Howdy! This page is part of my guide to "western" music, the legacy of the so-called "singing cowboys." You gotta love this stuff, with its sweet, old-fashioned sentimental themes, its love of nature and the great outdoors. Here's a look at the legacy of western music, old and new, with reviews and recommendations to make your next cattle drive the best one yet. This page covers artists under the letter "F" - please feel free to make recommendations or comments if I've missed someone.
(PS - Don't forget the cowgals, as well!)
Hugh & Karl Farr "Hot 'N' Bluesy Fiddle/Guitar And Twin Guitar Duets: 1934-1940" (Krazy Kat Records)
Wow. The Farr Brothers were the backup pickers who added the musical punch to many of the best old recordings of the Sons Of The Pioneers, and of Pioneers alumnus Gene Autry. Left to their own devices, they knocked out a slew of great instrumentals, like the ones on this disc. The surprising thing is how completely jazzy these tracks are. If you like old recordings from the likes of Django Rinehardt, or Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti's duets, then you owe it to yourself to check this disc out. It's hot and sweet, and very listenable.
Juni Fisher "Tumbleweed Letters" (Red Geetar, 1999)
Juni Fisher "Sideshow Romance" (Red Geetar, 2004)
Juni Fisher "Cowgirlography" (Red Geetar, 2006)
Juni Fisher "Gone For Colorado" (Red Geetar, 2008)
Juni Fisher "Let 'Er Go, Let 'Er Buck, Let 'Er Fly" (Red Geetar, 2010)
Juni Fisher "Secret Chord" (Red Geetar, 2012)
Juni Fisher "Listen... To The Horse" (Red Geetar, 2013)
Shug Fisher & His Ranchmen "Cowboy Jubilee" (BACM, 2005)
Tex Fletcher "Western Roundup" (Waldorf Music Hall, 1956) (10")
A charming set of cowboy songs by "Tex Fletcher," which was the nom-du-twang of New Yorker Geremino Bisceglia (1910-1987), an actor who worked on Broadway and in film, as well as broadcast and cabaret acts. He's backed by Shorty Warren and His Rangers, an East Coast country band that was active for many years . Nice stuff, actually!
Tex Fletcher/Sons Of The Purple Sage "On The Trail" (Waldorf Music Hall, 1957-?) (LP)
Tex Fletcher "The Lonely Cowboy: Complete Decca Recordings" (BACM, 2008) (CD)
Though the meager vinyl offerings on the already fishy-sounding Waldorf label hardly scream out rural authenticity, Fletcher's career actually dated back to the golden years of the singing cowboy craze, with his first recordings on Decca Records taking place in 1936(!). His earliest singles were pure cowboy stuff -- "Border Affair," "I'm Going Back To Red River Valley," "Ridge Runnin' Roan," etc. -- though his repertoire soon slid into more generalized sentimental and folk-ish material typical of the pre-war, pre-honkytonk country era. Songs about orphan children, heaven-bound mothers, beloved pets, lost loves and unrequited crushes -- that sort of stuff. But he did record prolifically, with about two dozen tracks cut for Decca alone, and brought with him a professional history that was perhaps a bit surprising, given the generic, budget-label feel of his cheapo 'Fifties LPs. Also of interest, according to the folks at the British Academy Of Country Music some of his old singles were leased to the Montgomery Ward department stores' own budget label, and released under a secondary non-du-twang of "Tack Foster," including several of the tracks collected here.
