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Western
Music Association - Columbia Chapter Serving WMA members in the Columbia Region of the Pacific Northwest |
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Western
Music Association - Columbia Chapter Serving WMA members in the Columbia Region of the Pacific Northwest |
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Reviews IndexMy Horse Knows the Way Home:Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band Ghost Riders, Searchers & Cowpokes: Keeter Stuart History in the Barn Jessica Hedges Views from the Saddle Clark Crouch Westerners Nevada Slim & Cimarron Sue |
Reviews are in date order with the latest review listed first. My Horse Knows The Way Home: Music CD
Co-founder Lauralee Northcott calls this one their best CD yet. I agree. When I’ve seen them in front of an audience, I’ve been wowed at the sound and performance dynamics. Something has bugged me a bit about their past recorded effect, but it isn’t in this one. From the vocal blend and the seemingly carefree joy of presentation to the interesting, fresh material chosen…it all works this time and works well. Along with Ms. Northcott, the singing and multi-instrumentalist chores are handled by Jennifer Epps and Emele “EC” Clothier. They sing and play their way through a varied offering of some infrequently covered classics and originals. Of special note are Tim Hus’ “Saddle Bronc Ride,” Fleming Allen’s “Singing on the Trail,” Lauralee Northcott’s “Movin’ Mud” and “Home Place,” R.W. Hampton’s “When It Rains,” Allen Christie’s “The Old Bronc Saddle” and Fred Koller & Si Kahn’s “New Day.” I still watch for the day the ladies bring true “lead” guitar into the instrumental breaks, but I’ll be perfectly happy with this until then! 13 tracks total. CD: $13.97 for the album, $9.99 MP3 download through www.HorseCrazyCowgirlBand.com. Buy direct: Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band, PO Box 276, Winthrop, WA 98862. Reviewed by Rick Huff, Western Way Magazine Ghost Riders, Searchers & Cowpokes: Music CD
Keeter Stuart, Guitars & vocals; Susan Scholz Hammel, backing vocals; Lex Browning, fiddle, mandolin, banjo; Kenny Sawyer, Drums; Mark Larue Todd, Bass; Ronn Peebles, clarinet, soprano sax, flute; Paul Hirschmann, dobro & tiple'; Fred Stickley piano "el Diablo"; Matt Carr, trumpets "The Devil's Horns"; David Buell, harmonica; Stan Jones, tenor guitar & vocal "Burro Lullaby". Produced by Keeter Stuart and Bill St. James, recorded at Whiskey Springs Studio, Wilsonville, OR; mastered by Kevin Nettleingham, Nettleingham Audio, Vancouver, WA. 2008.Stan Jones, the forest ranger turned songwriter, who migrated to Hollywood, was the great uncle of Keeter Stuart. With the success of "(Ghost) Riders In the Sky" Jones was off and running, and never stopped writing: I count 80 ASCAP titles, though he wrote many more. Stuart has recorded an absorbing collection of Stan's songs, some not often heard, such as "Wringle Wrangle", "The Searchers", "The Lilies Grow High". To my ears, the best cuts are those recorded simply and minimally. My run-away favorite is the second, solo rendition of "Cowpoke", a loner's song if ever there was one. There is an innovative rendition of "Ghost Riders", thankfully as far as could be from the overused arrangements of the Frankie Laine and Sons of the Pioneers versions. Stan Jones himself fell prey in Hollywood to producers who favored arrangements with elaborate instrumentation. (The same thing happened to the Sons of the Pioneers when they left Decca for RCA in the mid-forties, to Bob Nolan's dismay.) Many of Stan's songs were used as movie and television themes, ("Cheyenne" and "Rio Grande" are examples which don't appear here). Arrangements on this CD are varied, with good musicianship and vocals throughout. I am particularly partial to the fine fiddle work by Lex Browning, and to David Buell's haromica. A real treat is Stan himself and his tenor guitar, doing his "Burro Lullaby", with only Keeter joining his Great Uncle posthumously. The album can be previewed and purchased from CDBaby. Review by Bruce Matley Views from the Saddle: Poetry Book As someone who scribbles about things western, I enjoy reading like-minded writers, especially those who work in other genres. And as someone who can't pen a convincing couplet, I particularly enjoy reading poets. In the case of Clark Crouch, I think you will join me in my appreciation. I shared Clark's work with my university students, a tough audience for any writer. Their reactions included "funny!, short and sweet, good ballad, good imagery, uplifting and inspirational. I really like this poem; it's beautifully written and very clear," and many more accolades.Clark