to fans.

Pat Callaway & Coby Callaway "Country Wine" (Country Wine Records, 1976) (LP)
The Callaways appear to have originally been from around Lubbock, Texas, and played in the Corpus Christi area in the 'Seventies. At the time this record came out they were doing supper-club gigs at places such as Ray's Steakhouse, and had put together a revue called Pat And Coby Callaway's Donnybrook Show. This album includes eight originals written by Pat Callaway, including "Drunken Dusty Road" and "John Deere Foundry" which, along with several other tracks, appear to have been recycled on his solo album (below). There are also a bunch of cover songs, including "Delta Dawn," "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Let Me Be There," and even a Hank Williams medley. They seems to have split up as a duo act: the next album on this label was his solo release, while by the early 'Eighties, Coby Callaway was fronting a band called Coby & Spring, which included pianist Eric Lemons and guitarist Fender Tucker.

Kate Campbell - see artist discography

Canadian Sweethearts/Lucille Starr "Side By Side: Pop And Country/Lonely Street" (Collector's Choice, 2004)
The Canadian Sweethearts were the husband-wife duo of singer Lucille Starr and guitarist Bob Regan, who were regional stars in the 1960s, dabbling in a wide variety of pop styles, in addition to a healthy base of fairly twangy country. This CD combines two albums recorded in 1968 for Epic Records -- Side By Side: Pop And Country and Lonely Street, which was released as a Lucille Starr solo album... It's a little bit staid, but a nice time capsule, nonetheless. Also see Lucille Starr's solo albums.

Canadian Sweethearts "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe" (Hydra Records, 2003)
Early rock'n'roll/rockabilly oriented material... and it's pretty fun! Interesting intersection of hick-oriented country and teenybopper pop. Also includes some of Starr's solo pop recordings ("The French Song," etc.) and lots of kooky novelty tunes, such as a surfabilly version of the Scottish bagpipe tune, "Highlands Lassie." Definitely worth checking out.

Judy Canova "Collector's Edition" (Simitar Records, 1998)

Judy Canova "Ozark Nightingale" (Collector's Choice, 2004)
She wasn't really a country singer, but like many mainstream pop artists such as Dorothy Shay and Arthur Godfrey, Canova played on a broad "hillbilly" stereotype to deliver warped versions of popular songs of the day. These radio performances (from the 1940s perhaps?) capture Canova at her best: playful, corny yet canny, and a powerful performer. Included are several of her signature tunes, such as her rollicking versions of "Just Because" and "The Wabash Cannonball," and omits other songs that play more into the hick schtick... All in all, this is a pretty fun set, although it really should be classed more closely with pop vocals and show tunes than with legitimate country stuff. But does that really matter? Check it out for yourself, and find out.

Laura Cantrell - see artist discography

The Cantrells "Roy And Cindy" (Label Unknown, 19--?) (LP)
This one's a real DIY ultra-obscuro -- the husband-and-wife team of Roy and Cindy Cantrell were apparently a mainstream-oriented country duo from Waco, Texas, who toured throughout the South and Midwest, and had at least one appearance on the Opry stage. This is all according to the color-xeroxed pamphlet that was stapled to this bare-bones LP -- which otherwise it has no album art whatsoever, and no other information besides the song titles listed in the inner labels. According to the booklet, Roy Cantrell saw Johnny Cash play a show in Anchorage, Alaska and was inspired to try to become a country music singer himself... They first made a go of it in 1963 when a New York City club owner helped them cut some singles in LA, and they went to Nashville twice, in '63 and '66, but both times Music City crushed their dreams -- the pamphlet ruefully describes how they had to pawn their guitars just to get cab fare and money for food. There's a Billboard column from 1967 that mentions them as being signed to the Kash label, but I'm not sure if they ever released anything. They were still touring the Midwest as late as 1972, when their backup band was nicknamed Cantrell's Raiders. As for the date this LP came out, I'd guess anywhere from 1968-73, obviously self-released as a show memento, but done so cheaply that they decided to not even create any graphics at all. (Did this album actually come out with artwork? Anyone know for sure?) It's good music, with a few cover tunes such as "Hello City Limit" -- but it's mostly original material, as far as I can tell (there are no song credits, either...) The performances are generally pretty good, with twangy, old-school musicianship and vocals that remind me of Carl Smith and Loretta Lynn, though the vocals like the arrangements and the production values are pretty variable -- my guess is that these ten tracks were recorded at different times, over several years, possibly dating back to their first studio session in '63. If anyone has any info about this fine, forgotten duo, I'd love to hear more about them!

Angela Capers "Angela Capers" (Gulf Coast Sound/GCS Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Mark C. Purser & Michael Sheffer)
I have to confess that, in general, albums by child performers make me uncomfortable. Just on the face of it, they seem exploitative and hint at some kind of overbearing adult presence. Also, most kids, unless they're Michael Jackson or Brenda Lee, don't have their "real" voice until they're much older, so what's the point? This disc by young Ms. Capers is perhaps a case in point... The music is slick and glossy, and often over-mixed to the point it's hard to tell how good a singer she was, though basically you get the idea. She was a kid. She had a kid's voice. This undated album is a little shrouded in mystery -- it was recorded in Pensacola, Florida with what seems to be a local crew and is packed with original material, including a track by producer Mark Purser, one written by Ms. Capers called "Like My Daddy Did," which was an album highlight. I wasn't able to track down any information about Ms. Capers -- a lot of people out there have the same name -- though it looks like she was about nine or ten when she cut this disc, and the album looks like it was made in the late 1980s or early '90s. The musicians included Mark Purser on keyboards, along with Terry Blackwell on guitar, Robert Byrne (guitar), Mike Chapman (bass), Lamar Hall (steel guitar), Owen Hale (drums), Clayton Ivey (keyboards), Rusty Jones (bass), Paul Reinbo (guitar), and Karen Stone providing backing vocals. The presence of multiple people playing the same instruments suggests that it took a while to finish this album and that it was recorded in several sessions, and indeed there's an inconsistency from track to track, with some songs sounding thinner or more tinkly than others, though they all sound super-modern and poppy. Not a disc you have to run to go find, but a good example of very late-vintage "private press" country.

Carlette "The Anthology" (Lost Gold Records)
A collection of Back Forty stuff from the mid-1980s by singer Carlette Ruff...

Brandi Carlile - see artist discography

Paulette Carlson "Love Goes On" (Capitol Records, 1991)

Paulette Carlson "Christmas Is For You" (Music Mill Records, 1995)
A holiday offering from the former lead singer of Highway 101... Features two originals by Carlson, "Christmas Is For You" and "Mrs. Santa Claus," along with a slew of standards... (For more holiday music, check out my Hillbilly Holiday section...)

Paulette Carlson "It's About Time" (Pandean Records, 2006)
(Produced by Paulette Carlson)
A reissue of her 2005 album of the same name (reviewed here earlier): "The former lead singer from Highway 101 soldiers on... in more ways than one. Draping herself in the flag, Carlson pays tribute to Vietnam-era veterans, on "Thank You Vets," and sings a couple of other patriotic songs... The stars-and-stripes imagery may be a little misleading, though, since most of the songs on this album are straightforward heartsongs, which she carries pretty well. Regardless, Carlson's fans should be thrilled to hear this self-produced effort... All but two of the songs are Carlson originals, and she shows herself to be a capable performer, even with her voice thinning a bit with age. It's been a while since she was in the charts, but she's still a solid, sincere singer, and this is a good independently-released effort, soulful and understated. Worth checking out!" One thing I neglected to mention back then was what a striking vocal similarity she has to Stevie Nicks... (and I mean that in a good way!) Overall, pretty durn good.

Janis Carnes "Hoagy 'N Me: Janis Carnes Sings The Songs Of Hoagy Carmichael" (Peer Music, 2005)
A later recording from a successful '80s/'90s songwriter, whose stuff was recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Steve Wariner and others. She recorded a series of singles (on various labels) with her husband and songwriting partner, Rick Carnes, but as far as I can tell none of that stuff has made it onto an album. This album indulges her love of old jazz-vocal standards.

Carolina Cotton - see artist discography

Mary Chapin Carpenter -- see artist discography

Marcy Carr "How Many Heartaches" (OL Records, 1988) (LP)
(Produced by Jerry Abbott & Overton Lee)
Not a lot of info about this one -- Marcy Carr may have been a Lone Star gal, as several singles from this album were recorded at the Pantego Sound studio in Arlington, Texas. She looks very big-hair 'Eighties, although the music isn't as glossy as you might think, basically a stripped-down, small-band honkytonk sound framing a voice that teeters between a husky Patsy Cline-ish timbre and something closer to Loretta Lynn. Producer Overton Lee clearly had high hopes for this singer, releasing at least a half-dozen singles by Ms. Carr, though apparently she faded out of sight not long after recording this set. She made at least one appearance on Ralph Emery's Nashville Now TV show, a 1989 episode headlined by Waylon Jennings, and was nominated for the "independent female vocalist of the year" in Cash Box magazine's Nashville Music Awards show that same year.

Mary Carr "Many Moods Of Mary" (K-Ark Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Capps)
A mystery gal, possibly from Georgia, who wrote some of her own material and had a nice, old-school sound. This album includes some cover tunes, hits such as "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Me And Bobby McGee," and the teenpop oldie, "Johnny One Time." The liner notes mention that several songs were composed by Henry Marshall, who also is credited as arranger, though unfortunately no individual song credits are provided. Also, no musician credits, alas. Mary Carr is probably the same gal who recorded some of her own tunes a few years earlier on a 1967 single for the Trepur label, in LaGrange, Georgia... This album doesn't have a release date on it, but references on the back cover comparing Carr to Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette and Peggy Little suggest that this came out sometime around 1970-72, when Little was still on the scene.

Carrie Lou "Carrie Lou In Nashville" (Nashville Country Records, 1974-?) (LP)

Judy Carrier "From The Berkshires To The Smokies" (Grass Country Records, 1983-?) (LP)
(Produced by Robby Osborne)
Well-known on the East Coast festival scene, bluegrass singer Judy Carrier (nee Judy Ann Reed) was a veteran performer from the Massachusetts-based Pioneer Valley Jamboree, where she and her husband Whitey Carrier (1919-1976) were known as "the Bluegrass Sweethearts." She was also a talented and prolific songwriter, penning most of the songs on this album. The backing band includes some real pros, among them Tater Tate on fiddle, Wynn Osborne (banjo), Robby Osborne (guitar), Jack Tottle (mandolin), Gene Wooten (dobro, banjo), Terry Wehnt (pedal steel guitar) and Jim Brock on bass. I'm not totally sure of the date, but I think this was recorded in 1983, several years after her husband passed away.

Carrie Ann Carroll "You Should Know" (Treehouse Productions, 2014)
(Produced by Joe Carroll)
An enthusiastic though uneven set by a newcomer from Austin... Carroll sings poppy twang with angst-y, confessional lyrics, sort of spiral notebook/lonely diary type stuff. She gets strong backing from her band, particularly the delicate pedal steel and driving electric lead... The song that's designed to get the most notoriety, an jilted-lover-watching-her-ex-get-married anthem called "You Know What's Really F*cked Up?," is too loosely structured for me, but others, like "Call Me Darling," are a little subtler and more evocative. This set rides the edges of alt-country and confessional folk, and while she could probably have used a little more seasoning, Ms. Carroll may emerge as a potent force on the twang scene.

Holly Carroll "Holly Carroll" (Longhorn Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Red Rowe)
Not a lot of info on this one, though it Holly Carroll seems to have been a Southern California artist... An unusually glossy-looking offering from the western swing-oriented Longhorn label, which I gather had a short-lived stint in SoCal around the time. The backing band included jazz'n'twang bassist Red Wooten, as well as Al Vescovo on steel guitar and, um, some guy on saxophone among others. The set was partly recorded at Golden West Sound Studios, an independent studio based in Orange County, California. Obviously, more research is required.

