The American Gun Album "A Celebration In Song" (Rage Music, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Dude McLean & Paul Brosche)
Well, you might think these guys were kidding, but... I'm pretty sure they weren't. A lengthy (self) defense of the right to bear arms, this album features various songwriters enlisted to craft cheerful ditties such as "God, Guts And Guns" (by Rhio Hersh), "Thank You, Smith And Wesson" (by Terry Moretti) and "America Was Born With A Gun In Her Hand" by James Lee Reeves. Over half the album was composed by Tim McDonald, who penned tunes like "Gun Totin' Woman," "Never Mind The Dog (Beware Of The Owner)," "If Guns Are Outlawed (Only Outlaws Will Have Guns)" and my personal favorite, "We're Rednecks (And We're Gonna Keep Our Guns)." Most of the songs have a Second Amendment greatest-hits/bumper-sticker slogan vibe, though a couple, like "The Survivalist" and "Vigilante" hint at a slightly darker world view. The last track on the album, "It's My Alternative Point Of View," anticipates the whole Trump era post-truthiness movement by several decades... Oh, joy. The provenance of this project is a little hard to pin down: the liner notes say it was recorded in Boonton, New Jersey, but was mixed and released by a company in Hollywood, California. Go figure. The musicians include drummer Steve Gregory, Sharon Lynne (keyboards), Terry Moretti (lead vocals), Steve Swinford (lead guitar), Ron Tranquil (bass), Nat Wyner (fiddle and mandolin) and Dave Zeigler on steel guitar. It looks like most of the musicians were West Coasters doing session work, while Terry Moretti and some of the others were from back east. So we'll call this a Jersey thing.

Bill Andrews & The DJs "By Your Request" (Triple K Records, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Triple K Corporation)
An amateur band from South New Jersey, covering a slew of late 'Sixties/early 'Seventies standards. mostly well-traveled territory, with covers of big hits such as "The Auctioneer," "Easy Lovin," "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Kiss An Angel Good Morning," "Me And Bobby McGee" and "Proud Mary." Bill Andrews was a local country deejay who first hit the airwaves in 1965 and always dreamed of cutting a record. He finally did, singing and playing bass with backing by Sherry Chew (piano), Jimmy Davis (guitar), Jimmy Gannon (lead guitar), and Warren Sparks on drums. Given the band name, you'd think these guys were also in radio, but they don't seem to have been -- some worked as truck drivers and whatnot. At the time they recorded this album, the group was playing a long-tern gig at the Circle K Ranch Club, a restaurant in Penns Grove, New Jersey, whose owner Vernon Clarke adds glowing liner note testimonials.

Kathie Baillie/Baillie & The Boys -- see artist profile

Blackwater "Blackwater" (??) (LP)
(Produced by Anthony J. Ward & Kevin Kelly)
This early '80s(?) twangband from Bayonne, New Jersey played mostly cover songs, but also recorded a couple of their own songs co-written by singer/guitarist Danny Infantino: "Say She's A Child" and "Lazy Sunday," as well as one called "Between The Movies," which wasn't written by anyone in the band, but seems to be original to this album. I'm a little dubious about the guy playing saxophone and flute, but the cowboy hats and fiddles tell me maybe I need to get over it... Nice, mellow, harmony-vocals oriented country-rock, with a gentle early-Eagles/Firefall kinda feel. The group included Andy Holland on guitar, Danny Infantino (guitar), Gary Kirmayer (fiddle, saxophone and flute), Ollie O'Shea (fiddle), Rick Palley (bass, piano), and Dave Sonneborn on drums.

Bill & Jean Bradway "Gospel Hawaiianaires" (Christian Faith Records, 1965-?) (LP)
According to the liner notes, steel guitar player Bill Bradway was a farm kid from rural New Jersey who had a flair for repairing musical instruments as well as a knack with electronics. He tinkered around and built his own electric guitars, and eventually designed his own line of double-necked pedal steels. He formed his own band in Atlantic City, a Pacific-themed trio called the Hawaiianaires, which played gigs at Hunt's Ocean Pier amusement park, as well as performing daily on the radio, and with big band/pop bandleader Horace Heidt. The Bradways were "born again" in 1955 and devoted themselves entirely to gospel music and evangelizing at church events. The tunes on this instrumental album are mainly gospel classics, such as "Onward Christian Soldiers," "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" and "The Old Rugged Cross," but they sure sound like old-school Hawaiian guitar tunes rather than fusty old hymns. Certainly worth a spin!

