Jim Webb with The Western Connection - Missoula, MT 1979

[Graham Griffith]

One of the benefits of making contact with Jim Webb last year, apart from getting a lot of biographical information about his musical journey, was the "unearthing" of reel to reel desk recordings he had from a stint where he played in "The Western Connection" in Montana in 1979. The following is essentially what is in the YouTube notes of those recordings:

"If you do a web search for “The Western Connection” you won't find any information for the group featured on this You Tube. The following information has been provided by Jim Webb, the Seattle based pedal steel player who played with The Western Connection. The official name of the group was "The Western Connection". However it is actually part of a family band called "The Sneed Family”. They had been playing together since childhood. This band consisted of Les Sneed lead guitar and vocals, his wife Suzie and his brother Donny. Suzie sang, Donnie played piano and sang (he has the high voice). The rest of the group was Doug Reid drums and vocals, John Schultz or Ron Wise bass and Jim Webb pedal steel. “There was also a third brother, Danny Sneed who plays steel. He is like the rest of them a monster player. He has asthma and didn't want to leave Arizona.” Thus Jim Webb got to play with them in his place. “Ron Wise was with the Sneeds from the time they were all kids. He didn't want to be a part of " The Western Connection" because he got work on the Alaska pipeline. That was a big moneymaker at the time.”

Les Sneed was Donna Fargo's bandleader. He also possibly worked with Barbara Mandrel. Suzie did a lot of Mandrell's songs. The only reason Jim Webb put the Blue Suede Shoes amongst the recordings is you can hear an arrangement in the making. “We never rehearsed anything like that.”

Here are the cuts:

00:00 I'm Walking Slow ( And Thinking Bout Her) – Ray Price
02:46 Ride Me Down Easy – Jerry Jeff Walker
06:40 My Window Faces The South – Bob Wills
10:58 Love Revival – Mel Tillis
14:22 Please Talk to my Heart – Ray Price
17:58 Medley - Don't You Step on my Blue Suede Shoes - Long Tall Sally - Shake Rattle & Roll
22:49 Ramblin' Fever – Merle Haggard
27:09 Mack The Knife – Bobby Darin
29:42 Two Doors Down – Dolly Parton
33:13 Can't you See – Marshall Tucker Band
36:51 Hold It – Bill Doggett

It's interesting to hear the different musical chemistry that Jim exhibits with "The Western Connection" vs "The Jeff Young Group" in 1977

"Jim Webb with The Western Connection - Montana 1979":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh88TPrE4Fs


Jim Webb's playing from 1977 in San Jose, CA (as well as his biographical notes) can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MDr...
&
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsg6f...