Jenny Lou Carson "The Chin-Up Girl" (BACM, 2007)
One of the most successful songwriters of the WWII era hillbilly scene, Jenny Lou Carson (nee Virginia Lucille Overstake) was also one of the first female country stars. Carson started out in a family trio with two of her sisters, billed as the Overstake Sisters, and as "The Little Country Girls"; she also recorded under the pseudonym of Lucile Lee, and finally as Jenny Lou Carson, the name where she found her greatest fame. Carson wrote numerous hits, including "You Two-Timed Me Once Too Often," "Let Me Go, Lover," and "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle," which will be familiar to many fans of old-school country, albeit in mostly-male versions. This disc gathers her recordings as a solo performer, mostly with sentimental songs like "I L-O-V-E You" and "I Feel Like Crying Over You," but also with spicier novelty songs such as "I Married A Mouse Of A Man..." To be honest, even though she had a reputation as a bit of a wild woman, Carson sounds quite matronly and prim on many of these songs -- much more fun are the handful of earlier, raunchier novelty songs that come at the end of this album, saucy hokum-blues tunes recorded back in 1939, when she was just setting out on her own. These are all rare recordings from an artist best remembered as a composer, and nice nostalgic material that will be of interest to anyone looking into the foremothers of modern country.

Kendel Carson "Rearview Mirror Tears" (Train Wreck Records, 2007)

Kendel Carson "Alright Dynamite" (Train Wreck Records, 2009)

Martha Carson & James Roberts "I'm Gonna Let It Shine" (BACM, 2005)
Old-time gospel favorites from the fabled Martha Carson and her husband James Roberts... These old recordings haven't see the light of day in a long, long time...

Martha Carson "I'll Shout And Shine" (BACM, 2005)

Martha Carson "Martha Carson Sings" (RCA-Camden, 1965) (LP)

Anita Carter -- see artist discography

Carlene Carter -- see artist discography

Deana Carter - see artist discography

The Carter Family -- see artist discography

Jenny Carter "Layback With Jenny Carter" (Carto Records, 1984) (LP)
This looks promising. I'm not sure when this self-released album came out or what it sounds like, but I sure am curious... Jenny Carter was a Memphis-area musician who entered a songwriting competition in 1978 and played on local radio and TV. This album includes a lot of original material, all of it written or co-written by Ms. Carter, including a couple of tunes co-written with Cordell Jackson, a local realtor who also dabbled in music and music publishing. Not a lot of info about this one online... Anyone out there have any more to add?

Jimmy Carter & Dallas County Green "Summer Brings The Sunshine" (BOC Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Carter, Brad Edwards & B. J. Carnahan)
Indie twang from Missouri. Part of the sprawling network of local Ozark "opry" venues, Jimmy Carter's band included lead guitarist Bill Belky, Jerry Bell on bass, Mary Beth Lemons (vocals), Steve Lemons (rhythm guitar and keyboards), Steve Storey on drums, with a spotlight on lead singer Elaine Fender, who later recorded an album of her own after moving through a few different bands.

Kim Carter "The Hits Of Tammy Wynette" (Buckboard Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Owen)
Not sure who Kim Carter was (or if that was her real name) but outside of these two soundalike albums for the cheapie label, Buckboard Records, Carter doesn't seem to have left much of a dent in the annals of the country canon. Still, recording a couple of LPs ain't bad...

Kim Carter "The Dolly Parton Songbook" (Buckboard Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Larry Walker)
And who doesn't wanna hear more versions of "Jolene"? I know I do. It's the greatest song ever written. Still this is kind of an odd selection of Dollysongs -- particularly "Muleskinner Blues," which Parton didn't write -- but maybe I'm expecting too much from my fly-by-night cheapo albums. Can't help it. Sorry.

Maybelle Carter & The Carter Sisters -- see artist discography

Carter's Chord "Carter's Chord" (Universal-Show Dog, 2008)

Carter's Chord "Christmas" (EP) (Universal-Show Dog, 2010)

Carter's Chord "Wild Together" (EP) (Universal-Show Dog, 2011)
(Produced by Toby Keith & Mark Wright)
You might be disappointed if you thought this three-gal vocal group's name was an homage to the Carter Family... Unless of course, you were talking about Carlene Carter, 'cuz like Carlene in her younger years, this rough-cut trio want to make sure you know that they aren't just a bunch of harmless little "good girls." Indeed, on songs like "We Ain't Makin' Love," they go out of their way to underscore their carnality and downright raunchy horniness. Forget about the scented candles, baby, it's time to burn a hole in the rug!! To balance things out they close this 6-song EP with "Love A Little Bigger," a socially-conscious Christian country-pop song that urges everyone to be more thoughtful and thankful in life. (Of course, it's still a little self-absorbed: they start out by worrying about strangers who are starving, but instead of deciding to volunteer at a soup kitchen, they resolve to call their moms on the weekend. Well, every little bit helps, I guess...) Proteges of label head Toby Keith, these gals are a bit too overproduced for my tastes, but I'm sure old Toby knows what he's doing when it comes to making hits... So keep your eyes peeled.

Caitlin Cary - see artist discography

Neko Case - see artist discography

Laura Cash "Awake But Dreaming" (Cash House Records, 2010)
(Produced by Laura Cash)
The debut album of singer Laura Cash, wife of John Carter Cash, a gal who pays allegiance to old-school country heartsongs and western swing. Backing her are several top-flight studio pickers, including steel legend Lloyd Green, fiddler Bobby Flores, Pig Robbins on piano and Pete Wade on guitar. The songs are classics from the likes of Harlan Howard, Hank Snow, Bob Wills and other hillbilly composers... Cash herself contributes one original tune, a tribute to Appalachian impresario Roy Acuff -- "Song For Roy (Country Music's King)" -- which is one of the album's highlights. Can't say I'm actually that wild about Cash's vocals, but her heart is definitely in the right place, and she knows her hillbilly history -- a very sincere and thoughtful set of traditionalist twang.

June Carter Cash - see artist discography

Rosanne Cash - see artist discography

Cindy Cashdollar "Slide Show" (Silver Shot Records, 2004)

Linda Cassady "Just Bein' Me" (Cinkay Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Logan)
The late '70s were kind of the last gasp of true-indie labels making it onto the Country charts, with the scrappy CinKay label being a prime example. Illinois-born singer/composer Linda Cassady wriggled her way onto Billboard's radar several times, but always 'way back in the Back Forty. At one point, Cassady was a member of the WWVA Jamboree, and had some success as a songwriter, with some of her stuff being recorded by second-tier stars such as Barbara Fairchild and Loretta Lynn's sister, Peggy Sue. This album is notable for its abundance of original material, with over half the songs written by Ms. Cassady and several other credited to Jim Hurley... pretty good stuff, too!

Linda Cassady "Just Bein' Me" (Amigo Records, 1981) (LP)

Summer Cassidy "Lone Star" (Track Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Buzz Cason & Joe Funderburk)
Not a lot of info about this one... It looks to be a Nashville songwriter's demo set up by producer Buzz Cason, who contributes a couple of songs along with folks like Lee Roy Parnell and Freddy Weller. Ms. Cassidy also penned a couple, including "Texas Hoedown" and "Want You To Be." Most of the studio musicians were unfamiliar to me, though a few folks caught my eye, most notably Doyle Grisham on steel guitar, fiddler Mark O'Connor, and bass player Glenn Worf. At least one single was released off this album, "My Mama Was A Rodeo Queen" released as a single in 1989, and Cassidy got a few plugs in trade mags such as Cash Box in the early part of 1990. Other than that, a complete mystery!

The Cates Sisters "The Cates Sisters" (Caprice Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Bradley, Joe Mills & The Cates Sisters)
Originally from Independence, Missouri, sisters Marcy and Margie Cates performed and recorded as a country duo 'way back in the early 'Sixties, but they found their real niche as session singers in the Nashville studio system. They sang on countless gospel and secular sessions, including a number of albums on the Ovation label, which signed them in the late 'Seventies.

The Cates "Steppin' Out" (Ovation Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Brien Fisher)
A fairly tepid countrypolitan-meets-disco production, with sisters Marcy and Margie Cates harmonizing over mediocre pop-country arrangements. They seem caught between the future and the past: although there are hints of the synthy, new wave-ish style that groups like the Judds would perfect in the early '80s, these gals fall short of the sound and fall back on the sort of flowery sunshine-country/AOR that Donna Fargo and Anne Murray were singing about five years earlier. I guess these two had been singing together since the early '60s: the Praguefrank discography shows them releasing singles as early as 1963(!), assuming it's the same gals, and their names frequently appear in liner notes throughout the '70s as backup singers for both country and pop bands. Anyway, this isn't really a "bad" album, just kinda bland and a little behind the times. But if you're a fan of '70s soft pop and country-pop, this could be worth checking out.

The Cates Sisters "That's What I Like About The South" (Music Masters, 1980)

The Cates Sisters "Moments" (Salute Records, 1992)

The Cates Sisters "Crazy Dreams" (Red Bus Records, 2011)
This download-only reissue gathers the less-than-a-handful of singles they recorded for MCA around 1973-74, stuff that's more country, and more fun than their later work, including a little hint of honkytonk and western swing. Still not stellar, but okay for the times.

Connie Cato "Whoever Finds This, I Love You" (Capitol Records, 1977) (LP)
Only in the '70s could you have gotten away with an album title like this...

Peggy Caudill "I Met The Master" (Cabut Records, 1969) (LP)
Fierce, rootsy country gospel by Ms. Peggy Ruth Caudill, who according to the liner notes was born in 1939 in Portsmouth, Ohio. At some point Mrs. Caudill had a religious awakening -- the liner notes to this album say she had "been a Christian" for a year or so before recording this set, although I think that means she had converted to whatever evangelical denomination she had joined later in life. I'm not sure if she was part of the same Pentecostal network as other gospel artists in the area, but she certainly had a strong sense of true twang, as did other Dayton and Cincinnati-area singers who used the Rite Records custom company to release their work. Although she was originally from Ohio, I think Caudill later moved to northeastern Kentucky, though still inside the Cincinnati vortex.

Peggy Caudill "If I Can Make It Through The Valley" (Kingdom Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Caudill)
According to the liner notes, this was Mrs. Caudill's third album, with backing by local musicians Herman Bowen (bass), Lloyd Dean (steel guitar), Joan Gearhart (bass) and Chuck Morrison (electric guitar). They sound great. I haven't been able to track down the title of her other album, but I assume it's of an equal musical calibre to these two. Any additional info would be welcome!

The Chalker Sisters "Not Bad For Girls" (Mar-C Records, 1988-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dave Payne)

The Chambers "...And The Country Gentlemen" (Bunkhouse Records, 1987) (LP)
A folkie, western-cowboy set by the husband-wife team of Tom and Becki Chambers, originally from Colorado but living in Tucson, Arizona when they made this album. The music is mostly a jaunty mix of bluegrass and western swing, though they occasionally drift into more folk-oriented territory with slightly saccharine arrangements, a little too cutesy and smooth for me at times... though western music enthusiasts might disagree. They both sing lead, while Mr. Chambers also plays guitar, with extra backing by John Dawson on mandolin, fiddler Gail Gowing, and bass player Rick Skiff. (Not sure if the mandolin player is the same John Dawson who was in the New Riders Of The Purple Sage, though it seems like a good possibility...)

Kasey Chambers - see artist discography

Carol Channing & Webb Pierce "C&W" (Plantation Records, 1977)
Get it? C&W... like "Carol & Webb"? Clever, eh? Anyway, this is a really, really weird collaboration between seen-better-days honkytonk legend Webb Pierce and musical theater actress Carol Channing (1921-2019) best known for her lead roles in Hello Dolly and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. For some reason she got onto a country kick in the late 'Seventies, and it was a weird choice, though perhaps one that demonstrated that country music really isn't a genre that is as forgiving of "bad" singing as many might assume. Anyway, it's no coincidence that one of the tracks off this album made it onto a volume of Rhino Records' Golden Throats compilations (which collect horrific vocal performances...) Channing sounds like a psychotic understudy for Eartha Kitt's Catwoman role on the Batman TV series. She really sounds bizarre, in typical Channing fashion. What inspired this collaboration may remain a mystery for generations to come, but this LP will doubtless keep its novelty status for an equally long period. Doesn't hold up musically, but it is an interesting footnote to Webb Pierce's legacy.

