The Wailin' Jennys "40 Days" (Red House Records, 2004)

The Wailin' Jennys "Firecracker" (Red House Records, 2006)

The Wailin' Jennys "Live At The Mauch Chunk Opera House" (Red House Records, 2009)

The Wailin' Jennys "Bright Morning Stars" (Red House Records, 2011)

Kelsey Waldon "Dirty Hands Dirty Feet" (2007)

Kelsey Waldon "The Gold Mine" (Kelsey Waldon, 2014)
(Produced by Michael Rinne)

Cindy Walker - see artist discography

Abigail Washburn "City Of Refuge" (Rounder Records, 2011)
(Produced by Tucker Martine)
It's kind of hard to get a handle on this one... Banjoist Abgail Washburn, formerly a member of the innovative old-timey band Uncle Earl, has made an abrupt departure from her twangy roots, with this densely-layered folk-fusion outing. The tone is more what I might characterize as Lilith Fair-ish introspective fare, rather than the "indie" pop that others have mentioned. The songs are sort of free-flowing and (to my ears) amorphous - as I say, I couldn't quite get a handle on it, and other than the traditional gospel numbers that close the album out, I would be hard-pressed to tell you what most of the songs were about. Although this didn't really grab me, I'm sure it will be like catnip for some folks - and Washburn is certainly to be applauded for trying something new and breaking out of her old patterns (even if those old patterns had resulted in several very fine records leading up to this one...) Certainly a change of pace... try it for yourself and see what you think.

Sara Watkins - see artist discography

Susan Webb "Bye, Bye Pretty Baby" (ABC-Anchor, 1975) (LP)
Ms. Webb was apparently the sister of songwriter Jim Webb, and she gets the full-on LA studio sound treatment on this disc. With a ton of top rock and country-rock talent backing her -- folks like Gib Guilbeau, Herb Pedersen, and Albert Lee -- you'd assume she was gonna let loose with a little twang, but you would be wrong. Turns out this is about as generic and plastic-sounding an LA '70s rock-pop record as you can find. Didn't do anything for me, really, and it's definitely not of interest to twangfans. A footnote, maybe to the scene of the times, but it doesn't really lead anywhere.

Gillian Welch - see artist discography

Kitty Wells - see artist discography

Corinne West "Bound For The Living" (Make Records, 2003)

Corinne West "Second Sight" (Make Records, 2007)
(Produced by Mike Marshall)
An intriguing mix of bluegrass and adult-alt/folk-pop sensibilities... Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Corinne West has a tinge of Natalie Merchant and Kate Bush about her, and while her pop-folk mysticism dominates the second half of the album, the twangier stuff is pretty fun at the start, particularly for folks that are into 'grassy music with lyrics that stretch beyond the genre's traditional themes. She's certainly got a wealth of high-power talent backing her up: Darol Anger, Jerry Douglas, Tony Furtado, Mike Marshall and Tony Phillips are among the newgrass heavyweights on this album, making for some pretty compelling melodic passages. Although bluegrass traditionalists won't find much here to dig into, fans of Nickel Creek and its various spinoffs might really get into it... There's a freshness that might draw them in, and it's certainly not the same-old same-old, lyrically. Worth checking out!

Corinne West "The Promise" (Make Records, 2009)
More of a straightforward, modern, melodic folk album... Less twang and more introspection... Not quite my cup of tea, but fine for the genre.

Dottie West - see artist discography

Emily West "Emily West (EP)" (Capitol Nashville, 2007)
This 4-song EP is sort of a standard-issue Top 40 outing, in the Martina-esque, Shania-ish range. Relatively upbeat as well as lavishly produced. Not bad for the style.

