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Album: Live- Dan Electro's Wild River Band, Houston, Texas' very hot Western Swing band that includes Western Swing and Steel Guitar Hall of Famer and former Bob Wills Texas Playboy, Herb Remington were recorded live in 2003. This very enjoyable performance is now available to the public. Herb is just one of the wonderful band members heard on this 18 tune CD. We are also treated to the fiddle, sax, mandolin playing and vocals of Billy Curtis. Ron Ohendalski is also heard playing fiddle, as well as doing vocals. Heard on bass is Karl Caillouet and on drums is Jimmy Calhoun. A super vocalist and guitar player is Mike Stroup and Chuck Crow is heard playing some really awesome piano. The album opens with Ellington protege, Billy Strayhorn's Take the A Train, Duke's great theme. From Western Swing icon Bob Wills are Sheb Wooley's Mean Woman with Green Eyes and Andy Razaf's That's What I Like About the South. Also from Bob Wills is Fred Rose's Home in San Antone as well as Old Fashioned Love, Silver Bell, I Laugh When I Think How I Cried Over You, Tommy Duncan's Time Changes Everything and the Bob Wills signature song San Antonio Rose. Also included is a song that the late Talmadge Tubb wrote for his Uncle Ernest, Waltz Across Texas and Link Davis' Cajun classic Big Mamou. Mike sings Smiley Burnette's It's My Lazy Day, originally from a mid 1940s Sunset Carson Republic Western. The big band of Jimmy Dorsey and his vocalist Helen O'Connell are remembered with All of Me. There is the old favorite Orange Blossom Special and Tommy Camfield and Diane Johnston's Miles and Miles of Texas which originally scored for Asleep at the Wheel many years after it was written. Recently deceased singer/songwriter Lawton Williams wrote Fraulein, a huge 1957 hit for Bobby Helms. Now you can enjoy Ron's vocal on this one. Also included are the Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr duet I'll Never Be Free and Get the Hell Outta Dodge which brings back recollections of David Ball and Uncle Walt's band. The album can be obtained from Wild River Band CD, 12811 Duncan Rd- Suite C, Houston, TX 77066 for $15, USA and $20 outside US which includes shipping and handling. Check or money order should be made payable to Wild River Band. It can also be ordered on line at www.wildriverband.com It is also available from CDbaby. There is also a special offer if you purchase all 3 of the groups CD's for $40 ($50/International) they will include a free 45 minute DVD of selected portions of two sets of the bands performance at the 2006 West Texas Western Swing Festival in Snyder, Texas on June 8th, 2006. Mike Gross, WVOF-FM, Fairfield, CT |