Carol Channing "...And Her Country Friends" (Plantation Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Leroy Duncan & Shelby Singleton, Jr.)
Channing continued along country roads for a while, and apparently staged her own country-themed cabaret show sometime around 1977-78. The revue is commemorated by this album, which features contributions by country old-timer Hank Locklin, Gordon Terry and Jimmy C. Newman, Newman's longtime sideman cajun Rufus Thibodeaux, and soundalike singer Rita Remington, all of who were in the late 'Seventies orbit of Shelby Singleton's sometimes-shaky Plantation label. Several odd choices in repertoire, though one hopes her that during her opening number of "Hello Dolly" she wore a huge blond beehive wig and a ginormous padded bra, in homage to Ms. Parton.

The Chapin Sisters "A Date With The Everly Brothers" (Lake Bottom Records, 2013)

Cee Cee Chapman "Twist Of Fate" (Curb Records, 1989)

Cee Cee Chapman "Cee Cee Chapman" (Capitol/Curb Records, 1990)

Marshall Chapman - see artist discography

Charlee "Standing In Your Shoes" (Amerama Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Henry Strzelecki)
A pretty grim story behind this one... A perky young blonde very much in the 'Seventies style, Charlee was the stage name for a gal named Linda Hise Scott (1950-1978) who grew up near Overland Park, Kansas, just outside of Kansas City. Not to be confused with the 'Sixties teen beach movie actress Linda Scott, Charlee was a country singer who started out working in local clubs such as Don Dee's Steak House and Lounge in Olathe, though at some point she made her way to Nashville and was signed and produced by Music City insider Henry Strzelecki. She cut this album which provided a few modestly successful singles, and was on tour nationwide and making television appearances in November, 1978 when she was found dead, brutally murdered in her home in New Rochelle, New York, at age twenty-eight. Apparently her chauffer was eventually convicted of the murder, though honestly I'm not into the whole true crime genre, so I couldn't tell you why he did it, just that it was an awful, tragic crime. Although this pop/countrypolitan oriented album didn't really make much of a dent chartwise, it is noteworthy as a change of pace for bassist Henry Strzelecki, one of the most ubiquitous session players of the era. Here, Strzelecki steps into the producer's booth and also contributes several songs for the fledgling artist to perform: "Hand Me My Guitar (So Long Song)," "I Hate Me (For Hurting You)" and the title track, "Standing In Your Shoes." Much of the album's sound is shaped by arranger Bill Pursell, who adds strings and whatnot into the mix. A second album was put together and released posthumously, though neither album yielded any chart hits.

Charlee "Midnight Madness" (Amerama Records, 1979) (LP)

Carol Chase "Sexy Songs" (Casablanca Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Snuff Garrett)
Kind of a square peg, round hole kinda situation... Singer Carol Chase grew up in Stanley, North Dakota, a tiny town near the Canadian border, and made her way out to Los Angeles via the Nevada lounge scene, and wound up catching the ear of some A&R folks at the then-exploding Casablanca label. Ms. Chase was one of many late 'Seventies artists signed to Casablanca whose careers were dealt a blow as the disco craze collapsed and when label founder Neil Bogart died. Her debut album showed great potential but the tide was just going in the wrong direction. Amusingly, a lot of people consider this a disco record, largely because of her being on Casablanca, but also due to the slick, late 'Seventies production style. And while, yes, club music was still in the air, this is "disco" in much the same way Dolly Parton's "9 To 5" might be given that same label. Producer Snuff Garrett utilizes a slick, antiseptic studio sound, but mixes in fiddle and pedal steel, and the song list includes stuff like Ernest Tubb's old hit, "Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello," as well as songs by Foster & Rice, Cy Coben and others in Nashville's orbit. And Ms. Chase's undeniably rural, twangy vocals are not quite the kind of thing that would have caused Donna Summer to lose sleep at night. It might not be most twangfan's cup of tea, but it's pretty solid for the style. She easily could have been a country-pop diva along the lines of Terri Gibbs or Juice Newton, but for whatever reasons, it wasn't in the cards. Still, even though she didn't make the country scene, she did pretty well with her music career, regardless, as seen below.

Carol Chase "The Chase Is On" (Casablanca Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Norbert Putnam & Gene Eichelberger)
Again, kind of a country record, but often tagged as "pop." They even sent her to Nashville to record with A-list studio pros like Mac Gayden, Weldon Myrick, Buddy Spicher, et. al., but people just see the Casablanca name and think a baggy of coke is going to tumble out of the record jacket or something, forty years later. As noted above, signing with Casablanca turned out to be an unfortunate choice, but Carol Chase was hardly alone getting hammered by the commercial implosion of the disco bubble, and she stuck it out, singing and writing songs year after year. She's probably best known for a much later gig singing backup for the latter-day Lynyrd Skynyrd -- starting in 1997 -- and also worked with Dale Rossington on a variety of projects.

Carol Chase "Blue Highway" (Halcyon Music, 2005)

Kristin Chenoweth "Some Lessons Learned" (Sony Masterworks, 2011)
(Produced by Bob Ezrin)
Not counting appearances on Broadway cast recordings, this is actress Kristin Chenoweth's fourth studio album -- previous records showed her dabbling in jazz-standards, adult-contemporary and Christmas music -- but now it's time for a little twang. Cynics could be forgiven for suggesting that Chenoweth is slumming on this Top-40 styled country album, but ya know what? It kind of works. She aims for a modern Nashville vibe, with tinny, bombastic arrangements and plenty of formulaic schmaltz: self-empowerment songs, a weeper about daughters and daddies, one about God, a few raunchy/sassy songs and a fun novelty song about Dolly Parton ("What Would Dolly Do?," an album highlight...) Chenoweth starts out throwing her high-pitched voice into a kind of teenager-ish register, zeroing in on the Taylor Swift wannabee territory, but after she mentions Ms. Parton, she eases into a more natural-sounding Dolly vibe, and it's these songs that have the most resonance. Several songs are recycled from other artist's catalogs (Carrie Underwood, et. al.) but she puts her own stamp on them -- indeed, if she didn't have the baggage of her Hollywood career to distract potential fans, Chenoweth could probably make a serious stab at a Top Country career. And who knows? She just might. Definitely worth checking out if you're into mainstream Nashville stuff.

Cherlene "Songs From Archer" (2014)
Odd choice on the album graphics: both the front and back covers feature mildly porn-ish cartoons of a nubile, barely clad midsection bursting out of the teeniest-tiniest cutoffs imaginable, and this sleazy, redneck iconography leads you to expect a crass, unsubtle set of yee-haw, white-trash stereotypes which really doesn't match up with the soft-edged, melodic material on this album. Cherlene -- aka Jessy Lynn Martens -- is the musical voice of the Archer TV series, and she mixes twang and contemporary folk, even sounding like Amy Rigby on several songs. There are tunes where she tries on some Gretchen Wilson-esque tough-gal 'tude, and though this doesn't really ring true, it also doesn't really get in the way of enjoying this album. I've never seen Archer, so I don't get any of the inside jokes, but the music itself is fine... There's not a lot of heft to Ms. Martens voice, or the backing band, but they hit an understated groove that has a fairly unique feel in today's musical landscape, and thankfully doesn't echo any of the lavish overproduction or phony bluster of contemporary Nashville, while avoiding similar cliches from the pop and folk spectrum. Worth a spin.

Chisai Childs "Chisai Country" (Aunt Susie Records, 1979-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Walker, Ronnie Reynolds & Phil York)
A pioneering figure in Missouri's country tourism industry, Chisai Childs (d. 2017) got her start in the Lone Star state back around 1974 when she and singer Johnnie High took over a music hall near Dallas-Fort Worth and started up the Grapevine Opry. They enjoyed financial backing from oil heiress Susie Slaughter, who bought the building and poured money into it for several years before they all three had a mutual falling out. By 1981 Childs had set roots in Branson, occupying the Starlite Theatre and bringing in seasoned performers from Texas to wow the locals. There were other mom'n'pop mini-oprys already there, but Childs pumped up the volume and injected some Vegas-level glitz, setting the course for the rest of the area. She sold the Grapevine, left Johnnie High in the rearview mirror, and went on to become known as "the Belle of Branson." Although she was a performer and made a few records herself, Childs really legacy was as a producer, talent scout and entrepreneur, boosting the careers of Boxcar Willie and countless other artists. She recorded a number of singles and at least two LPs, as well as appearing on various Grapevine Opry souvenir records. This album was recorded in Nashville with a studio crew that included Hal Rugg and Ray Austin on steel, Johnny Gimble (fiddle), Jimmy Capps (guitar), Leon Rhodes (bass), and producer Bill Walker playing piano. Not sure exactly when this came out, but the original Grapevine Opry was still going strong, and Childs pays homage to Aunt Suzie in the liner notes, as well as Babe Wes, who wrote most of the songs.

Chisai Childs "The Many Faces Of Chisai Childs" (Aunt Susie Records, 1981) (LP)
Designed to show her stylistic range, this album highlights Chisai Childs singing weepers and novelty numbers, as well doing comedic bits such as "One's On The Way"; the cover shows her onstage at the Grapevine Opry in a variety of getups, including her country clown persona, which seems to have had a Minnie Pearl vibe. Unfortunately the studio musicians aren't identified, although they were probably members of Grapevine cast... There's also no release date on the album or the singles that were broken off from it; folks assume is was released in 1981 based on the LP's catalog number, though it may have come out earlier, as the liner notes mention that "the Grapevine Opry has been on the radio for the last five years." At any rate this album, which is packed with original material, is a fine showcase for a tenacious and groundbreaking Lone Star country gal.

Chisai Childs "Let 'Em Talk!" (Starlite Records, 19--?) (LP)

Brandy Clark "12 Stories" (Slate Creek, 2013)

Lolly Clark "Lolly Clark And Something Country" (Shelgate Records, 19--?) (LP)
Born in Hawaii, singer Lolita ("Lolly") Clark grew up listening to country music, though in the late '60s after she moved to the mainland, she became a fan of Joan Baez and the folk revival. Clark taught herself to play guitar and eventually wound up in Cape Cod, where she was living when she cut this disc, her first (and probably only) album. Clark wrote one of the songs on here, "Memphis City Lights," though the other nine tracks were written by a guy from Taunton, Massachusetts named Sheldon "Zeke" Westgate, who apparently recorded some stuff of his own before this venture ("with no great success" as the liner notes glumly admit...) Backing them are various assorted locals, including fiddler George Kay, Tom Hughes on banjo, Dick Covel on pedal steel and Frank Furlan playing electric. Not sure when this album came out, but it looks late-1960s-ish...

Terri Clark - see artist discography

Barbara Clawson "...And The Nashville Beats" (C/B International Pro-Talent Records, 1970-?) (LP)
Described in the liner notes as "the Vicki Carr of the country music world," Barbara Clawson was a country gal from Corpus Cristi whose main gig was playing military shows at bases and posts throughout South Texas, backed by her band, the Country Beats. They are introduced by their first names only and they have the world's most perfect collection of Texas monikers: Al, Billy, Bob, Bubba, Gary and Johnny, which parses out to be her husband Bob Clawson and their son Bubba, along with Al Nelson, Billy Proctor, Gary Carriager and Johnny Mitchell, most of whom get a solo of some kind or another on this album. This disc is packed with original material penned by various B. Clawsons, along with covers of a Mundo Earwood song ("Not Lookin' For A Home") along with some Harlan Howard, Ned Miller, and Ms. Clawson singing Bob Dylan's sultry "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." I'm not sure when this super-self-released LP came out, though its notable that she used her own local guys on this one, but went for the Nashville pros when she cut the Stop Records LP below... The Clawsons also owned a music store Corpus Cristi -- Clawson's Music -- which they opened in 1963, and was still being run by Bubba Clawson as recently as 2021, pandemic be damned.