Emily West "Emily West" (Capitol Nashville, 2011)

Jeanie & Harry West "Country Bluegrass" (Fantasy Prestige, 2000)
A fine reissue of two albums from the '60s boom, with North Carolina native Jeanie West fronting a competent, mildly clattersome band through a nice set of traditional songs and old-timey oldies. Originally issued on LP as Roamin' The Blue Ridge and Country Music In Blue Grass Style, from 1960 or thereabouts. One album has Jeanie West singing unaccompanied, the other is a nice series of rough-cut duets with husband Harry West, music that, as the album title implies, hearkens back to the days when the dividing line between "country" and "old time" music was much more nebulous than it would later become. West's super-rural, unabashedly hillbilly delivery has hints of Molly O'Day's old Depression-era recordings, but also, in an interesting way, of the more contemporary sound of Jimmy Martin, who also melded the bluesiness of country with the propulsive acoustic style adopted by the bluegrass crowd. Country Gentlemen co-founder Bill Emerson contributes solid banjo picking on both albums, anchoring the band, and adding a muscular oompf that helps boost the energy level. The rugged vocals and primitive sound mix might not appeal to everyone, but I think this is an album well worth picking up, particularly for the West's ability to bring out the lyrics in each and every song. (By the way, the West's are still in the acoustic music business -- literally. Here's a link to their music store in North Carolina.)

Jeanie & Harry West "Smoky Mountain Ballads" (Perpetual Records, 2006)

Shelly West - see artist discography

Tabby West "Chat Chat Chatanooga" (BACM, 2009)
Super cool. West was a former big-band/pop vocals singer of the 1940s who made the switch to country music when her husband, a regional bandleader named Red Wortham, successfully pitched a hit song to Kitty Wells. He asked his wife, Phyllis Spain, to demo a few more tunes for him, and when these demos caught the ear of a Nashville producer, she changed her stage name and launched a new career. This disc collects all of West's material on several major labels -- Capitol, Coral and Decca -- recorded between 1952-58. At first she recorded solid, earthy honkytonk material (with a hefty dose of Kitty Wells-style heartsongs and intonation) including weepers like "Our Love Isn't Legal," "I Was The Bridesmaid," and "My Daddy Left My Mommy Again." Later she let a little more pop into her sound, pioneering the pop-country crossover style that Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Skeeter Davis and others would later perfect... These rare old, largely forgotten recordings by West will come as a revelation for fans of traditional female country singers, particularly old faves such as Jean Shepard. West was both a solid hard-country singer and a pioneer of pop-country crossover, as these great old recordings show. The BACM presentation -- low-budget graphics and simple, bootleggy presentation -- may throw a few folks off the trail, but if you're a fan of classic 'Fifties country, this is definitely a must-have collection. Highly recommended. (Available through the British Archive of Country Music website.)

Whiskeytown (with Caitlin Cary) - see artist discography

Jonalee White "Jonalee White" (Lick Records, 2006)

Jonalee White "Wake Me" (Lick Records, 2008)

Jonalee White "Sugar" (Lick Records, 2010)

Jonalee White "...And The Late Nite Drivers" (Lick Records, 2012)

Joy Lynn White "Behind Midnight & Hindsight" (Columbia Records, 1992)
(Produced by Blake Chancey & Paul Worley)

Joy Lynn White "Wild Love" (Columbia Records, 1994)

Joy Lynn White "The Lucky Few" (Columbia Records, 1997)

Joy Lynn White "On Her Own: Demos 2002" (Thortch Records, 2005)

Joy Lynn White "One More Time" (Thortch Recordings, 2005)
(Produced by Kyle Lehning & Joy Lynn White)
It took me a while to warm up to this record... White's tactical retreat from would-be Top 40 success has left her sounding pretty snarly and rugged... So if you still groove out on old Lone Justice albums or early solo work by Maria McKee, this album's really gonna stir and excite you. White also has a surprising amount of Patti Smith in her and after a while that's what drew my attention, getting me past the roots-rock power chords and crunchy, bluesy guitar riffs (which, frankly, don't appeal to me that much...) and into the songs themselves. There's at least one real masterpiece on here, Phil Lee's soul-searing "Just Some Girl," which explores the "no humans involved" phenomenon, where anonymous young women wind up dead and unmourned, their deaths not investigated because the cops figure they were "just" prostitutes or whatever, and nobody's going to care that they're dead. Well, the song has a bit lighter touch than what I just wrote, but it touches on the same subject matter, and it packs a real wallop... It's also one of the most musically subtle songs, and as such highlights White's strengths much better than the louder, brasher songs that surround it. Similarly, "Girls With Apartments In Nashville" is a softer meditation on tough times trying to make it big in Music City... White also has fun with a chunky cover of Allan Toussaint's "A Certain Boy" (delivered with gusto with vocal assist from fellow alterna-chick Amy Rigby...) Even though this album is a little too abrasive for me, I'm sure many Americana lovers will dig it. Definitely worth checking out!