Kenny Burd & The Lawmen "Kenny Burd And The Lawmen" (Nash City Records, 1974) (LP)
These East Coasters hailed from High Bridge, New Jersey although they could get twangy along with the best of 'em...And, yep, they were real-deal lawmen, at least bandleader Burd: after serving in the Air Force during the Korean War, Kenneth Burd (d. 2017) moved back to New Jersey, where he joined the local police force, serving first in High Bridge, and then in Califon, NJ, where he eventually became chief of police. Backing him were the Lawmen -- Henry Queen, Steve Lezan, Joe Weber and Bernie Mudecer, some of whom may have been cops as well. The album was at Hilltop Studios, in Nashville, and features covers of standards such as "Green Green Grass Of Home," "Reflection Of A Fool," "She Thinks I Still Care," and "Your Cheating Heart," as well as "Don't Hide The Bottle," "The Day I Started Loving You," which may have been originals. There's no date on the album, but it was probably recorded in 1973, based on an ad in a local newspaper that ran in January of '74.

Sonny Campbell "Let's Go Country With Songs By Sonny Campbell" (SC/Let's Go Country, 196--?) (LP)
This was an older album, probably from the 1960s (?) with kind of a rockabilly feel. Campbell apparently played at a club called The Coral (I think they meant "Corral," but it's clearly and consistently misspelled...) and had some kind of traction of radio station WJRZ 970, a Newark, New Jersey AM station which had a country format in the late '60s... Other than that, this guy's a bit of a mystery... The album has a plain white cover, with no graphics on the back, so there's not much info to go on. Feel free to contact me if you know more about this guy, or this album...

Yodeling Slim Clark -- see artist profile

Don Cleary "Sings Traditional Cowboy Songs" (Palomino Records, 1966-?) (LP)
A big fan of western music, New Jersey show promoter Don Cleary organized a package tour in the mid-1960s called the Palomino Country Western Show, featuring East Coast cowpoke Slim Clark, yodeler Elton Britt, Jimmie Skinner, and several other like-minded artists. Mr. Cleary also started his own label -- Palomino Records -- which put out a compilation album called PALOMINO COUNTRY JAMBOREE, showcasing several well-known performers such as Rosalie Allen, Kenny Roberts and Texas Jim Robertson. As this album demonstrates, Cleary was a singer himself, mostly mining traditional oldies, tunes like "Bully Of The Town," "Cowboy Jack," "Down In The Valley" and "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Though originally from Fair Lawn, NJ, Mr. Cleary seems to have moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida at some point... His collection of regional music memorabilia inspired a lively academic paper about the New Jersey country scene of yesteryear, published by Rutgers University. No info on the musicians involved here; the album's back cover was blank, and the songs all appear to have been in the public domain.

Jimmie Dale & The Western Trailsmen "Songs Of The Old West" (Palace Records, 1961-?) (LP)
An East Coast cowpoke from Newark, New Jersey, singer Jimmie Dale recorded prolifically through the late 1940s and early '50s, and more sporadically into the 'Sixties and 'Seventies. This super-cheapo album apparently draws all its tracks from recording sessions held in 1947, and seems to overlap with the Canadian super-cheapo below, encompassing hillbilly boogie-era songs such as "Guitar Boogie," "Divorce Me COD," and even older sentimental numbers like "Wreck Of The Old 97" and "Wabash Cannonball." Alas, the musicians backing him are not listed on this disc, but I'm sure some more efficient scholars than myself have already figured that stuff out... Of course, the audio fidelity on these old fly-by-night truck stop LPs isn't all that great (even if the music is) so you might be better off tracking down the later reissues on the German collector label, Binge Disc/Cattle Records, which are listed below.

Jimmie Dale & The Trailsmen "Authentic Golden Country And Western Sounds" (Countryville Records, 196--?) (LP)

Jimmie Dale "Eastern Country and Western Of Days Gone" (Cattle Records, 1984) (LP)
A sampling of Dale's vintage hillbilly recordings, including some hillbilly boogie, one called "Got To Get To Nashville," and a topical tune about the war, "Goodbye Maria (I'm Off To Korea)," which I suppose was a bridge between "So Long Mama, I'm Off To Yokahama" and Tom Lehrer's cold war answer song, "So Long Mom (I'm Off To Drop The Bomb)." Sounds like a great little mini-set; good thing for you I don't have a radio show anymore! Anyway, I am a huge fan of the Binge Disc label, which typically pairs great curation with superior sound quality... So if you're looking to delve into the Jimmie Dale story, this would be a great place to start.