Barbara Clawson "One In A Million" (Stop Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Drake)
The Clawsons first passed through Nashville in the late 'Sixties and crossed paths with steel guitarist and producer Pete Drake, who gave them an open invitation to record for his Stop label, which they took him up on a year or so later. Apparently the royalty checks from this album -- which included the single "One Mr. Budwiser" -- helped finance the expansion and relocation of their family-owned music shop. At least that's the family story... I'm not sure if it's Pete Drake or any of his Music City cohorts backing Mrs. Clawson on this disc, or her own Country Beats band, but there's definitely a bunch of original material on here, with most songs credited as "B. Clawson" originals (though it's not clear whether "B" stands for Barb, Bob or Bubba...) Interestingly, she also sings a couple of tunes by the songwriting duo of Jack Rhodes and Billie Jo Spears -- "Old Molly Brown" and "The Right To Love What's Left," which also appears on her other album, as do a couple other of these tracks. Not sure which album came first -- originally I thought it was the one that came out in Texas, though I might have that backwards.

Patsy Cline - see artist discography

Anita Cochran "Back To You" (Warner Brothers, 1997)
(Produced by Jim Ed Norman & Anita Cochran)
A singer, songwriter and guitarist, the Michigan-born filly hit it big with a tacky power ballad, then kind of faded from sight when her other singles failed to connect. This disc opens nicely enough, with the rollicking, upbeat "I Could Love A Man Like That," but swiftly slides into formulaic soft stuff, including a daddy song, and a truly heinous duet with Steve Wariner ("What If I Said," a horrible "soul" ballad which of course was a huge hit...) The hit-the-high-note caterwauling on that song alone should be enough to chase you away, but the rest of the album is pretty overcooked as well... I like Cochran's voice, and her guitar picking is impressive (she plays lead on the whole album...) but the gooey production style is a drag. There are a couple of tunes she wrote on here that are worth mentioning: the uptempo rave-up of "Girls Like Fast Cars" is kind of fun, in a gimmicky gal-power kinda way, and the acoustic "Back To You" evokes memories of Rosanne Cash. So it's not a total loss, I guess... Three "okay" songs on one's debut album ain't a bad ratio, though for the most part this album doesn't do much for me.

Anita Cochran "Anita" (Warner Brothers, 2000)

Tammy Cochran "Tammy Cochran" (Epic Records, 2000)
A strong debut by a promising new artist -- someone who could offer an alterative to the prefab pop of Shania Twain and Faith Hill... The opening tracks -- "I Cry," "If You Can" and "So What" -- reveal a fairly rugged female artist capable of delivering complex material with great emotional clarity... Cochran's vocal tone is tough and rural, and while I like there to be some rough edges in my country, at first I found the contrast between her and the modern production to be a little off-putting... Then she drew me in with her ability to live inside her lyrics, as well as the quality of the songwriting. She's got a lot in common with Terri Clark or Tanya Tucker, in that she's kind of gritty, but still tilts towards the mainstream. Suddenly, though the album goes off the rail with some glossy ballads, and she loses the momentum that her more rootsy delivery had built up early on, building up to the album's super-sappy centerpiece, a religiously-themed song called "Angels In Waiting," about the pain of losing loved ones too early in live... Nonetheless, this record is pretty good, at least for Y2K Nashville; definitely worth checking out, especially if you prefer the fiddle and pedal steel to the drum machine and synth.

Tammy Cochran "Life Happened" (Epic Records, 2002)
(Produced by Billy Joe Walker, Jr.)
A disappointment. Predictably, Cochran's follow-up album was much glossier, and packed full of pre-fab gal-power ballads. In a mirror image of her first album, the opening songs are terrible, and the harder, better numbers come into play later on. Mostly, though, this is too full of self-helpy, Oprah-esque, post-feminist, self-affirmation anthems (I Used To Be That Woman," etc.) which I guess is all very well and fine, but did every female singer in Nashville have to sing the same sort of stuff? It's so stereotyped and dreary. Still, this features a few nice real country tunes, including a version of "If You Can" (which was also on her debut), re-released as a single the second time around. Too pop for me, but still better than most.

Tammy Cochran "Where I Am" (Shanachie Records, 2007)

Betty Cody & Hal Lone Pine "On The Trail Of The Lonesome Pine" (Bear Family Records, 2006)
Fine, sentimental heartsongs and loopy novelty tunes from the early 1950s... Harold Breau (aka Hal Lone Pine) originally hailed from Maine, while his singing partner Betty Cody was French-Canadian Quebecois. This husband-wife duo made a good showing as second-stringers in both countries, and while this disc probably won't blow you away, it's very charming stuff, typical of its time, a fine example of the workmanlike recordings of country's less rowdy artists in the rollicking honkytonk/hillbilly boogie era. The Breaus found their greatest success up in Canada, largely due to the popularity of the regionally-oriented novelty recitation, "Prince Edward Island Is Heaven To Me," a masterpiece of pure, shameless corn. It was followed by "Apple Blossom Time In Annapolis Valley," which also sang the praises of Nova Scotia. They also sang romantic weepers and smoothed-out honkytonk tunes -- although Lone Pine, in particular, wasn't that strong a vocalist, he sounded amiable and robust, and these tracks are all quite charming. Listening to these old tunes, you can hear that Betty Cody was arguably the better singer of the two -- the folks at the record labels thought so, too, and tried to promote her as a solo artist, although she mainly worked as part of the family road show. She dropped out of show biz when the demands of touring came into conflict with her role as a mother, and when her marriage to Lone Pine fell apart... One interesting footnote: their son, Lenny Breau, was a true musical prodigy and after a brief apprenticeship in the family band, he later emerged as one of he most highly regarded jazz guitarists of the post-bop era. (I don't think he's featured on any of these tracks, but his first teacher, Ray Couture, was a longtime member of the band...) These recordings are a fine legacy of two little-known artists who two sounded quite good together... If you're a devotee of old-school, 1950s country, by all means, check this one out!

Betty Cody "The Successful Hillbilly Era Of Betty Cody: 1952-1954" (Binge Disc, 2005)

Kellie Coffey "When You Lie Next To Me" (BNA Records, 2002)
(Produced by Dan Huff)
Tearing a page or two out of the Dixie Chicks fakebook, Coffey slathers her opening track not only with tinny, treble-heavy, lushly layered, Echoplexed pop production, but also with a rolling, rhythmic banjo, and husky-then-shrill vocals that batter away at the lofty, dense lyrics. The Spanish guitars kick in on the following song, the drum machines aren't far behind, and there's arty versifying everywhere you turn. It's a bit much -- overwrought and overproduced -- and yet I still find myself looking to her as a hopeful new contender. If she could shed some of the soul-diva pretentiousness and settle into a more traditional country vibe, Coffey could be kinda fun. Probably ain't gonna happen, though; she seems like a pretty modern gal. Which I'm sure is fine for her, but kind of a drag for fans of real, old-fashioned country.

Kellie Coffey "Walk On" (Duet Records, 2007)
(Produced by Wayne Kirkpatrick)
Although she made a big splash as a critic's darling with her 2002 debut, When You Lie Next To Me, Kellie Coffey languished in the middle rungs of the Top 40, and apparently got the boot for her troubles. Like many modern Nashvillers, she's sidestepped the major labels and gone indie, and thus her new record plays directly to her fans -- in this case to folks who prefer chick-centric emotional songs about relationships, heartbreak and dreams. Given the recent rash of redneck-gal rowdiness at the top of the charts, these soul-soaked femme-ballads seem a little dated, but it's solid work throughout, and if you like the style (or were a Coffey fan to begin with) then you'll definitely dig this album. Some songs are a bit much: Trina Harmon's "I Would Die For That" deals with infertility, which is a powerful subject, but the singlemindedly depressive focus of the song's narrator (and the tinge of peevish jealousy towards her friends) makes the song difficult to latch onto. Other songs, like "I Had A Dream" and the goofy satire of modern life, "Bandwagon," are more solid and less self-pitying. Almost all the songs were co-written with producer Wayne Kirkpatrick (of the band Little Big Town) and he adds a firm if formulaic hand to the sound... If you liked the Y2K-era soul-twang sound of Sara Evans, Trisha Yearwood, et al., you'll probably dig this one, too.

Kellie Coffey "Why I'm Alive" (2009)
A 6-song EP...

Brenda Cole "Country Lover" (Melody Dawn Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Brenda Cole)
A concise set of would-be mainstream Top Forty country, with backing by Glen D. Hardin on piano and other top-flight studio musicians. The song list is about half originals, along with covers of classics such as "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'," "Stand By Your Man" and "You Gave Me A Mountain." Born and raised in in Biloxi, Mississippi, Ms. Cole started her country career early in life, performing at Brenda Smith at NCO clubs while under the watchful eye of her dad (who was in the Air Force.) She came to the attention of legendary Nashville producer Billy Sherrill, and cut a handful of tracks with him while she was just thirteen years old, back in 1974. One of her singles was a version of Kinky Friedman's song, "There Is A Place," while she also recorded one of her own songs, "Midnight Flight To Frisco," the following year, in 1975. Although she eventually moved into Christian music, she was still working in a secular, commercial mode in the late '80s when she cut this disc.

Patsy Cole "Patsy Cole" (Tra-Star Records, 1989) (LP)
(Produced by Mark Carman)
Singer Patsy Cole was from Maquon, Illinois, which is a long ways from Nashville, but she did make a few light ripples at the back of the country charts with this album. A fairly generic-sounding indie-label attempt at hitting a Top Forty sound, late '80s style, it kinda sounds like early stuff by Kathy Mattea or Holly Dunn or one of those reasonably rootsy gals out in Nashville. Not very original, but very professionally produced and musically solid... She sounds fine for the style.

Trilly Cole "Live In Printers Alley" (LSI Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Scotty Turner & Lee Hazen)
"Applause to an entertainer is like warm hands to a cow on a cold morning..." This is snippet of the stage patter on this live album, recorded during Trilly Cole's long-running stint as the headliner at the Captain's Table nightclub in Nashville's Printer's Alley, where she worked for fifteen years. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Cole was a child prodigy from LaPorte, Indiana who learned the banjo when she was just six years old and set off on a professional career as a teen. She's best known for her Captain's Table gig, but she also toured and played Vegas, mixing country covers with flashy instrumental numbers from pop, ragtime and old-timey sources. Cole wasn't strictly a "country" artist, but she definitely played a lot of country stuff... several of her backing musicians also went on to work other professional gigs in Nashville. I'm not sure, but I think this was her first album. The set is fun and far-ranging, though it has to be said Ms. Cole wasn't a terribly commanding vocalist, and she often rushes through songs that should be a little bit slower... She was a skillful crowd-pleaser, though, and this record gives a great picture of how she worked the room. High points include her giving a shout-out to the local policemen's association, her disavowal of "women's liberators," a zippy rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," a terrible (but very 'Seventies!) version of Kiki Dee's "I Got The Music In Me" as well as a super-misguided and completely disjointed medley of Kris Kristofferson's "Lord Help Me Jesus" and George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord." And, of course, the cow joke. More cowbell!!

Trilly Cole "Just Trilly" (LSI Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Scotty Turner & Lee Hazen)
This one has a lot of country covers, including hits of the day like "You Can't Be A Beacon," "Country Roads," and "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," as well as instrumentals like the theme to "Exodus" and hillbilly oldies like "Old Joe Clark." Plus, omigod, you gotta love those awesome purple crocheted yarn pants... So 'Seventies!!

Trilly Cole "Doin' The Crawdad" (LSI Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Scotty Turner & Lee Hazen)
I guess playing a big goofball was part of her act, as seen on this album art... At least it looks like she was a good egg, and could take a joke. A variety of material here, including a lotta uptempo tunes and a bunch of patriotic stuff rounding off Side Two, including yet another version of the oft-covered "American Trilogy" medley, which I still don't understand how it's considered a Mickey Newberry composition when he just strung three old songs together. But I digress. Again. Anyway, the back cover features a bunch of pics of Trilly working the room at one of her shows, and I guess she had a mildly naughty, flirtatious thing going on with the guys in the crowd. It was a swingin' scene back then, I guess. No info about the backing band, though we do see them onstage in a couple of photos.