Lari White "Lead Me Not" (RCA, 1993)

Lari White "Wishes" (RCA, 1994)

Lari White "Don't Fence Me In" (RCA, 1996)

Lari White "The Best Of Lari White" (RCA, 1997)

Lari White "Stepping Stone" (Lyric Street Records, 1998)
(Produced by Dann Huff)
Yeesh. I can't say I'm wild about her voice (though at least she has some rough edges, which I'm always in favor of...) but the real problem here is the glitzy, overbaked, drum-machine-y prefab production. And the crappy songwriting. Ye gods. It'd probably be a little better, too, if every photo on the album didn't highlight her being all slinky and showing off her bod... It's all just so contrived, and poppy... and bad. Even though there are a few okay moment, you can skip this one. Worth noting: Toby Keith guests on one song ("Only God Could Stop Me From Loving You") and Wynona Judd took the song "Flies On The Butter" into the charts, several years after this disc came out. This really is quite bad, though.

Lari White "Green Eyed Soul" (Skinny White Girl Records, 2004)

Lari White "My First Affair" (Skinny White Girl, 2007)

Lari White "The Best Of Lari White" (RCA, 1997)

Buck White & The Whites -- see artist discography

Shannon Whitworth "No Expectations" (2007)

Shannon Whitworth "Water Bound" (Thirty Tigers, 2010)

Shannon Whitworth & Barrett Smith "Bring It On Home" (2012)

Shannon Whitworth "High Tide" (2013)
(Produced by Seth Kauffman)
Delicate, windswept twang, with a strong indie sensibility; this is the fourth solo album by songwriter Shannon Whitworth, also familiar as a member of the North Carolina indie-grass band, The Biscuit Burners... Paula Frazier's work comes to mind, although I find Whitworth's vocals (and songwriting) more straightforward and more compelling... These are low-key, pop-tinged songs, combining the slowcore drift of Cowboy Junkies with a hint of the simple melodic drive of indiepop's Camera Obscura. She gets a little glum, but if any of those artist touchpoints pique you're interest, you'll definitely want to give Whitworth a whirl.

John & Audrey Wiggins "John & Audrey Wiggins" (Polygram Records, 1994)

John & Audrey Wiggins "The Dream" (Polygram Records, 1997)

Wild & Blue "Heirloom" (Pinecastle Records, 1993)
Heartfelt, unassuming bluegrass music, featuring the sisterly vocals of Jan and Jill Snider, and some fine, sweet picking...

Wild & Blue "Come On In And Make Yourself At Home" (Pinecastle Records, 1994)

Wild Rose Band "Breakin' New Ground" (Universal Records, 1988)

Wild Rose Band "Straight And Narrow" (Capitol Records, 1991)

Wild Rose Band "Listen To Your Heart" (Capitol Records, 1991)

Marijohn Wilkin - Marijohn Wilkinsee artist profile

Lori Willcuts "Rainbows And Waterfalls" (Quiet Man Music, 2002)

Lori Willcuts "Blackeyed Susans" (Quiet Man Music, 2005)
(Produced by Paul Alfred Hart)
An independently released album by a gal who really wants to make it in Nashville, singing in sort of a Lorrie Morgan/Reba McEntire style style. Doesn't do much for me, but I admire her efforts, especially considering the longshot odds. If you're into commercial, Top 40-style country and are looking for stuff that's off the beaten track and not already being played on radio, you might wanna check this gal out.

