Opinions please. What is the best western swing CD?

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 20 Aug 2002 6:52 pm

I recently met a real good blues lap steel player who has NEVER been exposed to any western swing. What in your opinion, is the single hottest western swing steel guitar CD available? I'm going to buy a copy for this guy. He needs to hear what he's been missing.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 20 Aug 2002 7:02 pm

I would say anything by Tommy Morrell and the Timewarp Tophands. My personal favorite: "Smoke a Little of This".

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The "Master of Acceptable Tone"
www.jimcohen.com

Janice Brooks · Post by **Janice Brooks** » 20 Aug 2002 7:21 pm

Jim I agree 100 percent even on your favorete
in that series

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Janice "Busgal" Brooks
ICQ 44729047

Andy Greatrix · Post by **Andy Greatrix** » 20 Aug 2002 8:52 pm

You can't go wrong with "Buddy Emmons sings Bob Wills".

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 20 Aug 2002 9:29 pm

The four cd Bob Wills box on Proper is a pocket size western swing bible, cheap too. But for more steel, try the Billy Jack Wills cd on Joaquin-label ( Vance Terry on steel )

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 20 Aug 2002 11:57 pm

Western Swing and Bob Wills are synonymous. You gotta start with him. One of the Tiffany Transcriptions has a lot of his "standards": Roly Poly, Time Changes Everything, San Antonio Rose, etc.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 21 Aug 2002 1:36 am

"Spadella" by Spade Cooley w/Murphey will be sure to perk up his ears.Actually there's also lots of CDs of late 40s/early 50s live radio transcriptions of Cooley floating around and Joaquin is never less than brilliant on any of 'em.

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 21 Aug 2002 5:14 am

All of the above!

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn www.kevinfowler.com

Fred Murphy · Post by **Fred Murphy** » 21 Aug 2002 6:45 am

Buddy Emmons and Ray Pennington.

Perry Hansen · Post by **Perry Hansen** » 21 Aug 2002 1:30 pm

Hank Thomson had some good stuff.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 21 Aug 2002 2:31 pm

See if you can find "WESTERN SWING and PRETTY THINGS" by Jimmy Wakely & Band, this was a radio transcription released as an album (Shasta 526)and is absolutely one of the finest western-swing albums in my collection. This is 1940-50s era western-swing.... an authentic free-style mix of western and jazz.

It couldn't be otherwise though, with musicians Noel Boggs on steel, Bobby Bruce on fiddle, Jack Rivers on guitar, Jazz pianist Paul Smith, former Tommy Dorsey bass player Jack Kelleher, Muddy Berry on Drums and accordianist Eddie Carver.

There may still be on outlet for old Shasta Albums in the Los Angeles area...some of the west-coast guys may know.
www.genejones.com

R. L. Jones · Post by **R. L. Jones** » 21 Aug 2002 6:43 pm

The big problem here would be finding all these great western swing band C D `s, . You can find " Asleep at the wheel " C. D.`s
They are quite good ,

R.L.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 21 Aug 2002 9:46 pm

Actually it's not hard at all. You can get almost all of the above mentioned cd's from Amazon, except for probably the Jimmy Wakely cd ( Thanks for the tip Gene, btw, haven't heard that yet ).

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 22 Aug 2002 2:46 pm

Try the Tribute albums (2) by Asleep At The Wheel. All the albums and artists previously mentioned have no doubt the best Western Swing you can buy but, for some unknown reason I have always favored anything done by ASATW.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 22 Aug 2002 6:31 pm

OK....I know it's second-generation, but, I was awokened to Bob Wills, via, Asleep At The Wheel, and the "Commander", and his Lost
Planet Airmen. And then, after I woke up, it was 'Hillbilly Jazz', featuring Doug Jernigan
and Vasser Clemens, David Bromberg...and I can't pull any more "greats' off the top my
'ED'. Anyway..................chipsahoy

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 23 Aug 2002 5:53 am

Mike,
Tom Morrell to me hands down best non pedal playing western Swing player today, and Maurice's Western Swing CD, if it ani't comming from Texas, it's just not the real deal!!