Jimmie Dale "Country Songs Never Grow Old" (Cattle Records, 1985) (LP)
More vintage recordings from the late 1940s to mid-1950s... This disc tilts towards the sentimental side, though he also does a bunch of uptempo novelty numbers, as well as one called "Hello Maria," apparently an answer to his own song (heard above.) Some real good, old-fashioned hillbilly twang!

D.W. Griffiths "Workingman's Banjo" (BMA Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by D.W. Griffiths, George Eliot & Ron Eliot)
Experimental bluegrass instrumentals by banjo plunker D.W. Griffiths, who hailed from Little Silver, New Jersey. Most of these East Coast pickers are unfamiliar to me, except for Andy Statman, who plays mandolin; Tony Trischka contributes liner notes, in which he speaks of Charles Ives, and hints at how challenging this album might be for many mainstream 'grass fans.

David Grisman -- see artist profile

Hickory Wind "Cow Jazz" (Village Records) (LP)
Not to be confused with the hippie bluegrass band of the same name, this late '70s(?) trio from New Jersey was led by guitarist Frank Wright, who wrote most of the music on Side Two of the album, which was recorded in the studio, while Side One was recorded live at a club called the Top Of The Hill, in Sommerville, New Jersey. I guess their thing was playing country material in a jazzy style, so the live show featured them jamming on covers of songs like "Sugarfoot Rag," "Wabash Cannonball" and "I Washed My Hands In The Muddy Water" and, of course, yet another version of "Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother." (Hmmmm... it's beginning to occur to me that maybe I should start a list of '70s bands who recorded that song...)

The High Plains Drifters "Garden State Cowboy: Greatest Hits, Volume II" (Warped Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by The High Plains Drifters)
Amidst covers of iconic outlaw songs ("Desperado," "Glendale Train," "Nashville Skyline Rag") and country classics by Hank Williams and Bob Wills are several originals written by this New Jersey twang band... The album was recorded in Princeton, NJ; the band seems to have been from around Trenton. Their lineup included Robert Golub on piano, Paul Magnin (lead guitar), Merrell Noden (lead vocals, fiddle and guitar), Steve Orland (bass), Ted Russell (pedal steel), and lead singer Nancy Valyo. Ten years later Nancy Valyo was singing jazz at a hotel lounge in Cincinnati, though she was billed as being from Pennington, NJ.

The Jersey Travelers "Leavin' Town" (BMA Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Henry Borysewicz)
An eclectic modern bluegrass band from Piscataway, New Jersey, with a diverse playlist with sources spanning Merle Haggard, The Everly Brothers, the Louvins, Don Gibson, Jim Smoak and others. The group included Steve Hendershott (fiddle and mandolin), Jim Lang (guitar), Rich LaTourette (bass), Rich Stillman (banjo) and guest picker Don Sojka sitting in on dobro for one tune... As far as I know, this was their only album...

Lakota "Lakota" (JSR Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by George Elliott & Tom Elliott)
Nice one! A compelling mix of country-rock, post-psychedelic jam-band guitar, southern-rock and softer acoustic material that's a bit reminiscent of John Denver. Apparently these guys were from Long Branch, New Jersey and backed fellow Jerseyan Barry Pagliaroli (aka "Barry Zell") on his 1980 album Modern Day Cowboy, which came out on the JSR label the following year. This is a really nice record -- well-written, confidently performed, definitely a cut or two above similar uber-indie country-rock records of the same era. All the songs were written by lead singer W.J. Grimm and other than the expansive rock jams, they're pretty darn good. Apparently only a few hundred copies were pressed, but as far as lost gems of the 'Seventies go, this one is definitely a strong contender for reissue. I'd buy it!

Margie Lane & Sundown Pete "Treasures Beneath The Shifting Sands Of Time, Volume One" (Driftwood Records, 19--?)
(Produced by Peter Kobal & Robert T. Speiden)
Good old-fashioned western revival music from cowgal Margie Lane (1932-2007) and her husband, "Sundown Pete" Kobal, whose careers dated back to the 1950s. Originally from New Jersey, the Kobals headed out west when they were young and seemed to have been in Mineral Wells, Texas when they cut this disc -- they also did their time in California and Nashville, and eventually retired in New Mexico. I'm not sure then this LP was produced; it looks like it might have been a later pressing that used some archival photos for the cover. The Kobals also released a string of albums in the 1990s and early 2000s, including some sets showcasing her love of pop-vocal standards.