Billie Jo Williams "Country Music Will Always Stay In My Heart" (Farview Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Tony Farr & Doyle Grisham)
Pedal steel player Tony Farr helmed this '70s session, with guitar picker Doyle Grisham listed as engineer...

Chickie Williams - see artist discography

Debbie Williams & Don Barnes "Nashville 709" (Strings Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Solomon)
Don Barnes was the sheriff of Frederick, Maryland, and also apparently a decent country musician, moonlighting as the leader of the house band of the local Silver Dollar Lounge, with singer Debbie Williams fronting his band The Countrymen. One of my honky-tonk heroes, Melba Montgomery, championed this Maryland-based duo, and got her husband Jack Solomon to produce their album. The record was sponsored by radio station WWEB.

Debbie Williams & Don Barnes "Yesterday And Today" (Strings Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Billy Troy)

Diana Williams "Diana Williams" (Capitol Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Denny)
This is what I believe to be the only album by singer Diana Williams, who first made a few waves with her recitation-song, "Teddy Bear's Last Ride." Included here, this single was an answer to Red Sovine's "Teddy Bear," a weeper about a paraplegic child who talks to truckers on the CB radio, "Teddy Bear" was was a big hit earlier in '76, and this sequel was an attempt to piggyback on Sovine's success -- it was also kind of a downer: in "Last Ride," the little boy dies of a mysterious disease. (In a different sequel, "Little Joe,"recorded by Sovine himself, the kid is cured by some miracle and grows up to live a long life... So I guess the Williams song can be considered some sort of alternate reality version? Anyway, here's Ms. Williams.

Holly Williams "The Ones We Never Knew" (Universal South, 2004)
(Produced by Monroe James & Holly Williams)

Holly Williams "Here With Me" (Mercury Nashville, 2009)
(Produced by Justin Niebank & Holly Williams)
A powerful set of confessional songs from the granddaughter of the great Hank Williams... Like her father (Hank, Jr.) Ms. Williams is perhaps not the most elegant or moving singer, but through sheer force of will, she imbues her songs with raw emotional power. Interestingly enough, the artists this most reminds me of are also second- and third-generation country singers, particularly Rosanne Cash and Carlene Carter, whose self-awareness of themselves as members of hard-country royalty must color their art in some similar way. This album is full of searing emotional portraits, songs of love yearned for and lost, as well as intensely adult, real-life topics such as the loss of a child (in "Without Jesus Here With Me") in which she describes the coming-together of her entire family to help cope with the tragedy, and the comfort she found from religion as well. This dovetails into a nice, soulful cover of Neil Young's "Birds," which takes the anguished feel of the first song, and brings it to a quiet close. This isn't an album full of hummable pop hooks, but it packs a wallop, nonetheless. If you like the adult-contemporary leanings of Mary-Chapin Carpenter, et al., or sometimes wonder what Gretchen Wilson might sound like when she mellowed and matured, then you might wanna check this record out.

Holly Williams "The Highway" (Georgiana Records, 2013)
(Produced by Charlie Peacock & Holly Williams)
The third album from Holly Williams, granddaughter of Hank Williams, Sr., a soulful artist who is comfortable with country touches, but has set out on her own creative path, separate from the honkytonk and top-country legacies of her dad and granddad. This album anchors Williams firmly in the confessional, post-folk "adult-alt" pop landscape, with contributions by Jackson Browne, Jakob Dylan and others (including producer Charlie Peacock of the band, The Civil Wars...) but there's enough twang floating around that it's not hard to imagine some success with Nashville radio as well. Several very powerful songs on here, particularly the heartbroken weeper, "Happy." If you like Shelby Lynne, Rosanne Cash or Aimee Mann, you might wanna check this out as well.

