Dave Alexander "Swingin' Into Christmas - A Western Swing Christmas Album" (1999)
All standards -- "Jingle Bells," "Let It Snow," "Frosty The Snowman," etc. -- done up, Bob Wills-style. Awwww-yessss... ho-ho-ho!!
Rosalie Allen -- see artist discography
Shelley Lee Alley "Alley Stomp" (Krazy Kat Records, 2006)
Asleep At The Wheel - see artist discography
Bad Bob & His Good Friends "Bad Bob & His Good Friends" (Self-Released, 2001)
Good-timin' western swing and the local spirit of independent Texas music are alive and well, as heard in this fun album by fiddler and songwriter Bob Rohan. He pays dutiful homage to the spirit of Bob Wills in a rousing version of "Deep In The Heart of Texas," and on his original tune, "When You Play The Fiddle In Texas (You Better Know All The Tunes!)" It was the charm of his original material that caught my attention -- especially on great novelty tunes like "She Took A Blowtorch To My Workbench" and the similarly-themed "Daddy's Pad (When Momma's Mad)," which extols the virtues of sleeping in the cab of your truck when domestic tension looms. Fans of humble, obscuro alt.country greats such as Deadly Earnest, Alvin Crow, Chuck Wagon & The Wheels, or Cornell Hurd will find a lot to celebrate in this album -- this ain't super-slick Nashville pop, it's just a guy with a friendly-sounding voice and a bunch of pals who can pick some nice country music, and it's pretty cool. This is the kind of independently-produced album you used to hear a lot more often; nice to know someone out there still has the magic formula.
Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys - see artist discography
Bill Boyd - see artist discography
Jim Boyd "Country Favorites, Texas Style" (Fanfare Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Marvin Montgomery, Andy Bradley & Bob Sullivan)
A latter-day solo set by Texas-born western swing guitarist Jim Boyd (1914-1990), who was the brother of bandleader Bill Boyd and a member of numerous regional bands, including stints with his brother 'way back in the 1930s, as well as with Roy Newman's band and in a late lineup of the fabled Light Crust Doughboys. Fellow Doughboy Marvin Montgomery arranged these sessions, which include several musicians from his stable of Dallas studio pros -- included are Montgomery on rhythm guitar, Maurice Anderson (pedal steel), Dale Cook (drums), Mark Jaco (bass), Dave Tanner on piano and some fancy fiddlin' from Jimmy Belkins, who was in Merle Haggard's band at the time. Jim Boyd plays guitar and sings lead throughout, except on one track, "I'm Getting Better," which features guest vocalist Ace Diamond, a rockabilly revivalist from New England.
Milton Brown And The Musical Brownies "The Complete Recordings: 1932-1937" (Texas Rose Records, 1995)
A stunning 5-disc box set gathering the complete recordings of Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies, the only band to seriously challenge Bob Wills' early status as the king of western swing. Brown died in a 1937 auto accident, but left behind dozens of killer, jazz-infused country tunes. The sound here is a bit rough -- Texas Rose isn't exactly a multizillion dollar operation -- but the archival value, and sheer fun of the music, is priceless. An accompanying book about Milton Brown, written by western swing archivist Cary Ginell, also came out on the University of Illinois Press, and is reviewed in my country books section. Highly recommended.
Milton Brown And His Musical Brownies "Western Swing Chronicles, Vol. 1" (Origin Jazz Library, 2001)
This single CD version of the '94 mondo-Milton box set is defintely all killer, no filler. Great, classic western swing, and a brighter, smoother sound mix. If you can't spring for the multi-disc version, don't worry: this disc will make you happy as a clam. Highly recommended!
Milton Brown "The Complete Bluebird Recordings: 1934" (Texas Rose Records, 1982) (LP)
I'm not sure if Texas Rose had more Milton Brown LPs out in this series, but this disc is pretty swell. All this material is included on the CD box set, but if you're a vinyl enthusiast, then this is an LP worth searching out!
Cliff Bruner "...And His Texas Wanderers" (Bear Family Records, 1997)
A 5-CD set devoted to an outstanding -- but little remembered -- pioneer of classic western swing. Covers Bruner's work between 1937-1950, with bands that included hick music greats such as pianist Moon Mullican, steel player Bob Dunn, and others. Prime stuff!