Tommy Lee "...Sings The Country Greats" (Starr Records, 1969) (LP)
Born in Missouri back in 1938, guitarist Tommy Lee moved around a lot as a kid, living throughout the South as his parents moved from town to town. As soon as he graduated high school, Lee set out on the road, touring with various bands, although he eventually settled down in New Jersey in 1962, finding work for various musical gear and guitar manufacturers, while playing gigs regionally. On this album, he covers a bunch of '60s-era country hits, stuff like "Break My Mind," "Detroit City," "Memphis," "Under Your Spell Again," and a few croonier tunes from the likes of Jack Greene and Jim Reeves. The jacket has a return address in Cedar Grove, NJ, and Tommy Lee gets a shout-out from local deejay Lee Arnold, the music director for country station WJRZ, 970-AM in Newark, who contributed the liner notes.

Joe Lisi "It's The UAW All The Way" (Lem Productions, 1966-?) (LP)
Not to be confused with the cop-show character actor or the sports writer of the same name, union activist Joe Lisi styled himself as "the UAW Troubadour," and started performing publicly in 1951 as part of a union training event after having joined the UAW up in Detroit. He was good at it, and dedicated himself to singing at union functions and numerous political rallies, lending his talents to the campaigns of Adlai Stevenson, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and countless others further down the ticket... Lisi appears to have been from Michigan originally, joining the UAW in 1950 and later moving around the country to Connecticut, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas as a union "summer school" organizer, finally settling in New Jersey, which is where he was living when he cut this disc. I'm not sure which of his albums came first, but if you're looking for Lisi's more political side, here it is. In addition to labor anthems such as "Solidarity Forever," etc., this has other topical songs such as "Crusade For Safety" and "We've Got To Fight Pollution Now" as well as the title track, "UAW All The Way." The probable release date for this album comes courtesy of the bibliography from Utah Phillips' "Big Red Songbook."

Joe Lisi "Sings Country And Western" (Lem Productions, 197--?) (LP)
No doubt when he started out, he sang a lot of Pete Seeger/Weavers-type folkie material, but on this early '70s album he stuck pretty closely to non-political country stuff, including some Depression era oldies and gospel material, as well as hits such as Hank Williams' "Jambalaya," "Release Me" and "Rose Of San Antone." There's no date on the album, although the liner notes mention events in 1970, so I imagine this was recorded not long after that, perhaps 1971-72, though it looks a bit older than that.

Lew London "Swingtime In Springtime" (Philo Records, 1976)
(Produced by Lew London)
A perky, jazz-tinged folk set from banjo and guitar picker Lewis London, who had previously been in an East Coast stringband called Bottle Hill (which recorded at least two albums) and also spend a big chunk of the 'Seventies touring and collaborating with singer-songwriter Steve Goodman. This set is mostly original material, and features backing by folk scene luminaries such as Mary McCaslin and Jay Ungar. Fans of Dan Hicks -- or of, well, Steve Goodman -- might really dig this one. Very good-natured, cheerful and upbeat. Plus, the guy really could play!

Rick Nelson - see artist discography

The Oxpetals "The Oxpetals" (Mercury Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Boone & Warren Dewey)
An inventive, distinctive longhaired rock band from Oak Ridge, New Jersey... These guys aren't entirely what you'd call a "country rock" group, but their chunky, disjointed arrangements certainly left enough space for plenty of twang to come through. Surprisingly modern-sounding and accessible to fans of lo-fi DIY. I can't imagine this sold that well back in the Woodstock era, but it sounds fascinating, all these decades later. definitely worth checking out.

Quacky Duck & His Barnyard Friends "Media Push" (Warner Brothers, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by Stephan Galfas)
Awkward country(ish) rock from an East Coast band led by Danny and Daegal Bennett, sons of legendary pop crooner Tony Bennett. This is mostly clunky, cluttered stuff -- self-indulgent and not well-crafted, though I guess it has its moments. Based in Jersey, these guys had some regional success, but not surprisingly this odd, jokey album went nowhere on the charts, and the band quickly fizzled out. Perhaps the most notable member of the group was multi-instrumentalist David Mansfield, who went on join Bob Dylan's tour band, then to co-found the Alpha Band with T Bone Burnett, and became a prolific session musician. Meanwhile, the Bennett brothers went into more behind-the-scenes, out of the spotlight music business roles such as A&R and production. Overall, there's not much here that requires your attention: the title track generated mild controversy because of its inclusion of various ethnic slurs, but it's not a terribly interesting song. Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, twang martyr Gram Parsons is not credited as the album's producer, although they did add the dedication, "Our Love To Gram" on the back cover... Apparently they hung out with him in his waning days, but his influence isn't readily apparent. This disc is a footnote to East Coast country-rock, but not a compelling record.