Jeanette Williams "Dreams Come True" (Flying Cloud, 1994)

Jeanette Williams & Johnny Williams "Johnny & Jeanette Williams" (Major Bluegrass, 1996)

Jeanette Williams & Clearwater "Blue Ridge Mountain Sun" (Mid-Knight, 1997)

Jeanette Williams "Cherry Blossoms In The Springtime" (Doobie Shea Records, 1999)
Very lovely stuff, with some of the sweetest, most upbeat melodies bluegrass has to offer. Dan Tyminski co-produced this album, which includes contributions by many of the late '90s "usual suspects" (such as Tyminski, Rob Ickes, Ben Isaacs and Aubrie Haynie). On a few numbers this bluegrass Wrecking Crew begins, not too surprisingly, to drift into sugary Alison Krauss-ish territory, but Williams seems to have a pretty clear sense of how she wants her music to sound, and the bouncy melodic drive is seldom lost for long. Really nice record... highly recommended!

Jeanette Williams Band "Too Blue" (Bell Buckle Records, 2002)
Back in the old days, they used to write songs about a dearly beloved mother died and gone to heaven... Here, singer Jeanette Williams updates the old formula with a sombre, powerful song about a parent diminished by Alzheimer's disease, unable to remember her own children as they visit her in the hospital. "I Ought To Know You" opens this disc, but is only one of several striking tunes on here, all delivered in a straightforward, traditionalist bluegrass style. Joining the Williams ensemble is guest fiddler Becky Buller, moonlighting from Valerie Smith's Liberty Pike band. Good stuff -- heartfelt and definitely worth checking out!

Jeanette Williams Band "Get In The Boat" (Bell Buckle Records, 2003)
A nice, heartfelt bluegrass gospel album. May be too Jesus-y for more secular-minded 'grass fans, but there are several nice slow numbers that stand out, particularly "When The Harvest Has Come" and "Come Morning," which both have an old-fashioned brush arbor feel to them.

Jeanette Williams "Thank You For Caring" (Blue Circle Records, 2008)
(Produced by Jeanette Williams, Wesley Easer & Johnny Williams)
Her continuing presence as one of the true independents on the bluegrass scene makes Williams a special performer... She's a strong bluegrass performer, and when the band is cooking behind her, Williams has a nice, lively presence. On this latest outing, however, she edges out into more of a contemporary folk territory than before, with less of a mountain music feel, an a bit more of the poetic-contemplative mood. Likewise, the gospel tunes are less oriented towards high lonesome harmonies or backwoods testifying, and sound more like folk-tinged Southern Gospel. I suppose in that sense there's a little something for everyone here -- I like the faster, twangier truegrass tunes, but I also wish there were more of them on here.

Leona Williams - see artist discography

Linda Williams - see artist discography

Lois Williams "A Girl Named Sam" (Starday Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Louie Innis)
Nice hard-country record by this little-known hillbilly filly... The novelty number of the title track is a bit strained: it's an answer to Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue," but the humor is elusive... The rest of the record picks up steam, though, and honkytonk/hillbilly fans will want to check this out. Williams' vocals are pretty rough-cut and sometimes uneven, but she exudes pure country, with a deeply rural voice and lively personality. If you like Melba Montgomery, you'll probably love this, too. Red Sovine sings two duets, and they're okay although really he just kind of gets in the way... Songwise this is notable for a couple of early Whitey Shafer songs, as well as a drinking song written by Williams ("Bottles Of Wine") and some nice novelty numbers, particularly "I'm Looking For A Man, Boy" and "From Miss To Mistake," which close out the album. This album tanked when it came out, but it's certainly ripe for reissue now, especially if they add on her singles-only releases on King and Starday.

