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!!
Shelley Lee Alley "Alley Stomp" (Krazy Kat, 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. (One way to get a copy of this album is to contact Bob Rohan directly, at: badbob1026@aol.com.... Tell him I said "howdy!" )
Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys - see artist discography
Bill Boyd "Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers" (RCA, 1975) (LP)
A stunning 2-LP set. A cult favorite of western swing fans, Bill Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers were certainly one of the best outfits of their time. Throughout the dark ages of the minimal major-label reissues, this twofer became a Holy Grail of sorts -- thirty-two long out-of-print classics by one of the greatest bandleaders of the 1930s. This features, of course, the irresistibly wacky "Wah Hoo", as well as tunes like "I Can't Tame Wild Women," "Fan It," and "What's The Use," which somehow always find their way into the canon. Even now, when a couple of Bill Boyd CDs have popped up, this collection is the one to look for. Hard to imagine a better collection, and boy, wouldn't it be great if RCA got around to reissuing this set again? (Vinyl only.)
Bill Boyd "The Master Of Cowboy Swing" (Binge Disc, 1998)
These mid-1940s recordings are not necessarily his best; there are a bunch of indifferent instrumentals, and the sound quality is iffy in parts. Still, it's definitely worth checking out, since Boyd was one of the best cowboy swingsters to ever hit the big time, and the RCA collection is still long out of print.
Bill Boyd "The Eyes Of Texas" (Binge Disc, 1998)
Bill Boyd "The Golden Age Of Bill Boyd" (Binge Disc, 2000)
Bill Boyd "Swing With Bill Boyd & His Cowboy Ramblers" (Binge Disc)
Bill Boyd "...And His Cowboy Ramblers: 1934-1947" (Texas Rose, 1982) (LP)
Also long out of print, but quite welcome when it came out, this LP mirrors the RCA twofer mentioned above. The RCA collection is far superior, in sound quality, song quantity and in selection... Still, since both editions are pretty elusive, you definitely shouldn't hesitate to pick this disc up if you see it...
Bill Boyd "Swinging & Singing" (BACM, 2005)
Milton Brown And The Musical Brownies "The Complete Recordings: 1932-1937" (Texas Rose, 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 definintely 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, 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, 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)
Harry Choates "The Fiddle King Of Western Swing" (Arhoolie, 1982)
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 "Devil In The Bayou - The Gold Star Recordings" (Bear Family, 2002)
Harry Choates "Five-Time Loser: 1940-1951" (Krazy Kat, 1998)
Harry Choates "Cajun Fiddle King" (AIM, 1999)
Al Clauser & His Oklahoma Playboys "The Golden Age Of..." (Binge Disc/Cattle Records, 2005)
Spade Cooley - see artist discography
Alvin Crow "...And The Pleasant Valley Boys" (Polydor, 1975) (LP)
Though less famous than Asleep At The Wheel, who were doing the western swing thing around the same time, Texas fiddler Alvin Crow led his scruffy, down-home band through several albums of top-notch country fun. His vocals are a perfect In the 1975 version of "Wine Me Up" (an old Faron Young standard) and Crow's own contributions to country music history include the classic, "Nyquil Blues," an ode to the restorative powers of America's last great patent medicine.
Alvin Crow "High Riding" (Polydor, 1977) (LP)
Alvin Crow "Honkytonk Trail" (Broken Spoke, 1988)
Alvin Crow "Cowboy I" (Broken Spoke)
Features covers of a bunch of western oldies: "Back In The Saddle," "Ghost Riders In The Sky," "Streets Of Laredo," "El Paso," "Big Iron," and the like. Probably pretty cool!
Alvin Crow "Texas Classic" (Broken Spoke, 1996)
Alvin Crow "White Trash Opera" (2004)
More Western Swing: D-G
Favorite Roots Labels
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...