Billy Sage "When The White Azaleas Are Blooming" (Kasa Records, 19--?) (LP)

Billy Sage "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" (Cannassee Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Bob Wood)
A later release from New Jersey hillbilly singer-picker Billy Sage, who released a string of 45s in the 'Sixties, including several duets with his musical partner and co-composer, a Rose Maddox-y gal named Kookie Kay. Although he was a Garden State artist, Billy Sage hoofed it down to Nashville to cut this good-natured set, with backing from an all-star crew that included D.J. Fontana, Greg Galbraith, Doug Jernigan and Bunky Keels, and some gut string guitar from producer-arranger Bob Wood. So okay, let's be honest, Billy Sage didn't seem to have the biggest range -- maybe his voice was more supple when he was a kid -- and, yeah, and maybe his relationship with pure pitch is a little remote -- but he seems well aware of his own limits, and is just plain having fun singing his songs. Which, by the way, are his own originals, and are pretty darn good. It's kind of like if Moe Bandy was some guy you'd actually want to hang out with. I'm sure this is an album that many would make fun of, but I really like it. Mr. Sage has a hangdog authenticity that, once you get on his wavelength, is pretty hard to to resist. Alas, I wasn't able to uncover much biographical info about Mr. Sage, though he was definitely a stalwart figure on the East Coast country scene, with plenty of show notices in Jersey and environs, particularly in the late 'Sixties.

Thelma With Jerry Lee & The Mustangs "Sings Patsy Kline" (Ponderosa Records, 1965) (LP)
(Produced by Norman Baker)
I could not, for the life of me, find out what Thelma's last name was, or any info about "the Mustangs," or why they made a tribute to Patsy Cline, but misspelled her name. Regardless, there was a teensy bit of info in the liner notes: Thelma was born June 16, 1946 in Camden, New Jersey and was apparently eighteen or nineteen when she recorded this album. She did have a remarkable ability to mimic Cline's vocal tones, if not her confident phrasing and command of the material -- similarly, the backing band had some talent but never really gels as a unit on these sessions, and seems to have been disinterested in the material. The pedal steel player is pretty good, but it's harder to gauge the strengths of the lead guitar, as his work generally seems loosely strung together, and is often at odds with Thelma's vocals, most notably on their version of "Walking After Midnight," where the noodly blues licks almost drown her out... It's a glaringly low-budget, one-take kind of recording and is oddly charming as a result... There's never a moment where you go, oh yeah! man, that's how that song should sound! but you do feel the authenticity of an East Coast gal with a passion for Pasty Cline... Anyone out there with more info about this album? I'm all ears!

Norris Treat "The Winner" (Plantation Records, 1982) (LP)
Honkytonker Norris Treat was born in Arkansas, but had been living in New Jersey for over 25 years before he decided to try his luck and enter a 1981 country music battle of the bands sponsored by the Seagram's Seven liquor company. Although he had only recently put his "Country Treat Band" together a few months earlier, Mr. Norris and his group traveled to Nashville, played at the Opry-sponsored event, and won the five thousand dollar prize, as well as the recording contract that came with it. According to a profile in Billboard, Treat spent more money on travel than he won in the contest, but, hey, he got an album out of it! He got a music career boost afterwards, but remained a regional performer; The Country Treat Band was still recording singles and playing regular gigs at the Schooner Inn in Piscataway as recently as 1985.

Smokey Warren/Various Artists "...And His Country Music Revue" (Yale Records, 196-?) (LP)
(Produced by )
Though originally from Phoenix, Arizona, bandleader Smokey Warren headed to the East Coast after putting in his time out West, trying to make it as a country star. Starting in the early 1930s, he and his brother Shorty Warren found a niche in New York state, and established themselves as popular twangsters, working radio and concert gigs all over the eastern seaboard, with Shorty Warren eventually opening his own nightclub, which he ran for over a decade before retiring in California. The Warren brothers are reunited on this album (Shorty had apparently settled down in Hollywood) along with a compact group that included Canadian singer-picker Jerry Hatton on bass and guitar, steel guitarist Harvey Reynolds, and a gal singer named Dottie Mae who hailed from Dupont, Pennsylvania. They each have spotlight tracks, with Dottie Mae singing on two songs, "Cowboy Jack" and "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," and Hatton soloing on "Sittin' And Thinkin'," and Reynolds providing a little oomph on some instrumentals. Smokey and Shorty get top billing n the rest of the songs, about half the album... At the time this was made, Smokey Warren seems to have set up shop in the Garden State, with the Yale label located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Also of note, Jerry Hatton had a very successful career of his own, recording about a dozen albums as a solo artist...

