Holiday Music | Other Country Styles
The Imperials - see artist discography
Autry Inman "Country Gospel: From The Heart To The Home" (Guest Star Records, 1965) (LP)
Jerry Irby "Hotline To Heaven" (Bagatelle Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Byron Benton)
A true-twang gospel album from a veteran of the 1950s hillbilly era... Originally a secular singer, Irby got swept up in the early 'Seventies wave of born-again evangelical Christianity, and seems to have penned all the songs on this self-released album. He plays rhythm guitar, backed by a local Houston, Texas crew that included Glenn Adams (piano), George Holsomback (drums), Dan Waters (lead guitar), John Wilbanks (bass) and backing vocals by Merlene Singers. Western swing old-timer Clyde Brewer (1930-2011) chimes in on violin; Irby may also have done some work with Brewer's band, the Original River Road Boys... anyone know for sure?
Joe (Iron) & Cathy (Iron) "End Of The Trail/Jesus Gave Me A Call" (Warrior Records, 1975-?) (LP)
First peoples Christian country, courtesy of evangelical songwriter Joe Iron, a tent revivalist who was born on South Dakota's Rosebud Sioux reservation, and toured widely throughout the Northwest, Midwestern and Southern states with his wife and kids. Cathy Iron (spelled with a "K" on the album below) played bass, with Joe Iron on vocals and guitar. They're joined by lead guitarist Freddie Hillier and Chicano-rocker-gone-evangelist Chan Romero, who helped produce the album and sits in on bass and piano, while his son Chandler Romero played drums. This album, which was released by a private label in Billings, Montana, seems to have had two different album titles, one on the front cover, and another on the back.
Joe Iron & Kathy Iron "Native Country Gospel" (Benson Sound Incorporated, 197-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Duggan & Richard Schmidt)
This album opens with an unusually country-flavored track, a very Buck Owens-y original from Joe Iron called "Native Country Boy," though the overall twang level cools off a bit on the rest of the record. This is still credibly country, though Mr. Iron shifts away from a pleasantly rough honkytonk style into more of an Elvis-crooner mode, which is both aesthetically unfortunate, and just not as strong musically, or as fun. My eye was drawn to the liner notes of Kansas/California gospel twangster Jerry Short, who talks about watching the recording sessions, though doesn't say if he actually played on the record. Label head Larry Benson is credited as sitting in on piano, though the other musicians are unlisted. Can't say I'm a big fan of the "Indian" musical motifs that pop up on a few tunes -- the sort of stereotyped "tom-tom drum" riffs you'd hear in an old cowboy movie -- they go thankfully light on that stuff, but it's there. An interesting though unsatisfying album -- that first song is probably worth anthologizing somewhere, but the rest of it's kind of so-so.
The Isbell Family "That Glad Reunion Day" (SF Custom Records, 197-?) (LP)
A charmingly straightforward gospel set by a family band from Oklahoma... Most of the performers were the children of Rev. Samuel Thomas Isbell (1905-1996) and his wife, Annie Mae Isbell (1909-1971) who had passed away before this album was made. The instrumentalists include siblings Dorlene Crim (piano), Gip Isbell (lead guitar) and Sammie Raye Thompson (piano) along with Billy Betche on bass and Loyd Betche playing rhythm guitar. The family chorus included the guitar picking son Gipson F. Isbell (1941-1998) and several now-married daughters, Dorlene Crim (1929–2007), Celia Foster (1931–1989), Lora Peck (1933–1995) and Sammie Raye Thompson (1936–2014), along with a gal named Roberta Stanley, who does not appear to have been a relative. Although the piano-based arrangements show little overt country influence, I found this record to be compelling due to their sincerity and rural authenticity, including those rich Texahoma accents. Fans of down-home, backwoods gospel might want to check this one out, even with the lack of fiddle, steel or mandolin. The liner notes mention them spreading the word through music, but as far as I can tell neither the Isbell family or the Betche brothers were well-known performers.
Larry Ivey "Whisper Jesus" (Ripcord Records, 197--?) (LP)
(Produced by Gene Breeden)
A disappointing dud on the otherwise-awesome Ripcord label... Although Gene Breeden and his studio crew are on here -- Blaine Allen, Danny Breeden, Geno Keyes, and Gene Breeden on lead guitar and steel -- they're barely going through the motions, backing the schmaltzy, wobbly-voiced evangelist Larry Ivey. Ivey was a pastor from Hayward, California, though he apparently made the trek up to Vancouver, Washington to cut this disc. At any rate, this is an uninspiring album, at least from a country fan's perspective, with too little twang to be heard.
More Country Gospel -- Letter "J"
