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Album: That Texas Swing There is no question about it. This new CD is 16 cuts of real pure Western Swing by a very talented steel guitarist, sax player and vocalist, Buddy Stephens. Besides Buddy we can enjoy the vocals of Dick Hammonds and the album fiddle player, Greg Gibbs. Roland Bro is the drummer, Terry Downs and former Bob Wills Texas Playboy Walter Lyons are heard playing guitars and Wayne Glasson is the pianist. The T.C. Singers do the back-up vocals. The album opens with Cindy Walker's Blues for Dixie from the great Bob Wills. Other items from Bob Wills include another from Cindy, Bubbles in my Beer. Also from Bob Wills is the Herb Remington memory Boot Heel Drag and Herb Henson and Jelly Sanders' Waltzing in Old San Antone. Jesse Ashlock wrote the Wills hit The Kind of Love, which is now reprised. There is also the Bob Wills favorite Rosetta and from the second Bob Wills session, Leon McAuliffe's Steel Guitar Rag. Then there is also the Wayne King theme that Bob brought to Western Swing, The Waltz You Saved for me. From pop music Buddy and the band borrow the old Gene Austin memory My Blue Heaven and from Hank Penny, the Rex Griffin masterpiece, Won't You Ride in my Little Red Wagon. From the big bands Irving Berlin's Marie is from Tommy Dorsey and In the Mood is from the legendary Glenn Miller. Buddy himself handles the vocals on My Adobe Hacienda originally from Louise Massey and the Westerners. The great Leon McAuliffe band is remembered with Careless Hands which Leon worked up from the big bands and Leon's own Panhandle Rag. The final tune is Scott Wiseman's gem from the great Gene Autry Have I Told You Lately. The album can be obtained by contacting Buddy at 972-496-0183 or e-mail bstephens218@verizon.net Mike Gross, WVOF-FM, Fairfield, CT |