Lucinda Williams - see artist discography

Victoria Williams - see artist discography

Kelly Willis - see artist discography

Gretchen Wilson - see artist discography

Stephanie Winslow "Crying" (Curb Records, 1980) (LP)

Stephanie Winslow "Dakota" (Warner Brothers, 1981) (LP)

Kate Wolf - see artist discography

Lee Ann Womack - see artist discography

Carolyn Wonderland "Miss Understood" (Bismeaux Records, 2007)
(Produced by Ray Benson)
A really nice surprise here, with a powerful blast of raw, soulful blues from this throaty, rough-hewn Texas powerhouse. A Houstonite who used to front the Imperial Monkeys roots-blues band, Wonderland has made Austin her home for a while now, and is one of the finest blues singers in the area. The slashing steel guitar on this album's opening track should be enough to get your attention, and once you get to the mournful "Bad Girl Blues," a couple of songs later, this gal will have you in the palm of her hands. Sidestepping the same-old raspy-Janis and sassy-mama Koko Taylor stereotypes, Wonderland taps into the more soulful tradition of gals such as Tracy Nelson, Marcia Ball and Lou Ann Barton. Asleep At The Wheel's Ray Benson produced this disc, and although he sneaks a teensy bit of twang in on a tune or two, he mostly plays to Wonderland's strengths and keeps it bluesy and brash. Her instincts aren't always right (a jarring rap interlude on "I Found The Lions" is just horrible, but it doesn't last long...) but raw power like this doesn't come around often and this is definitely an artist to keep our eyes on!

Nancy Wood "Imagine That" (Lovelight Music, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Byron Hill & Nancy Wood)
This double LP set collects work by Bremen, Germany's Renate Hildebrandt (aka Renate Kern) a European pop singer who "went country" in the early '80s in an effort to bump-start her flagging career. This was her second album working with Nashville songwriter-producer Byron Hill, and she sings a lot of his material as well as songs by fairly obscure writers such as Red Lane and Ava Aldridge, along with a couple by Marc Molen, who was affiliated with the Lovelight label, and I suspect was a German country artist as well. Although these tracks seldom really catch fire, it's a pretty solid set overall, with backing by a ton of Nashville studio pros: Sonny Garrish, Doyle Grisham, Fred Newell, Buddy Spicher, Chip Young and the like. Wood sings with a convincingly American accent, though she often seems a bit too controlled -- I imagine she sounded looser when singing auf Deutsch. Anyway, this is okay stuff, a little slick, but twangy enough for a spin or two. She also recorded an album under her German stage name -- Renate Kern -- in 1981, also with Byron Hill on board as producer.

Carrie Lou (Woodall) "Carrie Lou In Nashville" (Nashville Country Records, 1974-?) (LP)
A teenaged gal from Phoenix, Arizona, Carrie Lou Woodall may have had a background in gospel music, though this album is almost entirely a secular set, packed with covers of current hits and country standards such as Hillman Hall's "Pass Me By," "Diggy Liggy Lo," and others. She seems to have had a particular taste for Merle Haggard's work, covering three of his hits, along with one by Willie Nelson ("Shotgun Willie") while on the poppier end of things, she also belts out versions of "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues." I'm not sure how old she was when this album came out -- the pictures on the back show her decked out in cowgirl gear but looking a few years younger than on the front cover, maybe anywhere between thirteen to fifteen years old, while she may have been a young adult when this came out. (If I had to guess, I'd say her parents helped her make this album when she turned eighteen, or something along those lines.) At any rate, the most striking thing about this album is how hard she digs into a hard country sound, going full twang on the vocals and even sounding quite masculine on some of the later tracks. The backing band was rock solid -- I would have guessed they were Nashville pros, though bandleader (and Phoenix-area radio deejay) Dick Harbold adds a blurb talking about backing her with his band Pony Express, so it's possible this was an entirely Arizonan project. But since there are no individual musician credits, it's hard to say who played on the album itself. There is a Nashville connection, though: the album includes one original, the lone gospel tune, "Those Old Time Hymns," written by Lou Hildreth who was a Christian music talent scout based in Music City. This seems to have been Carrie Lou's only record, which is a shame, because although a bit callow, she definitely had grit. (Notes: her stage name is given as "Carrie Lou" on the outside covers, but Carrie Woodall on the inner label... Also, assuming Pony Express are the backing band, this may have been the only recording by Dick Harbold and his band, although they seem to have played gigs at various Arizona venues throughout the 1970s.)