Trilly Cole "Trilly Cole" (LSI Records, 1975) (LP)
This one includes several country songs, including "The Auctioneer," "Oh Lonesome Me," "Detour," and more contemporary countrypolitan numbers such as Donna Fargo's "Funny Face," a big hit for the gals at the time. There are also a lot of old-fashioned pop standards like "The Impossible Dream" and instrumental showcase pieces such as "Tiger Rag" and "The William Tell Overture." I'm not 100% sure about the release dates on these discs, but I think she really did just bang 'em out one after the other, so they must have been selling well.

Trilly Cole "Trilly In Nashville" (Waco Records, 1980-?) (LP)

Trilly Cole "Keep On Believing" (Waco Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by George Lewis)

Coleen & John "Coleen & John" (UA Recordings, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Van Dusen)
Coleen Carter and John Carter were from somewhere in South Dakota, and whether they performed together at local lounges and whatnot, I am not sure... But they sure had the right repertoire! About half this album is country stuff, with versions of "Dark As A Dungeon," "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Snowbird," "Me And Bobby McGee,: while the rest of the record showcases pop vocals hits such as "Danny Boy," "I Don't Know How To Love Him," etc.

Coleen & John "Movin' On!" (UA Recordings, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Van Dusen)
Like their previous album, this one's about one-half early 'Seventies soft-pop -- songs like "El Condor Pasa," "Sounds Of Silence" and "Sunshine On My Shoulder" -- and the other half, sunshine-country of the same era, including hits such as "Happiest Girl In The Whole USA" and "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World." As far as I know, these were their only two LPs, though a couple of years later they released a single, also produced by UA's Bill Van Dusen. But that seems, as they say, to be all she wrote.

Billie Collie & Donn Poole "...Sing Country Love Songs" (Door Knob Records, 1981)
(Produced by Gene Kennedy & Bil Vorndick)
All-original material, with all songs co-written by Billie P. Collie and Donn Poole. Not a lot of info on this duo... They were from Mobile, Alabama and went to Nashville to record with Gene Kennedy's studio crew, which included Russ Hicks on steel guitar, Roger Morris (piano), Cliff Parker (lead guitar), Jack Ross (bass), John Stacy (drums) and Charlie Vaughn on guitar. These two were not a couple, as they mention the support of their loving husband and wife, respectively... I get the sense they might have been performing together for several years before they cut this album, but I couldn't find any info about them online, so perhaps this was strictly a just-for-fun kind of session.

Shirley Collie/Various Artists "Classic Country Duets" (Capito lRecords)
Her run in the sun was brief, with only a few singles and well-regarded duets released back around 1961. But outside of a few compilation albums (such as this one) good luck finding any of her work. Here, at least, you can hear her Top Ten hit, "Willingly," a duet with her then-husband, Willie Nelson.

Jeanne Lee Collins "At Home With..." (Jester Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jeanne Lee Collins & Bill Long)
As a teen, Montana native Jeanne Lee Collins won several regional fiddling championships... Apparently she liked to sing as well, and on this uber-indie private pressing she sounds quite a bit like Skeeter Davis (though, obviously, not quite as good...) The repertoire is straight-up country, mainly standards by folks such as Harlan Howard, Kris Kristofferson and Marvin Rainwater, along with a couple of public domain tunes and one she wrote herself -- "You've Got It All Wrong" -- which kind of makes you wish she'd recorded more of her own stuff. It's fine hearing her cover a few classics, but this disc was her one shot at immortality, and who knows? maybe she had more to offer. Anyway, this isn't a dazzling record -- the backing band is okay, and she was okay, too, for an amateur -- but it's another nice slice of some anonymous local people making music just for the love of it, without any Nashville glitz or any real hope of success. Wonder what she did after this? Well, apparently she married one of the musicians on this album, Fred Buckley, and settled down near Roundup, Montana. The Buckleys remained active in traditional music, forming a family band and helping organize the yearly Montana Fiddle Camp. They self-released a couple of albums as a family, and mentored their song, Taylor Buckley, who became a championship fiddler as well, and recorded an album of his own.

Lorrie Collins - see artist discography

Micki Collins "Don't You Know?" (Twinkle Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Collins & Frank Stearns)
An uber-indie early-'Seventies outing by a cheerful-looking young gal from Spokane, Washington... The liner notes indicate that Collins came from a family of musicians, though no solid details are provided... Possibly the album's producer, Dennis Collins, was her dad? Anyway, the album is packed with not-quite-country material penned by Mr. Collins and various family members, with about half the tracks being originals... And, well, look, I'll be honest with you guys: this is pretty terrible. It's the kind of record that the make-fun-of-other-people people fantasize about when they go crate-digging in the private-press scene. I mean, sure, there's much worse to be found, but nonetheless there's an undeniable Florence Foster Jenkins vibe going on here, mostly around Ms. Collins husky middle-aged sounding vocals, as well as her half-spoken delivery, yielding cringeworthy results on covers such as "My Way" and the old Stevie Wonder hit, "For Once In My Life," delivered in an odd blend of coffeehouse folk and throaty bad lounge singing. Other covers include early 1970s hits such as Gene McClellan's "Snowbird" and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," which was a huge hit for Tony Orlando & Dawn in 1973... The album's originals teeter on the edge of acceptability, though the record's real gem may be "Dreams That Die," with a concluding chorus that strongly parallels Lily Taylor's "Joe Lies," from the movie Say Anything. Anyway, you know I'm not big on making fun of the people who actually summoned the wherewithal to make one of these records, but this particular disc does seem maybe a little, I dunno... exploitative? Misguided? There's no date on this album but despite her super-'Sixties miniskirt-and-gogo-boots clothing ensemble, the cover songs probably place this recording around 1973-74. A guitarist herself, Ms. Collins is backed by Dennis Collins and on guitar, Larry Collins playing bass and Tom Kelly on drums. Schadenfreudelic.

Colorado Sunshine Company "You Only Live Once In A While" (1978) (LP)
(Produced by Wes Lewis & Bruce Bunson)
This group from Wellington, Colorado was mainly the duo of Linda Rinaldo (bass, vocals) and Charlie Butler (guitar, vocals), with Thom Wade playing steel guitar on a couple of tracks. It's really more a folkie kinda thing, although they include some country stuff, too, like a couple of songs by Mickey Newberry and a version of John Prine's "Please Don't Bury Me." The group originally consisted of Linda Rinaldo and pop singer Arden Fennell, who cut several tracks together at Norman Petty's studio, back in 1969; Charlie Butler was brought in to replace Fennell a few years later.

Colorado Sunshine Company "Colorado Sunshine Company" (1981) (LP)
(Produced by Charlie Butler, Linda Rinaldo & Rich Pierceall)
An odd amalgam of pop vocal standards and light pop-country -- a little too precious for my tastes, but certainly there's a country component, so it fits in here. They are backed on this album by guitarists Bard Hoff and Steve Owen.

Barbara Colson "How Long Can I Wait" (REM Records, 1967-?) (LP)
I wasn't able to pin down any biographical info on Ms. Colson, but I have a strong suspicion that she and songwriter Elizabeth Thorn may have been one and the same person... Thorn is credited as the composer on almost every original song Colson recorded, including "I Lie Too," a track that's included on this album. The other tracks are mostly covers -- country standards such as "Crying Time," "I Can't Help It," "Walking After Midnight," "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" and "Wildwood Flower." Backed by Bill Blanchard, Colson headlines one of the few secular album on Robert E. Mooney's REM label; the label was from Kentucky, but Colson's origins remain obscure for now. She recorded a string of at least a half-dozen singles on the Voice Of Country imprint, and several of the Elizabeth Thorn tunes were covered by other artists on VOC and its parent label, Stop Records. Any other info about Ms. Colson would be greatly appreciated!

Jessi Colter - see artist discography

Amie Comeaux "Movin' Out" (Polydor Records, 1994)
A teenaged recording artists from Louisiana, Comeaux died in a 1997 auto accident at age 21, before the release of her second album. This disc, which has a relatively rootsy, robust, uptempo "young country" feel... It only made a tiny ripple in the charts, but she certainly showed a lot of vitality in her performances. Who knows what might have been?

Amie Comeaux "Very Special Angel" (Polydor Records, 1998)
This posthumously released album has a slower, more ballad-y feel...Also, the production sounds a bit thin -- doubtless it would have been fuller if she had lived to see the album's release. The title track, which closes the album, is a tribute song from a host of fellow country singers.

Amie Comeaux "Memories Left Behind" (Beaujo Records, 2006)

Companie "Companie Is Comin' " (Curtain Call Enterprises, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Reed & Marty McReynolds)
Dunno much about these folks, who appear to have been a short-lived local band from Carmi, Illinois. The group had three singers -- Mike Gott, Vickie Janette and bassist Scott Kittinger, with backing from Larry Spivey on lead guitar, and Larry Dolan playing pedal steel. The album includes a cover of "Help Me Make It Through The Night" (add it to the list!) along with other twangy tunes. Few of these folks seem to have done much else musically, although Kittinger also played in a band called Hometown News. Anyone out there able to fill in the blanks?

The Concrete Cowboy Band "The Concrete Cowboy Band" (Pickwick-Excelsior Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Vining & Ed Keeley)
You wouldn't think it to look at it, but this is quite a good album... It's an offering by the Pickwick label, of all people, gathering together a bunch of high-powered "usual suspect" superpickers such as Hal Rugg, Mark Casstevens and Buddy Spicher to work their way through a set of western swing and honkytonk oldies, punctuated by some tasty newer tunes, such as Bobby Borchers' "Texas When I Die," "Country Is The Closest Thing To Heaven (You Can Hear)" and "Thank God I'm A Country Gal" (a gender-flipped version of the John Denver hit...) as well as "Concrete Cowboys," one of two songs written by producers Ed Keeley and Steve Vining. Fronting the band are two fine female singers, Donna Hazard and Nancy Walker, who for whatever reasons were not showcased as the stars of the band (there are no photos of any of the musicians) but who bring a lot of ooomph to the recordings. The production is slick, but the music is soulful... This album only yielded one super-minor hit, way in the Back Forty (and Hazard enjoyed similar success with several singles released around the same time...) Fans of Dawn Sears and the Time Jumpers, perhaps, might really enjoy this one!

Wanda Conklin "Hush" (Norm Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by John Sands)
Originally from Glen Falls, New York, singer Wanda Conklin found herself down in the Lone Star State after following her husband Jack Conklin, an active US Air Force sergeant, to his post at Denison, Texas, just north of Dallas. She started singing at NCO shows at the nearby military bases and word about her talent got passed to songwriter and record producer John Sands, who was corralling local talent to record a few of his songs. They originally planned to just cut a single, but things went so well the project expanded into this album, which was recorded in Nashville with arrangements and pedal steel by session great Lloyd Green. Fort Worth country deejay Bill Mack was impressed and subsequently recorded a few duets with Conklin for the nationally-distributed Hickory label, circa 1970-71, with a few more singles to follow on less prominent indie labels, though as far as I know this was her only full LP. Along the way she sand backup for Jerry Lee Lewis when he came through town, and apparently performed at local beerhalls such as The Stagecoach, which was owned by hardcore honkytonker Ray Chaney, who later sold the bar to Bill Mack. Conklin also apparently recorded a TV pilot in Oklahoma City for an aspiring country music host Dale Ward. After that, the trail grows cold, with some sources speculating that she went back to singing gospel music. She got a few brief plugs in Billboard, but the most in-depth profile was an article in The Amarillo Globe-Times, which is the source of most of the biographical info above.

