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O. J. Sikes New Radio Show Online "Western Music Time" on the Nostalgia Radio programs page of the www.BostonPete.com web site. O.J.'s E-Mail

Texas Fiddle Man

    -Jason Roberts

Song for New Mexico

    -The Flying J Wranglers

  If you like Western swing and Texas honky-tonk music, you're gonna love this CD! 26 year old Jason Roberts is the fiddler with Asleep at the Wheel. Here, his Wheel compañeros support his solo efforts. With musicians like Ray Benson, Cindy Cashdollar, Floyd Domino and a special visit from Johnny Gimble, you know you're in for top quality entertainment.

    Some musicians play it straight. Some play around (or around with) the melody. But not many know how to make their instrument sing. Just listen to the music Jason coaxes from his fiddle on the opening tune. He also handles vocal chores, and he does it admirably.

    With selections from the pens of Bob Wills, Ray Price, Johnny Gimble, George Strait and others; an all-star cast of musicians and Jason's own considerable talents, you can't go wrong. $15 ppd from  Asleep at the Wheel, P.O. Box 463, Austin, TX 78767

The Flying J Wranglers have a well-deserved reputation for excellent entertainment. It applies to their songwriting ability as well as their performances on stage or on recordings.

    The Wranglers are headed by James and Cindy Hobbs. Her marvelous voice and his talents as a songwriter have been winning awards for years.  Two of his finest works are reprised on this new CD, "Just One More Ride," which he wrote many years ago, and one of my long-time personal favorites, the title song. It's beautifully recorded with modern techniques, but is arranged in the style of Western music's Golden era, so it has a special appeal. Cindy is featured on a new favorite, "Mexican Wind." It's outstanding!

    The opening song, "Would You be a Cowboy," another winner, was composed by Albuquerque's Roger Dale. The 15 selections also include classics like "South of the Border," a terrific rendition of "Cattle Call" and a special arrangement of "Home on the Range" that features a couple of very talented young ladies, James & Cindy's daughters! And there's more!

    Great song selection and variety, fine solo vocals and beautiful harmony with Western acoustic accompaniment (great fiddle work by Marilyn Trotter, for example). You'll enjoy this one! CDs $15, tapes $10 + $3 max. postage. Call (888) 485-3595, www.flyingjranch.com or visit the Flying J in Ruidoso NM and see these folks in person!

Just a Little Bit Cowgirl

    -Patty Clayton

                                            
Cimarron Wind Music CWM 2250

Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & his Dixieliners

    -Arthur Smith

                                                    County CD 3526

Some time ago, Patty Clayton developed a solid reputation as a bassist and harmony vocalist. She performed on stage and in the studio supporting Liz & Sean and others. Then, last year, she branched out with her first solo CD. It was well received by DJs and audiences, so she's back with another one. In my view, this new CD is even better than the first.

    There are 11 songs here. Patty wrote eight of them, and she proves to be a talented songwriter. I liked her lively title song especially, and there are several others that caught my ear as well, like "Freedom in the Wind." She also does a really super job on "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues."

      But the one that impressed me most was one Patsy Montana recorded long ago, "Good-bye Little Pinto." Patty re-arranged it and, with her guitar and a very tasteful dobro supplied by Ernie Martinez, she makes it her own. It's almost as timely now as it was during WWII, and I predict lots of radio play for it (and for "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues"). I'd be interested in hearing from DJs who are playing this CD, to learn what their favorites are!

    $17 ppd from Patty Clayton, 2557 Depew, Edgewater, CO 80214 or www.cimarronwind.com

  Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (not to be confused with Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith) was probably best known to Western fans for his association with Jimmy Wakely. Wakely had heard Smith on the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts in 1929 and developed a great deal of respect for him. After all, he was the most popular fiddler of his time.

     His style was faster and more aggressive than his contemporaries in the late 1920s.  His first recording, "Red Apple Rag," an original often played by fiddlers today, is included on this CD.

    The 22 songs on the album were recorded between 1935 and 1940. Smith appeared in several Wakely films (The Lonesome Trail, Song of the Range, Saddle Serenade) and on numerous Wakely recordings from 1945 to 1948.

    None of the tunes in this collection are Western per se, being recorded before Smith's involvement with Western movies and music. But these beautifully remastered recordings, especially those with the Delmore Brothers like the haunting version of "Bonaparte's Retreat" and other instrumentals, are fascinating. Noted historian Charles Wolfe wrote a highly informative 20 page booklet, reviewing Smith's career, his influence and how his technique and charisma made him, in his day, what Roy Acuff described as the "king of the fiddlers." In stores or $13.50 + $3.50 s&h from County Sales (540) 745-2001

Hold on Little Dogies, Hold on

    -Gene Autry

                                               
British Archive BACM CD D 015

Cheyenne Cowboy Symposium & Celebration

    -Various artists

                                                                                   
 Prairie Grass Recordings

Re-issues of Gene Autry's early recordings abound. Most suffer from surface noise that has been impossible to eliminate entirely. For the most part, this collection of 20 is no different in that respect.

    But several things set this CD apart. One is that the recordings were transferred to CD at the proper speed. In some other reissues, the incorrect transfer speed has resulted in a distortion of the natural sound of Gene's voice. Here, he sounds like himself.     A second difference is that there are several selections here I don't recall seeing elsewhere.  A third difference is that this CD contains the cleanest version of "Someday in Wyoming" I've heard anywhere. This, along with the not so clean title song (one of my favorite Smiley Burnette compositions), make this CD worth the price of admission. 

    Since this is a collection of early recordings, few are Western. But the rare "Beautiful Texas," "Red River Lullaby" and "Answer to Red River Valley" are included. Some of the non-Western entries like "Don't Waste Your Tears on Me" are beautifully cleaned up and sound great.

    If you only like Gene's 1940s recordings, you probably won't enjoy this CD as much as some of us. But if you like his early sound and have been looking for good, hard-to-find Autry material, this is it! $17 + $3 s&h from Frontier Music, P.O. Box 157, Jenks, OK 74037 or contact British Archive of Country Music, "Greenacres" 451 Folkestone Road, Dover, CT17 9JX, U.K.

This CD documents the highlights of the performances at the first annual Cheyenne Cowboy Symposium & Celebration. It contains some fine "live" performances. The Circuit Riders do a TV medley and others, Rod Taylor opens and closes the 19 song CD and Annie & Amy Smith do a beautiful "Wyoming---Where I Belong." 

     Sid Hausman, Janet McBride, Jack Blease, Saddle Bags and Barry Ward all do songs they're well-known for. Peggy Malone does two, including a nice rendition of "Round-up in the Spring," and there are two songs supplied by Otto Rosfeld. We don't hear enough of Otto these days, and it's a special pleasure to hear his "Night Herding Song." There's one song/poem, "Bronco Twister's Prayer," performed by Frank & Peggy Giblin, and Washtub Jerry was on hand to make sure the headliners sounded good!

    If you missed the event, try not to miss the next one, next Sept. In the meantime, you can give a listen to this CD for $17.50 ppd from Pat McKelvey, Cheyenne Cowboy Symposium, 3321 Warren Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001.