The Wooden Nickel Band "Puttin' It Together" (The Sounding Board, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Otis Forrest)
An eclectic bluegrass band from Greenville, South Carolina, on my radar as a twangband because they covered both Rodney Crowell and Pure Prairie League's "Aime," which is one of my all-time favorite 'Seventies tunes. These folks are also interesting because guitarist-lead singer Cindy Murphy Orr wrote about half the songs, and yay! women in bluegrass! The Rodney Crowell song is "Shame On The Moon," one of his poppier early works; they also cover Townes Van Zandt's "White Freightliner Blues," and a little bit of Flatt & Scruggs, though mostly this is a pretty modern, forward-facing 'grass group. The rest of the band included banjo player Bill Fowler, Fred Lunsford (bass), Frank Murphy (guitar), and Herman Towles on fiddle and mandolin... Cindy Murphy Orr later fronted a commercial country-pop band called Dixiana, which was together from 1986-93 and placed a couple of singles in the back end of the Top Forty; their last album was a country-gospel offering, which perhaps presaged her work as the leader of an evangelical congregation back home in Greenville.

Marion Worth "Greatest Hits" (Columbia Records, 1963) (LP)

Marion Worth & George Morgan "Slippin' Around" (Columbia Records, 1964) (LP)

Marion Worth "Sings Marty Robbins" (Columbia Records, 1965) (LP)

Marion Worth "A Woman Needs Love" (Decca Records, 1968) (LP)

Chely Wright - see artist discography

Ginny Wright & Tom Tall "Are You Mine" (Bear Family Records, 2005)
Kooky, clunky, delightfully innocent, for-real hillbilly music from the early 1950s. Two teenagers, Tom Tall and Ginny Wright, were paired up for a duet on the independent Fabor label, where they were both signed... The disc, "Are You Mine," shot to Number Two on the country charts in 1955, but just when they were poised to reap the benefits of their success, Wright decided to pack in in and quit show biz - she got married, had kids and settled down. Tall, who was just a few years younger than her, was left in the lurch -- fresh out of high school and eager for success, his career lurched along for several years afterwards, but he never came as close to hitting the jackpot as he did when he was a kid. This disc includes almost all the singles that Tall and Wright recorded in the 1950s (although, sadly, it omits her earlier duet with Jim Reeves, which was also a big hit...) His solo work and hers are included, side by side, and it's wonderously unpolished music, mainly sub-par novelty material and heartsongs, sung with boundless enthusiasm and an utter lack of finesse. This disc speaks to a day when country singers weren't all blowdried TV models who "fixed" every little bit of their vocals in the studio before their records came out... This disc is full of awkward, chaotic, sometimes embarassing performances... and it's an album I find fairly irresistible. It's the kind of record you just won't find anywhere else... God bless Bear Family!

Michelle Wright "Do Right By Me" (Savannah Records, 1988)

Michelle Wright "Michelle Wright" (Arista Records, 1990)
A so-so album from a Canadian artist who seems pulled in several directions -- soft country-pop (with a slight traditionalist/rockabilly undercurrent on a few tunes), along with bluesy-torchy vocals, ala k.d. lang... She seems like an artist who could've caught fire, given the right musical backing, but as is, this album feels a bit flat.

Michelle Wright "Now And Then" (Arista Records, 1992)

Michelle Wright "The Reasons Why" (Arista Records)

Michelle Wright "For Me It's You" (Arista Records, 1996)

Michelle Wright "Shut Up And Kiss Me" (2004)

Michelle Wright "A Wright Christmas" (Icon Records, 2007)

Michelle Wright "Everything And More" (2008)

Michelle Wright "Greatest Hits" (Arista Records, 2000)