Connie & Ed "Introducing Connie And Ed" (Pearce Records, 1974-?) (LP)
The Pearce label was a custom recording service that pressed albums for a number of artists in the greater Kansas City area, including a high proportion of country or country-ish artists... Connie and Ed Shaw were a hopeful duo from the area who went into the studio and gave it a shot, even though neither one of them were particularly strong singers. She had an okay voice, but weak phrasing, so despite the band being kind of decent, the songs turn out sounding clunky and awkward. More's the pity since the original material on Side One is actually pretty good -- some well-crafted country songs that maybe could have gotten some traction, given the right setting. The Shaws had their own publishing company, Limestone Music, and packed their own material on the first half of the album, filling out Side Two with covers of songs such as "My Music" (a hit for Loggins & Messina in 1973), "Proud Mary" (of course), Bread's "I Want To Make It With You" and "Honeymoon Feeling," which was a hit for Roy Clark in 1974. The cover songs, interestingly enough, are loungier and less satisfying than the originals... I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess the release date on this album was 1974, possibly '75, based on the Roy Clark tune, which was a country hit in 1974. This ain't a great record, but it is one of those self-released vanity albums that has a certain sincerity and charm, and certainly a unique feel that takes you to a place and time all its own. It's worth checking out, particularly for their version of "Wichita Waitress" (credited to J. Schweer) which is one of the songs on here that could maybe stand to be revived by someone with more solid musical chops...

The Cooke Duet/The Singing Cookes - see artist discography

Elizabeth Cook - see artist profile

Margie Cook & John Cook "Down At The Tavern: 12 Songs Bluegrass Style" (Wizard Custom Series, 19--?) (LP)
The Cooks were a couple from Arkansas who started performing together after getting married in the late 1940s, moving around and performing on various radio stations such as XERF, in Del Rio Texas, and XERB San Diego. They also appeared on the Smiley Burnette and Arthur Smith shows, and cut at least one major-label single for Dot Records, as well as a couple of singles through Starday's custom-label service. Settling down in Memphis, they started their own label (including the Wizard imprint, as well as Blake Records and Marble Hill) and released several albums of their own, as well as recordings of other local and regional artists. I think this was their first album, though I'm not sure what year it came out... It's a very old-timey outing, recalling the rougher edge of the same pre-Nashville era that the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers came from... Neither of the Cooks have what you might consider "great" voices, but they do have conviction and authenticity galore... Fans of odd-angled old-time stringband music might get a kick out of this one, though others might find it rough going.

Rita Coolidge "Delta Lady: The Rita Coolidge Anthology" (Hip-O Records, 2004)
The silky-voiced '70s singer Rita Coolidge grew up along with the decade she made her mark in... Her early albums were soul-drenched, sub-country crossovers, influenced by the similarly eclectic efforts of her pals on the LA studio scene such as Leon Russell or Delaney & Bonnie, whose albums she had sung on before landing a contract of her own, and, of course, her hubby, Kris Kristofferson, who she often duetted with. Sort of a less-rugged Bonnie Raitt, or a sexier Maria Muldaur, by decade's end, Coolidge had really popped out, leaning heavily towards Maureen McGovern/Anne Murray-style slow songs and (more memorably) a disco-roots crossover sort of like Boz Scaggs (another pal of hers...) It was these disco-era recordings that really put her on the map, though she also more or less left the uncatagorizable country-soul stuff alone after that. This 2-CD set is an ultimate fan's wet dream, gathering 41 of her golden oldies from her hitmaking years on the A&M label. A little too goopy for me, but a nice document of her work.

The Coon Creek Girls "Lily May, Rosie & Susie" (County Records, 2000)

Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper - see artist discography

Chuck Irvin & The Plainsmen "San Diego California" (Showboy Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Irvin & Ray Griff)
Dunno much about this fella... I thought he was from California because of the album title, but it turns out he's a Canadian old-timer -- I'd guess his heyday was in the 1950s or '60s, and much of this album seems like a nostalgic journey. Some cowboy stuff and old-timey western/sentimental tunes, as well as more robust honky-tonkish material, with a debt to fellow northerner Hank Snow... Irvin sometimes sounds a little shaky as a singer, but on the whole, this is a pretty satisfying set... Definitely worth a spin!

Jackie Corbett & Chuck Irvin "Home Coming Time In Nova Scotia" (Showboy Records, 1982) (LP)
Chuck Irvin was a Canadian old-timer with a big stylistic debt to fellow northerner Hank Snow... He recorded at least one album before this one, where he shares the spotlight with duet partner Jackie Corbett, a gal who remains a bit of a mystery. The repertoire leans heavy on their Canadian roots: along with classics like "Apple Blossom Time In Annapolis Valley" and "Home Coming Time In Nova Scotia," they sing "A Tribute To Wilf Carter" and several other songs with Nova Scotian themes, and several Chuck Irvin originals.

The Corn Sisters "The Other Woman" (Mint Records, 2001)
Pacific Northwest lo-fi collides with alt.country DIY as Neko Case and Canadian rocker Carolyn Marks joins forces for a rowdy live performance at a Seattle venue... They play the hick schtick a little bit broadly for my tastes: echoing some aspects of her Maow days, this disc is full of exaggerated accents, clattering Loretta Lynn covers and various white trash stereotypes... Still, their performance is undeniably high-energy and the crowd seems into it. This is actually an older performance, from a gig in 1998, and in many ways it's mainly Mark's show -- most of the original material is hers, only one song is by Case. Not my cup of tea, but it's got a scrappy DIY vibe that may resonate with the cowpunk crowd.

Helen Cornelius & Jim Ed Brown "Anthology" (Renaissance Records, 2000)
A much-sought after collection of duets recorded for RCA in the late '70s by this unlikely but highly successful duo. Their harmonies are interesting -- Helen Cornelius had a trilling, slightly shrill voice that seems grating at first; it's what happens to Brown's voice when in tandem with hers that's kind of cool. Brown started his career as part of a family harmony trio, then took off on a solo career that built him up as a Jim Reeves-style baritone. Here, his voice softens and recedes, taking more of a supportive role in relation to her more piercing tones. It's a nice combination: you may initially cringe at the glitzy production style, but by the end of this album, chances are you'll slip into their wavelength and be a fan. If nothing else, this is a great time capsule of the disco-tinged country crossovers of the 'Seventies, packed with numerous steamy, swinger-themed cheatin' songs, such as "Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye," "Lying In Love With You" and Helen's remarkable solo number, "Whatcha Doin' After Midnight, Baby." Slick, but sweet. Also includes a few solo tunes by Jim Ed, who was in fine countrypolitan form. (Also see my Jim Ed Brown discography.)

Helen Cornelius "Helen Cornelius" (ABC-Dot Records, 1975) (LP)

Helen Cornelius & Jim Ed Brown "I Don't Want To Have To Marry You" (RCA, 1976) (LP)

Helen Cornelius & Jim Ed Brown "Born Believer" (RCA, 1977) (LP)

Helen Cornelius & Jim Ed Brown "I'll Never Be Free" (RCA, 1978) (LP)

Helen Cornelius & Jim Ed Brown "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (RCA, 1979) (LP)

Helen Cornelius & Jim Ed Brown "One Man, One Woman" (RCA, 1980) (LP)

Helen Cornelius "Helen Cornelius" (MCA, 1985)

John Corzine & Peggy Corzine "The Bramble And The Rose" (Blossom Bar Records, 1981) (EP)
I'm pretty sure this folkie pair did not include the 2006-2010 New Jersey governor (John Corzine) although they had an illustrious destiny of their own... The Corzines were both natives of Orange County, California, childhood sweethearts who formed a duo and played countless folk and bluegrass gigs in SoCal, particularly in their late '70s stomping ground in the city of Tustin. They were friends with another California duo, Mary McCaslin and Jim Ringer, and were thanked on their 1978 album, The Bramble And The Rose for introducing McCaslin and Ringer to the title track, which was written by Barbara Keith; John Corzine also played guitar on one of Mary McCaslin's later albums. This four-song EP includes their version of "Bramble And The Rose," as well as a Dusty Owens song, "Once More," and a Corzine original, "White Lines And Road Signs." The Corzines performed together for years billed as John Corzine & Peggy Odom, her given name. Much, much later, in the 2000s, they joined a SoCal bluegrass band called the Blade Runners.

Carolina Cotton - see artist discography

The Coulters "Cool Down" (Dolphin Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Winslow Stillman & Quitman Dennis)

The Country Briars "Presenting The Versatile Country Briars" (Studio City Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Michaelson)
A twangy trio from around Minneapolis, Minnesota, led by "girl" singer and multi-instrumentalist "Buckshot" Bebe Allen, along with her husband, bassist Rick Allen and flattop guitarist Duane Carter. At the time they recorded this album, they were the house band for a country bar called the Flame Cafe, where Bebe's sister Betty often joined her in a duo. About half the songs here are Allen originals or co-compositions, augmented with tunes by Jack Clement, Harlan Howard and the like. Apparently Rick and Bebe "Allen" were the stage names for a husband-wife couple whose real surname was Svenddal -- the Svenddals were successful regional artists, backing Dave Dudley for a while and playing on TV programs such as North Country Shindig, an Opry-esque weekly variety show based in Cloquet, MN which they founded and ran until 1976. Bebe Allen later devoted herself to singing gospel music, and passed away in 2013, followed by Rick Allen in 2014. Their son, Albert Svenddal, became a proficient pedal steel player, performing under the name C. T. Allen.

The Country Briars "Originals" (Delmarti Records, 1970-?) (LP)

The Country Bugs "Walk Me In The Sunshine Of Your Love Love Love" (Country Bugs Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden)
Not a ton of info on this early '70s band, other than that they were from the Pacific Northwest, and did a weekly show on radio station KABM, in their hometown of Longview, Washington. They also worked with singer Roosevelt Savannah, at least on a few live gigs around 1973. The Country Bugs were a family band made up of four siblings, fourteen-year old Shanna O'Connor, her younger brother Shawn (who seems to have been the group's lead guitarist) and two other boys who went unnamed in the liner notes. Their dad, William O'Connor (1928-2011) seems to have been the driving force behind the group, co-composing a couple of the instrumental numbers with Shawn, and helping to get the album produced. Mr. O'Connor played a variety of instruments in local country and bluegrass bands, though I don't think he was a recording artist himself. . It's worth noting this LP's connection to the Ripcord Records studio: in addition to Gene Breeden producing the album, his right-hand man Ellis Miller is credited as co-composing the title track, "Walk Me In The Sunshine Of Your Love," which was also released as a Portland Records single under Shanna O'Connor's name, along with "You Got What It Takes To Be Sunshine," which is included here as well. Ms. O'Connor later moved to Nashville, where she owned and operated her own beauty salon for many years before retiring in 2018

The Country Caravan "Proud To Be An American" (Major Recording Studio, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Buddy Weddle)
A fairly subpar country road show from Frederick, Maryland... Now, don't get me wrong. I don't want to sound mean or anything, and I will say that the musicians in the band were pretty solid... It's really the two main vocalists, Ralph Gann and Lana Gladhill, who I find a little difficult. They're both kinda showboaters, and this causes problems... On duets they either try to one-up one another -- which leads to embarrassing excess -- or they harmonize really poorly... Then on their solo numbers there's a similar lack of restraint, with each of them over-emoting like nobody's business. The height of these horrors is their dueling vocals on a horrendous rendition of "House Of The Rising Sun," which pop-culture mockers on the interwebs will want to check out, and the closing version of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The USA" is also pretty terrible, but it's a pretty terrible song, so that's not totally their fault. Several tracks seem to be originals , including "Leave My Man Alone (Devil Woman)" which is basically a remake of Dolly Parton's "Jolene," as well as "Our Forbidden Love" and "The Love You Gave To Me." This last one is an old-school country song featuring lead vocals by another guy in the band, producer Buddy Weddle, who sounds maybe a bit older than the other musicians, and is a much more enjoyable singer. Bassist Dave Durkovic sings a tune called "It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometime," which is actually an okay song as well. Mostly, though, this is a record you can safely skip, unless you're into the whole ironic-hipster schadenfreude thing.