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Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 23 Aug 2002 6:29 am

Years ago before so many quality reissues were available and there were no Time Warp Tophands, I used to recommend "The Rio Grande Band" album on Rounder. It has Doug Jernigan, Ben Brogdon, and two fiddlers whose names I can't remember.

In the early 80's, it was one of the purest examples of WS on a modern recording. It has great arrangements of Cooley, Wills, and Thompson tunes.

I think a casual listener may get a better indoctrination if they hear a modern quality recording instead of listening to reissues of radio transcripts and 78's. Anybody else feel this way?

Does anyone else have this recording? I would like to get it on CD some time or I'll have to steal my Dad's LP!

Bill

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"Gimme a steel guitar, 2 or 3 fiddles and a Texas rhythm section that can swing"..W. Nelson

Mark Ardito · Post by **Mark Ardito** » 23 Aug 2002 8:20 am

My favorite is Bob Wills - For the Last Time.

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Sho~Bud Pro I, Fender D-8 (C6&E13) http://www.darkmagneto.com

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 23 Aug 2002 8:27 am

if it ani't comming from Texas, it's just not the real deal!!

David, I think it's about time you got your butt back here to stay!

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Texas Steel Guitar Association

Steve England · Post by **Steve England** » 23 Aug 2002 2:09 pm

Much as I love all the Time Warp Tophands CD's I really think that it is a good idea to direct the guy to the source. i.e The original western swing bands. There are a couple of very comprehensive CD compilations out there. Jive and Smile: Kings of Western Swing on Charly may still be available from Amazon. It is a 1997 release but has two discs featuring the Playboys, Milton Brown, Spade Cooley, Hank Penny, Merl Lindsay and a host of lesser known names. It is a great intro to Western Swing. Doughboys, playboys and cowboys on proper records has 99 tracks from the golden era of western swing. It is probably more easily available than the Charly CD. The only drawback of the Proper compilation is the absence of any sleeve notes, but I guess the steel can speak for itself.

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 23 Aug 2002 4:26 pm

Herb,
I really do fell some of the very best music is in Texas, I would love to come back, I told Maurice I would come back to M.S..A., for a small wage, 300,000.00 a year and a plane, I haven't heard back , but it's only been 6 monts

I'm sure there getting ready for me!!!

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Peavey-2000-PX-300

[This message was edited by David Wright on 23 August 2002 at 05:27 PM.]

Bob Anderson · Post by **Bob Anderson** » 23 Aug 2002 5:53 pm

Mike if you took all that knowiledge in your head and put it to western swing ...it would be you. love ya friend

Andrew Brown · Post by **Andrew Brown** » 23 Aug 2002 8:37 pm

"Western Swing Steel Guitar" started with Bob Dunn (is he ever even mentioned on this forum?), so you should begin with any of the Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies CDs currently available from OJL (I think amazon has them; if not www.rootsandrhythm.com does); proceed from there to Leon McAuliffe w/Wills, pre-war...the next major figure in WS steel would have been Joaquin Murphey. Unfortunately most of the Spade Cooley material is not to my taste...I generally just edit out Murphey's solos and put them on a separate CD!

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 25 Aug 2002 2:25 am

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions. (And thanks for the flattering remarks Bob A, but even if I did play Western Swing myself I could never compete with players like Reece and Tom Morrell and Herb and all the other truly greats.)

The guy in question would not care about authenticity, nor would he be interested in vocals, horns, fiddles etc. So I've decided on Tom Morrell's Pteradactyl Ptales and Smoke a Little Of This and Reece's non-pedal swing CD. If he likes what he hears (and he may not) and wants to hear more, I'll direct him to some of the other recordings mentioned here.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 25 Aug 2002 10:43 am

Johnny Gimble's "Texas Dance Party". It has Reece all over it, but it's a band effort and it's "live".

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
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