The Wrights "Down This Road" (RCA/Sony-BMG, 2005)
(Produced by Keith Stegall & John Kelton)
A memorable debut album of sweet, well-crafted country duets by this husband-wife songwriting team, Adam and Shannon Wright. The Wrights were introduced to country fans earlier in the year when they sang on Alan Jackson's What I Do album, where they contributed musical backup as well as two new songs... Adam Wright does just happen to be Jackson's nephew, and Uncle Alan does just happen to make an appearance on this album as well, but one listen to this disc and you'll know that they got here based on their talent, not anything else. This is a really striking record for a modern commercial country release -- it's got a softness and sincerity that's really quite refreshing. The Wright's never sound like they're straining to find a hit, or trying out whatever styles or gimmicks they can think of to see what might stick. They have a nice, simple sound and they stay with it, giving them a distinctive presence amid all the pop-soul crossovers of recent years. Also, the production is smooth and assured, and pleasantly restrained, given how over-the-top the Nashville studio cats have gotten. This is a classy record, a well-measured piece of craftsmanship that never blunders into by-the-numbers commercial formulae... If you enjoy Barry and Holly Tashian's records or the mellower stuff by Buddy and Julie Miller, then you may find kindred spirits here... Check it out!

The Wrights "The Wrights" (Alan's Country Records, 2007)
(Produced by Keith Stegall & John Kelton)
Bee-yoo-ti-ful. The husband-wife team of Adam and Shannon Wright burst on the Nashville scene a couple of years ago with their major label debut, Down This Road, a wonderful set of melody-twang-and-harmony drenched commercial country that seemed just too good to be true. Maybe it was, since this new EP is and indie release (like a lot of the best country coming from Nashville these days...) Regardless of whatever's happening between them and the majors, the Wrights sure do sound good. This disc opens on a high note, with "Rewind," a soaring harmony tune written by Shawn Camp, produced in a lavish style that recalls Billy Sherrill's best years... Indeed, the Wrights are resurrecting a much-neglected tradition of country duet singing that had its heyday back when Sherrill was working with George Jones and Tammy Wynette -- it's a sound that's fallen by the wayside in recent years, and you'll wonder why when you hear these two croon one great tune after another, including originals like the twangy "Do You Still" and catchy hits-in-the-making like "Planting Flowers" and "You're The Kind Of Trouble." Guitarist Paul Kennerley plays throughout and also wrote or co-wrote several of the songs; veteran producer Keith Stegall exhibits his tried-and-true, irresistible blend of twang'n'pop, which fits these kids like a glove. If you like real, true, sweet country pop, the kind of stuff you can crank up loud and sing along to, then check this album out. It's a treat. (For more info, check out www.thewrightsmusic.com )

Tammy Wynette - see artist discography

Wynonna - see The Judds

Gail Wynters "A Girl For All Seasons" (Hickory Records, 1967) (LP)
(Produced by Wesley Rose)
Wow - what a weird record. I mean, it's on the Hickory label, and it's got this groovy, Mod cover art... I saw several country songs listed on the credits, along with a few '60s pop vocal hits, and Ray Stevens of all people doing the arrangements, so I thought, okay I'll bite. But there ain't no twang on this thang: Ms. Wynters, born Nancy Gail Shivel, was a preacher's daughter from rural Kentucky who developed a love of jazz and blues vocals... Here, styles herself as a white-girl soul singer, ala Dusty Springfield, and the arrangements are lavish, baroque '60s pop with a heavy dose of bluesy Northern Soul... Hardly what you'd expect on old Roy Acuff's label! Wynters frequently slides into a low, growling Shirley Bassey/Eartha Kitt mode, and while there are some "country" songs on here, they are bent out of recognition into big, brassy pop numbers -- probably the weirdest song on here is the brassy, overwrought arrangement of the Louvin Brothers' sweet, demure ballad, "When I Stop Dreaming." But even as a devoted obscuro-twang fan, I just couldn't find a rationale for hanging on to this one... I guess, though, this wasn't just some weird vanity record -- Wynters recorded for several labels and made a modest reputation for herself as a jazz-standards stylist. This album appears to have been just a matter of circumstance, with Wesley Rose willing to test the waters for more pop-oriented material, and although this was her first album, it's the only one that has any tangential connection to country or Nashville.

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

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