Country Coalition "Time To Get It Together" (ABC-Bluesway, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Todd, William Schnee & Don Gallese)
This would appear to be a straight-up, song-for-song re-release of the self-titled album above. Guess the original title or album art wasn't deemed to be hip and groovy enough for the hippie scene? I dunno. Anyway, people say that the band cut three albums, although I don't know if they're including this disc in that headcount... They also contributed to various one-off projects -- soundtracks for movies and TV -- before the original lineup fizzled out. John Henry Kurtz left the group not long after this album came out and in 1973 released a solo album, Reunion, also for the ABC label. The other three members, Dick Bradley, Peggie Moje and Tom Riney, recorded at least one other album in the '70s, although I don't know if they actually kept together as a formal band the whole time. After doing some session work as a violinist, Moje moved to Portland, Oregon and switched gears artistically, dedicating herself to painting, with some occasional music gigs, including backing cowboy folkie Rich Mahan.

Country Coalition "Potato Pickers" (White Cloud Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Bradley & Tom Riney)

The Country Corporation "The Country Corporation" (Karma Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Teague?)
Straddling the line between country and bar-band rock, this band from San Angelo, Texas was led by songwriter Billy Teague, although various members took turns singing lead, including Dian Allan, Mike Allan, Frank Markwood and Billy Teague. (There's a fifth bandmember pictured on the cover, but no credits to identify them.) Although some songs have a rock vibe, there are also familiar themes for country fans, on tunes such as "Cheatin' Turns Her On," "Funky Little Fiddle" and "You Don't Have To Go Overseas To Marry A Broad." There's not date on the disc, though it looks late '70s, possibly early-to-mid '80s. I'm not sure if any of these folks worked in other bands; this seems to be their only album.

Country Cousins "First Time Around" (A & R Record Manufacturing Corporation, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Richard Halverson)
An uber-indie release by some young musicians from Sturgis, South Dakota, who went to Dallas to cut this album. The band includes brothers Lars and Lynn Aga, on lead guitar and lead vocals, along with drummer Sam Hilmer, and his sister Denise, who also sings lead. All but one of the band members were teenagers when this album was produced. Honestly? It's not a great record, although it is quite enjoyable. This is the very definition of a vanity album made by amateur musicians just for fun: they sound unrehearsed and like they just learned to play their instruments, but they also sound like they were having fun, and that they enjoyed playing together. The production values are minimal, basically a flat mix around an unfiltered microphone, and several tracks don't even include all their instruments. And I gotta say, of all the bazillion versions of "Proud Mary" recorded on private albums during the 1970s, I think this one -- mostly just ragged group vocals around a single acoustic guitar -- is my all-time favorite. I also love the liner notes, where they say they don't know what they're gonna do after they graduate high school, but they kind of wish they could just stay at home, working on the ranch. Now, that's country!

The Country Jans "Baby It's You" (Jomar Records, 1978) (LP)
This album was recorded by two marvelously beehived gals from South Dakota -- Jan Tchida of Lake City, SD and Janet Iverson from nearby Hazel, two tiny towns firmly located left of the middle of nowhere. They're backed on this album by the Tibor Brothers, a North Dakota musical family who supported a lot of regional artists over the years and also owned the Jomar label, acting as its house band. The Jans cover some classics by Don Gibson, Lefty Frizzell and Eddy Raven, and also recorded a couple of originals written by Tchida, as well as some others that look like they might have been written by other locals. They also include Ronnie Milsap's 1975 hit, "Daydreams About Night Things," which is the most contemporary hit on here. Amazingly enough, the title track is not cover of the girl group oldie, but rather one of Tchida's own songs. I wouldn't say either of these gals were great singers, but they wrote some decent songs, and were definitely "into it" when they made this record...

Country Rhoads "In The Back Of Pappy's Truck" (Roymac Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Vern Deaton)
Marge and Debby Rhoads were a mother-daughter duo from Paradise, Kentucky who brought a wealth of original material with them to this Nashville session, cut with bluegrass legend Jesse McReynolds at the helm and on mandolin; also in the studio band are Josh Graves on dobro, Tim Crouch playing fiddle, and Mike Lattimore on banjo. About half the songs are Rhoads originals, alongside covers of oldies by Bradley Kincaid, the Everly Brothers and a version of Dolly Parton's classic, "To Daddy." As you might expect, they had a very sweet, sincere, old-timey feel, reminiscent of the Carter Family and other country artists from a more gentle, acoustic-based era. This might not quite knock your socks off, but it's a very soulful, authentic album nonetheless. Worth a spin, if you go for old-fashioned, sentimental material.

Country Rovers "Making An Album In Nashville" (Globe Records) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Maxwell)
The husband-wife duo of Ginny and Joe Baker hailed from Wooster, Ohio and headed down to Nashville to cut this disc, which I believe was their only album. It's all cover songs, except for the presumably autobiographical title track, "Making An Album In Nashville." Ginny Baker also recorded a single of "Columbus Stockade Blues"/"I Wanna Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart," for the local indie label United Audio in 1972, and this LP looks like it's from around the same era, possibly a few years earlier. The personnel included Bill Phelps on fiddle, Terry Goad on drums and Buddy Edgell on guitar, with Joe Baker playing bass... Locals, all!

(Denny Hilton's) Country Shindig Gang - see artist discography

The Country Squires & Betty Lee "Moods Of The Country Squires And Betty Lee" (Moon Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Richison)
There sure were a lot of bands called the Country Squires... These one was from Minneapolis, Minnesota, although they recorded in Nashville with session player Al Udeen on steel guitar. Bandleader Bob Richison wrote and arranged all their material, also playing keyboards and cordovox, while lead singer Betty Lee provided a little oomph in the front line... This was a curious group, something of a throwback to the eclectic world of 1940s radio and club acts -- Ms. Lee's vocals had a smooth, sultry ballads style reminiscent of old-school pop vocalists like Peggy Lee, while the guys generally handled more comedic material, such as the topical "Panty Hose," in which drummer Pudge Likes laments the popularity of newfangled pantyhose -- he prefers to ogle women wearing nylons or socks -- or "Burnett County Fair," where they make fun of their own "fame" and the kind of gigs that local bands headline, and "Put It Where The Sun Don't Shine." which is kind of self-explanatory. There are also a couple of gospel songs, including "Friendship" and "Brotherhood," which has an uber-sincere vibe that tilts it into the unintentionally hilarious. All in all, a fun country record, and unlike most that you'll hear.

The Country Squires & Hurricane Barb "The Very Best Of..." (Jimbo Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by J. D. Van Buskirk)
This was a later edition of the Country Squires band from Minneapolis, still led by songwriter and cordovox king Bob Richison, along with guitarist Lee Larsen and drummer Pudge Likes. However, the group's female vocalist Betty Lee has been replaced by a new gal named Barb Huber or, more colorfully, Hurricane Barb. At the time, they were playing gigs at a place called Archie's Bar And Lounge, located in Hopkins, Minnesota, which commissioned this album. The record features liner notes by Marvin Rainwater, who probably played a few gigs with them at some point. The album includes "The Interstate Is Coming Through My Outhouse" and a few medley tunes, including one called "Barb's Favorites." The song, "Love Is The Answer" which is included on this album was also released on one of the singles Barb Huber managed to record under her own name as well (though still featuring material written by Bob Richison.) The two singles I know of were "Rags Upon My Shoulders/Love Is The Answer To This World" and "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"/"I'm Really Sorry," from 1978.

Country Sunshine "Now And Then" (1981-?) (LP)
(Produced by Brad Thrower & Roger Pirtle)
This early '80s offering comes from a band from Flint, Michigan, headed by songwriter Pat Levely who had a '60s gig as a staff writer for Buck Owens, and who penned Susan Raye's 1971 hit, "I've Got A Happy Heart." Levely recorded a couple of singles in the 'Sixties, but I think this was her only full album, made with a hometown band she formed in the late '70s. The group included Levely on keyboards and vocals, Marzine Yarbrough (vocals, drums), Bill Hill (guitar), Mike Back (bass) and Mike Kile (pedal steel) with a few licks added by producer-engineer Brad Thrower and a few other locals. She sings lead on most tracks, with a kind of Lynn Anderson-ish feel, while the guys add some robust though less professional-sounding vocals on several other songs. There are a couple of cover tunes, but a lot of original material credited to Levely and (I think) some friends that weren't in the band. The covers include Johnny Lee's 1980 hit, "Looking For Love," the Four Seasons oldie, "Sherry" and of course Dottie Lee's "Country Sunshine." Not the greatest indie country ever, but a good example of a local band aiming for a Top Forty sound, in the style of the urban cowboy era.

The Country Three "The Country Three" (Louisiana Division Of The Arts, 1986) (LP)
(Produced by Patrick A. Flory)
Old-timey stuff by the trio of Dink Burkdall, Elaine Burkdall and Bob Lambert (mandolin), a folkloric project sponsored by the Louisiana Division Of The Arts. Pretty darn down-to-earth and back-to-basics.

The Country Travelers "Especially For You" (Crusade Enterprises, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Harris)
This group from Indianapolis was originally a male vocal quartet called the Mello-Tones, consisting of Don Allison, Leo Fisher, Ben Kemp and Jim Schmedel. They mainly volunteered their time singing in retirement homes and hospital wards; later a couple of their wives -- Phyllis Fisher and June Kemp -- joined the act, and sang either in a mixed group or as a female duo nicknamed the PJs. (Adorable. right?) Also included in the lineup are the Kemp's son, Dave, on drums, pianist Mike Smith was also a relative, as well as Phil Fisher on bass, and guitarist Walter Seale, a transplant from Alabama. Despite a vigorous indie-label scene in Indiana, they traveled to Crusade Studios in Flora, Illinois to cut this disc -- although the material is mostly covers of secular country Top 40 hits, perhaps their volunteer work had them in the orbit of the gospel scene(?) There are a few originals as well, "I Remember It All," "Just Die" and "Everytime You Cross My Mind," all written by Ben and June Kemp. I'm not sure how consistently they performed or for how many years, though the Country Travelers Sing For You album below looks to be of a much later vintage, at least from the early '80s I would think.

The Country Travelers "...Sing For You" (Country Pride Of Indiana, 19--?) (LP)
By now the core of the band had been pared down to the Fishers and Kemps -- Leo and Phyllis Fisher, with Ben and June Kemp -- and they were working at a venue called the Little Nashville Opry, in Brown County, Indiana. They had folded gospel standards into their repertoire, along with country oldies and contemporary hits. Not sure of the year this came out, but I'd guess sometime in the early 1980s.

The Country Trend "Keepin' It Country With The Country Trend" (Shadow Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by The Country Trend & George Cumbee)
Mostly country covers from this Paducah, Kentucky-adjacent band, with a trio of original tunes, including two by steel player Jerry Burkeen ("I Keep Wonderin'," "I Told You So") and one by lead singer Kathy Reid ("I'm To Blame"). The group also included singer Dianne Clark, lead guitar Jeff Dowdy, drummer Don Housman, Dale Reid on guitar and bassist Neil Vick. I'm not sure how professional of a group this was, though the back cover shows them performing on a pretty fancy-looking bandstand; as far as I know this was their only album.

Court Yard Hounds "Court Yard Hounds" (Columbia Records, 2010)
(Produced by Martie Maguire, Emily Robison & Jim Scott)
A "solo" release from Dixie Chicks fiddler and guitarist, sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison (both nee Erwin...) This kind of picks up where their gentle, evocative acoustic tunes on recent Dixie Chicks albums left off, although if the truth be told, there seems to be something missing in this set, some sort of spark or artistic balance... This album seems kind of self-indulgent and unfocussed; deeply personal perhaps but not deeply engaging (at least not for me...) One thing that's missing are the pop-twang hooks that haul you in on the Chicks albums -- these songs seem more gooey and meandering, more in Sarah MacLachlan territory, if you know what I mean. I'm sure some fans will be happy with this new incarnation but hopefully something new with Natalie is also in the works.

Cousin Emmy "Cousin Emmy & Her Kinfolks: 1939-1947" (Bear Family Records, 2007)
Folks who are interested in the early history of women in country music may want to check this one out... Cousin Emmy was a colorful performer who sang old-timey and sentimental songs, and who wrote one of the best-known songs in the bluegrass canon, "Ruby (Are You Mad At Your Man)," which is included here in a live, on-air version. The bulk of this disc comes from old radio airchecks, although tracks from a long-lost album are included as well. Minnie Pearl, eat your heart out!