Smokey Warren & Dottie Mae "The Best Of Smokey Warren And Dottie Mae" (19--?) (LP)

Smokey Warren "The Eastern King Of Western Swing" (Cattle Records, 1983) (LP)
A collection of ten vintage tracks originally issued as singles between 1953-61...

Terry White "This Is Terry White" (Country-Politan Records, 1969-?) (LP)
Not a lot of info about this fella... I assume he was from New Jersey, since he was on a label that previously put out a compilation showcasing several Jersey twangsters from the early 'Sixties, but I haven't confirmed any biographical info about him yet. This album looks like it's all cover tunes, with several of late '60s vintage, like "Misty Blue" (which Wilma Burgess recorded in '67), Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again" (1968) and "Gentle On My Mind," which was also a hit in '68... If I had to take a swing at it, I'd guess this album came out in 1969, or thereabouts. Anyone know more about this manly-looking country crooner?

Barry Zell "Modern Day Cowboy" (JSR Records, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Elliott)
This fella -- Barry Pagliaroli, aka Barry Zell -- was from Laurence Harbor, New Jersey, although he headed down to Nashville for a while to try and make it in country music. As far as I know, this was his only album, and it's packed with all-original material written by Pagliaroli. The songs include "Modern Day Cowboy," "Why Couldn't I Be The One (Who Wrote Knocking On Heaven's Door)?" and the equally-longwinded "Lady America (Dedicated To The American Hostages In Iran)". The band backing him was all-local, guys from the North Jersey Shore -- guitarist W. J. Grimm (Willy Sage), Ike Williams on bass and J. T. Callahan on drums. They were members of the North Jersey country-rock band, Lakota, which put out an album on the JSR label a year earlier, in '79.

Various Artists "JACK HOWARD'S COVERED WAGON CARAVAN" (Arcade Records, 1962) (LP)
Jack Howard was a music promoter from Philadelphia who had worked with Hank Snow and Bill Haley in the 'Fifties, moving into a more active empressario role in the early '60s. He set up his own country music variety show featuring East Coasters such as Shorty Long, Rex Zario, Marty Smith, the duo of Ginger and Johnny, Art Taber and Jesse Stone, a group that acted both as a package tour lineup and as the cast for a weekly Saturday night radio show on WCAM, Camden, New Jersey, called the "Covered Wagon Caravan." In the early 'Sixties, Howard released several singles and at least two LPs featuring many of these artists, mainly on the Arcade label.

Various Artists "NEW JERSEY'S OWN COUNTRY WESTERN STARS" (Country-Politan Records, 19--?) (LP)
A sampling of several largely off-the-radar country artists from the Garden State, including tracks by Chuck Austin, Billy Bell, Jimmy Dale, Kookie Kay, Bob Lockwood, Billy Sage and Mac Sullivan... Several of these artists also released full albums, though this LP seems to draw on individual singles issued on various imprints (which may or may not have been connected to the somewhat mysterious Country-Politan label, which seems to have been in business through the end of the 1960s. It's also possible it may have had some relation to the Palomino label, which represented some of the same artists, such as Jimmie Dale. Any info is welcome.

Various Artists "PALOMINO COUNTRY JAMBOREE" (Palomino Records, 1977-?) (LP)
A bunch of old-timers from the classic "western" country scene, including both obscuro locals and a few fairly well-known performers such as Rosalie Allen, Slim Clark, Kenny Roberts and Texas Jim Robertson. Started in New Jersey, the Palomino label was owned by singer Don Cleary, who also organized a package tour called the Palomino Country Western Show in the mid-1960s, with many of these same artists as the performers. Cleary seems to have moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida by the time this collection came out. There's no date on the disc, and a group photo on the back is credited as being from August, 1966, though the Praguefrank website lists this LP as coming out in '77. It's also unclear if this is a compilation of older recordings, or new stuff from the 'Seventies... anyone know for sure?

Hick Music Index