draws upon his fourscore years of varied experiences to craft his poems. He continues in a long line of western poets, stretching back to many who wrote anonymously in the nineteenth century. Cowboy poets come in all stripes, from traditionalists wedded to regular meter and rhyme, to practitioners of haiku, free verse, blank verse, and more exotic genre. Inspirations for Clark's poems come from his own life, works of art, Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan, the Ruba'iyat, and Dr. Seuss. In poetry, as in life, he's done it all. As Montana poet Wallace D. McRae observed, "There isn't anybody else out there who can represent us and speak to who we are, so we do it ourselves." Clark does indeed speak for himself, but many of his themes resonate far more widely. So put aside that depressing bank or IRA statement, and immerse yourself in his Views from the Saddle. Better yet, read his poems aloud, preferably beside a glowing campfire, sipping a hot cup of Arbuckle's, surrounded by family or good friends. The world will look a whole lot better. The book can be previewed at Google Books and is available internationally through local and internet booksellers, including Amazon.com. Review by Richard W. Slatta, Ph.D., Professor of History at North Carolina State University History in the Barn: Poetry CD A new CD, History in the Barn, recorded by Jessica Hedges, a cowboy poet of Soap Lake, WA has just recently been released. With twelve tracks of poems and running about 25 minutes, the album is well-worth a listen. Jessica recites eleven of her own poems and offers a twelfth, "Where to Go," written by Waddie Mitchell.
Jessica, who as a kid was inspired by her trips to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV, writes from a life-time of experience; first as a youth on a 450-thousand acre ranch in Nevada and now as the wife of a cowboy. Her poems reflect a great respect for western traditions and a sense of history which encompasses an early covered wagon trip out of St. Louis into Nevada, an 1850s border encounter, a final resting place for a pioneer woman, the death of a favorite mount, and the joys and tributlations of life on the range. The author's poetic style is true to the cowboy tradition with attention to both the poetic form and the rhythm of the trail. The poems offer a true reflection of western life, both then and now, and the delivery is very well done with sincerity and a quiet, captivating enthusiasm. The tracks are: 1. Moving; 2. Listening for His Cinch Bell; 3. 50 Plus Years; 4. History in the Barn; 5. Dad; 6. Buckaroo Traditions; 7. Why I'll Never Stray; 8. Resting Place; 9. Leo; 10. Joaquin Murrieta; 11. One Last Shot; and 12. Where to Go. The CD is priced at $15 postpaid and can be purchased on Jessica's website or by contacting her directly: Jessica Hedges, 21071 Rd A NE, Soap Lake, WA 98851. Review by Clark Crouch Westerners: Music CD We've just previewed Westerners, a newly released album of western and cowboy music by Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue (Bruce and Sue Matley of Prescott, Washington). They offer some of their own compositions as well as a generous touch of traditional songs for a total of seventeen tracks.
Their selection of music and their unique renditions make it easy to understand why they are in such great demand on the Northwestern fair circuit, serving up more than 200 performances in a three month time period each Fall. Fans will love this album which concludes with a thirty-eight second flashback to years of yore as 4-year-old Slim sings his own composition, "Buddy and Me," and new listeners will certainly become fans. My own bias leans toward "Border Affair" which is a musical rendition of a poem by a 1940 acquaintance of mine, Charles "Badger" Clark, the classic cowboy poet who was then Poet Laureate of South Dakota. Then, too, my wife and I especially enjoyed "Don't Fence Me In" which was our junior class theme song in 1944-45. Great stuff! The tracks are: 1. I Ride the Range the Modern Way; 2. Show Me Mister; 3. Cattle Call; 4. The Cowboy That Made Me Blue; 6. They Call The Wind Mariah; 7. Common Wisdom; 8. Border Affair (Spanish is the Loving Tongue) ; 9. Don't Fence Me In; 10. Coyotes; 11. Home to You; 12. The West; 13. I've Got Spurs; 14. Waitin' For Ice Cream; 15. The Ranch That I Can't See; 16. Happy Trails; 17. Buddy and Me This new album can be previewed and purchased at CD Baby. Review by Clark Crouch |
If anyone who’s not familiar with “The Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band” in live
performance has wondered what all the whoop-de-do is about, let them hear the
newest recorded effort from the Washington state trio. In this CD it has all come
together.