The Cox Family "Everybody's Reaching Out For Someone" (Rounder Records, 1993)
Slick as they are, the Coxes are also quite soulful. This is a nice, solid set of country-drenched bluegrass vocal tunes, with a harmony style reminiscent of the Judds, or (by implication) the Dolly Parton/Emmylou Harris/Linda Ronstadt "Trio" albums. Good song selection, a nice mix of sacred and secular material, oldies by folks such as Bill Clifton, Jim & Jesse, and fine originals written by Sidney and Suzanne Cox. Recommended!

The Cox Family "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow" (Rounder Records, 1994)

The Cox Family "Beyond The City" (Rounder Records, 1995)
The title refers to a trip out to the country, as in "country music," with the Coxes recording several obscure oldies originally waxed by the folks the like of Webb Pierce, Tanya Tucker and Ronnie Milsap, as well as a few originals by papa Sidney Cox. Ron Block, Rob Ickes, Dan Tyminski and others from the Union Station axis join producer Alison Krauss to give the disc a sleek, full sound. Overall, I found this to be a bit sleepy -- guess I prefer when they're more 'grassy -- but it's still pretty rich and packed with plenty o' sweet harmonies. Also includes a nice, demo-y version of "Broken Engagement" that an early Cox Family line-up recorded back in 1974(!) with a nice slice of twang to it. It's very cool to hear what they sounded 'way back then...!

The Cox Family "Just When We're Thinking It's Over" (Rounder Records, 1996)

Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers "Songs In The Night" (Ramseur Records, 2008)
(Produced by Danny Kadar)
This one's best suited for the indie-rock/folk-freak crowd, although there is an undeniable element of twang, 'billy and blues in there as well. Not quite my cup of tea: the music is original and compelling, but I can't get past Crain's vocals, which seem a bit too mannered and slurry, reminiscent of the whole Be Good Tanyas/Jolie Holland vortex. Interesting as they are, I find it hard to concentrate on the lyrics, and the overall effect is mildly frustrating. Of course, artsier music fans might go ga-ga over this one -- I think Crain is a unique and compelling artist and, at the tender age of twenty-two, she'll continue to have a lot to offer the indie scene. Worth checking out.

Connie Crawford "The Man Behind The Wheel" (Special Records, 19--) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery & Ray Winkler)
A gal from Dallas, Texas, demo-ing some new stuff and singing a few classics. Although this is pitched as a trucker album, it's really just the title track, an original written by Libby Winkler, that's semi-specific. The rest of the record isn't necessarily about white lines and lonely highways, though there are a several originals along with a slew of country oldies. Covers of "Drinking Champagne," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "I Fall To Pieces" and others provide a backdrop for newer, would-be hits such as "John Hathaway's "Somebody Mentioned Your Name," "The Longest Day Of My Life" and "That's The Way It Is." Unfortunately, the musicians are not listed, but since this was recorded at Phil York's studio, with Marvin Montgomery organizing the sessions, we can assume they were mostly Dallas locals.

Lea Anne Creswell "Lea Anne Sings Hank Cochran And..." (2008)

Melodie Crittenden "Melodie Crittenden" (Asylum Records, 1998)
(Produced by Byron Gallimore & Stephony Smith)
Forceful and formulaic country-pop with slick, tight, somewhat trite arrangements. Crittenden is an okay vocalist, I suppose, but she sure spent a lot of effort trying to sing all raspy and blues-ed out, like Sheryl Crow... This was apparently her only bid at mainstream country; afterwards she joined the Christian pop band Selah (who don't sound very country at all...) and also recorded an album of children's songs on an indie label... This features a couple of inspirational songs, "Broken Road" (which apparently was featured on a the teen drama Dawson's Creek), and the more overtly Christian-themed "With His Arms Wide Open," which closes the album. Nothing here did that well on the charts, though, which might help explain the career shift. This is okay, if you go for slick, modern Nashville stuff -- it sounds just like all the Faith Hill-y, Shanialicious stuff that was out there already...

Melodie Crittenden "Dream With Me Tonight" (Compendia Records, 2001)
An album of children's songs...

Al Crossland/Various Artists "Al Crossland's Table Rock Opry: Country Music Ozarks Style" (Dungeon Records, 197--?) (LP)
Another family band from some micro-opry located near the Silver Dollar City/Branson, Missouri musical axis. This troupe was led by Al Crossland and his wife Linda, along with their teenage daughters Kim and Tammy, with six-year old "Little Lee" Crossland adding a little bit of comedic relief onstage. Kim Crossland sang and played bass; the house band also included Everett Glenn on harp, drummer Harley Israel, pedal steel player Jack Musgrave and Steve Plank on fiddle, as well as cornpone comedy from Warren "Jughead" Wade, who also sang gospel numbers. There's no date on the album, but judging from the girl's lightly feathered hair, I'd guess somewhere around 1976-77.

Jill Croston "Jill Croston" (Harbor Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Wayne Nelson)
The independently-released debut of the artist who would become known as Lacy J Dalton. This album was a regional favorite in Santa Cruz, California, and shows Dalton's folkie/bluesy, Janis Joplinesque roots... The record has a comfy, informal, down-home vibe that reflects the hippie-billy vibe of the time... But her voice is so powerful -- a bluesy blast that pushes up against the sweet acoustic backing -- that in retrospect it's clear that she was destined for something bigger, bolder and more robust. And why begrudge her her successes? For every ten thousand earnest, striving, coffeehouse/open mic singers, there's one Lacy J. that'll make it to the top, and I'm sure the folks who remember her from 'way back when still have their copies of this disc tucked away somewhere and think fondly of her success. Anyway, here's where she started -- it was 0 to 60 after that.

Bobby Cryner "Bobby Cryner" (Epic Records, 1993)
(Produced by Doug Johnson & Carl Jackson)
A surprisingly distinctive album. A rootsy set, with low, bluesy vocals from this intriguing West Coast songwriter... Her timbre and sultry style may remind you of K.T. Oslin or Wynona Judd, but Cryner has a lot more twang and doesn't go into the same kind of phony-baloney white-girl soul. She shows her California roots in a duet with Dwight Yoakam (on a Buck Owens song!) and she's completely comfortable with producer Carl Jackson's melodic-acoustic touches. Cryner didn't make it as a solo artist, but as a songwriter she had some success, with songs recorded by folks such as Suzy Bogguss, Lee Ann Womack. Most notably, Trisha Yearwood, took her song "Real Live Woman" into the Top 20, though you might find that Cryner, like many country composers, does her own stuff the best. These stripped-down, rural-sounding sessions stand out from the usual Nashville fare -- definitely one worth checking out!

Bobby Cryner "Girl Of Your Dreams" (MCA Records, 1996)
(Produced by Tony Brown)
See, I would have thought that Tony Brown and Bobbie Cryner would be a great match, since she was so bluesy and he has such a good ear for bright, bouncy twang. But this is a pretty lush, glammed-up record, at least compared to her first album... This time around, she really does sound Wynona-ed out, which I personally don't think is a good thing. I guess they were trying to get her onto the charts by making her sound like everyone else, but it was an unfortunate move. Fans of the more polished, slick 'Nineties Nashville pop sound might get into this, but for twangfans it was a letdown. It is kind of cool that they had her cover "Son Of A Preacher Man," because of her obvious vocal similarities to Dusty Springfield, but the arrangements aren't very satisfying. Oh, well.

Crystal Blue "Changing Seasons" (Crystal Blue Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Shelley Abbott & Paul Birch)
This Maryland twangband was a showcase for songwriter Shelley Abbott, who penned all but three of the tracks, the exceptions being instrumentals composed by her steel player Darcy Harding. Abbott had cut a couple of singles before going all out and recording this album, and had built up a strong regional following that kept her doing live shows well into the 21st century. (Note: the songs from her first single, back in 1975, are not included on this set, so don't forget them when you do the reissue!) The lineup here includes Shelley Abbott (rhythm guitar), Pete Collins (drums) Frank Hughes (bass), Darcy Harding (steel guitar), Dean McNew on lead guitar. Harding was a highly regarded picker on the East Coast scene, and apparently later led a band called Cherokee; I'm not sure if Dean McNew was the same guy that led a band called Country Gold in Des Moines Iowa. Shelley Abbott was a popular performer who kept plugging away for years, doing gigs in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. A profile in a local newspaper mentioned several other albums following this one, but I haven't been able to track any others down yet.

The Crystal Mountaineers "...Visit McNeil Island" (Stacka Records, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by Shelley Abbott & Paul Birch)
For some reason, the authorities thought it would be just dandy for a bunch of teenagers to come and sing for the convicts at the Washington state prison on McNeil Island. I mean, nothing bad happened, and I'm sure everyone had a hoot, but it still seems a little odd. In the wake of Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison record, playing at McNeil became kind of a rite of passage for country singers in the Pacific Northwest, and this is one of several concert albums made at the notoriously grim facility. The Crystal Mountaineers was an all-teen from Enumclaw, Washington, with siblings Dale Bates and Holly Bates as the lead singers, and drummer Mark Hotton singing on "Bad Moon Rising" and "Tiger By The Tail." The bass player, Roger Johnson, was the only non-singer in the band, though he could hold a beat, and that's all that matters. The repertoire is all pretty standard late 'Sixties/early 'Seventies stuff, cover songs like "Almost Persuaded," "Okie From Muskogee," "Snowbird" and "You Ain't Woman Enough." The album kicks off with an original written by Dale Bates, "Little Boy Blues," but other than that, it's all about respecting their elders. The Stacka label also put out a lot of country singles, as well as an album by Butch Paulson; from the typography it looks like it was one of several imprints associated with Ripcord Records, although sadly there are no producer credits, so I can't pin it down for sure. There's no date on the disc, either, but Holly Bates' version of "Snowbird" places this as most likely a 1970 or '71 release.

Carol Cuff "Time" (Accent Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Seely & Nick Mandola)
I think songwriter Carol Cuff was from the Pacific Northwest, although this early '80s album was recorded in California and gives no information on her whereabouts at the time. At any rate, back in the 1970s, a few of Cuff's songs turned up on albums by artists in Washington state, which is why I think she was from around there. And they are well-crafted songs... The trouble with this album, though, is that while she was a good tunesmith, Ms. Cuff was not the world's greatest singer -- indeed, she had trouble keeping in tune most of the time, which may be one reason that she didn't make a record of her own until she'd been on the scene for over a decade. It's a pity, too, because there really are some good songs on here, notably the country weeper "It Really Doesn't Matter," though sometimes it's hard to tell because the musical flubs can be distracting. The liner notes are entirely devoted to her lyrics, with no info about who was in the studio band... And their performances are a mixed bag as well -- sometimes they're pretty solid (particularly the pedal steel) though much of the time they seem to be just going through the motions, if not playing fairly broadly in a half-joking manner. On the whole, though, this is a credible and heartfelt effort by a true amateur -- Ms. Cuff was definitely dedicated to her music and had a feel for old-fashioned country heart songs. I'd be hard pressed to really recommend this record, but I still admire the spirit in which it was made.

Catie Curtis "Hello, Stranger" (Compass Records, 2009)
(Produced by Garry West)
A nice folkie outing, with bluegrass-flavored backing courtesy of Alison Brown and her crew... Todd Phillips, Darrell Scott, Stuart Duncan and others trade licks while Curtis sings in her warm, crystalline voice. The set list is full of cover tunes, friendly readings of songs by Richard Thompson, John Martyn, Cat Stevens, and others. One highlight is Don White's "Let's Be Sixteen Again," where a pair of parents plan to steal their kid's car and go for a joyride -- and let their teens be the ones to worry for once! There's also a nice duet with Mary Gauthier, on the Carter Family oldie, "Hello Stranger. The mix of earnest folkie topical songs and bluegrass twang is pretty nice, a welcome change from the acoustic guitar-meets-light pop arrangements that have dominated the scene for the last few decades. Give it a spin!

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Hick Music Index
Sisters Who Swung: Women In Jazz & Blues

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