Leon Chappelear "Western Swing Chronicles, v.2" (Original Jazz Library, 2002)
J. R. Chatwell "Jammin' With J. R. And Friends" (LA Records & Films, 1982/1985) (LP)
(Produced by Willie Nelson & Doug Sahm)
A fabled Texas fiddler whose career began at the dawn of western swing, in the 1930s and '40s J. R. Chatwell recorded with legendary artists such as Bill Boyd, Cliff Bruner, Adolph Hofner and the Light Crust Doughboys. Chatwell's dynamic, inventive fiddling helped set the standards for an oncoming wave of young Texas fiddlers, notably influencing Johnny Gimble, who went on to become one of the preeminent fiddlers of his generation. In the 1960s, Chatwell was hit by a stroke which impaired his ability to fiddle, but when this album was cut, over a decade later, he was still able to sing and play piano. Joining him are outlaw luminaries such as Doug Sahm, Johnny Gimble, Augie Meyers and Willie Nelson, getting into some groovy, bluesy jams... It's a funky, informal set, full of affection for the music, and the artist. (Originally released in the United States and reissued on the UK-based Edsel Records a couple of years later.)
Harry Choates "The Fiddle King Of Western Swing" (Arhoolie Records, 1982) (LP)
Classic backwoods fiddle music from the Louisiana bayou... These late-'40s recordings are an interesting mix of cajun, straight old-timey fiddle music and honky-tonk heavy western swing tunes. A veteran of the Louisiana swamp scene, by the postwar years, Choates seemed ready to try just about any style of music and see what would stick -- fortunately, he was pretty darn good at any style he played, and this album is lots of fun from start to finish. The CD version includes ten extra tracks (although his big hit version of "Jole Blon" is still notably absent...) Cool stuff, a little off the beaten track.
Harry Choates "Five-Time Loser: 1940-1951" (Krazy Kat Records, 1998)
A nice, scrappy collection of 'Forties tracks, well-selected by the folks at Krazy Kat, which is one of my favorite labels. Once again, a cool. fascinating mix of pure country and backwoods, swampy cajun.
Harry Choates "Cajun Fiddle King" (AIM Records, 1999)
Harry Choates "Devil In The Bayou: The Goldstar Recordings" (Bear Family Records, 2002)
A 2-CD set drawn from his later work on the maverick Gold Star label, which recorded a lot of unusual and noteworthy material in the 1960s...
Al Clauser & His Oklahoma Playboys "The Golden Age Of..." (Binge Disc/Cattle Records, 2005)
Hurshul Clothier "The Jam Session" (Music Research, Inc., 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Ashley Alexander, Jim Rooney & Jerry Wood)
One of those legendary western swing bandleaders that they always forget to teach you about in country music school, fiddler Hurshul Clothier (1921-2006) hailed from Chester, Oklahoma and put together his own band, The Oklahoma Travelers, way back in the early 1950s, and played live and broadcast gigs around Oklahoma City while touring regionally and throughout the state. He later opened his own club, the Belle Starr Theater, in Eufaula, Oklahoma, a lakeside town just next door to Muskogee; the club was named after the famous outlaw, who was buried outside of town. Mr. Clothier is joined here by a host of Texahoma western swing revivalists, including Jack Bailey on fiddle, former Texas Playboy Gene Crownover on steel guitar, Tiny Duncan (piano), Benny Garcia (guitar), Pat Jacobs (bass), Curley Lewis (fiddle), Frankie McWhorter (fiddle), and various and sundry others. Also an eye-catcher is the presence of Ed Walunas and Mary Ann Walunas as backing vocalists: they were a couple of kids from Utah who had previously put out an album as "Wrangler & Jean," and were part of a musical family led by accordionist Art Walunas... And a bunch of the musicians on this album also backed the Walunas clan on a 1983 album where they called themselves the Coors Cowboy Band. Now you know.
Spade Cooley - see artist discography
Alvin Crow -- see artist profile
More Western Swing: D-G
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Hick Music Index
Western Swing is one of America's great original artforms, a mix of hillbilly stringband music and uptempo jazz. Alternately raucous, raunchy and swank, western swing has enchanted listeners ever since its early 1930s roots, going through wave after wave of innovation and revival. While honkytonk country took its cues from traditional folk ballads and a hefty dose of the blues, western swing was a more self-conscious mix of squaredancin' barn-dance music and big city jazz... The idea was to pick up the tempo while also showing that hicks could get right on the mellow side just as much as the folks up North. Hillbillies with saxophones? Heck, why not? Here's a quick look at some of the great western swing records to look for...