Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys - King Of Western Swing

Artist:

Wills, Bob

UPC:

805520090124

See Also:

Foley, Red Tubb, Ernest Carter Family (The) Snow, Hank

Description:

As singer, fiddler, and bandleader of the Texas Playboys, Bob Wills played the same fatherly role to western swing that Bill Monroe did to bluegrass. No one is sure if he invented the music itself, but it`s clear that the recordings of his Texas Playboys have since come to define the genre. As a musical hybrid, western swing introduced blues and country music to big band jazz and swing, polishing the results to achieve an urban sophistication necessary for broad appeal.
The King of Western Swing is a fine overview of Wills` first decade as a recording artist. It begins (after an introductory "New San Antonio Rose") at his first session in 1935 with "Osage Stomp" and ends in 1945 with the dates that produced "Roly Poly," "Stay a Little Longer," and "New Spanish Two-Step." In between, Wills and his 13- to 18-piece band swing through some of their most popular songs. Early recordings drew most heavily from country and blues. In the tradition that brought this rural music into the city in refined form, the Texas Playboys recorded sweet-coated material like "Never No More Hard Times Blues," "Fan It," and "Sugar Blues." As the group grew in size, it developed a fuller big band sound that embraced both popular material (Leon Huff`s quivering croon on "We Might as Well Forget") and conventional swing ("Whoa Baby," "Big Beaver").
The atmosphere they create on these early recordings is contagiously carefree. Steel guitars and fiddle solo over hopping, swing tempos alongside trumpets and slide trombones. The smooth voice of Tommy Duncan (one of Wills` vocal mainstays) delivers the dry humor of "Roly Poly" ("daddy`s little fatty") and the melancholy of the sublime "Dusty Skies" with the same straight face. Overseeing all of this is Wills himself. When not lending his golden fiddle to a song, he`s shouting encouragement, commentary, and praise ("Aaaaah ha! Swing it on out, boys!"). The King of Western Swing is one of the most satisfying single-disc collections of Bob Wills and his band in their prime. Blending the worlds of country, blues, and jazz, the 25 cuts bring together stomping instrumentals, novelty numbers, and the Playboys` biggest hits from the period. ~ Nathan Bush

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Osage Stomp
2. Get with It
3. Maiden`s Prayer
4. Spanish Two Step
5. Steel Guitar Rag
6. Red Hot Gal of Mine
7. Blue Yodel No. 1
8. Black Rider
9. San Antonio Rose
10. Silver Bells
11. Beaumont Rag
12. Whoa Baby
13. That`s What I Like About the South
14. Don`t Let the Deal Go Down
15. Lone Star Rag
16. Corrine Corrina
17. Time Changes Everything
18. New San Antonio Rose
19. Cherokee Maiden
20. Take Me Back to Tulsa
21. Home in San Antone
22. Liberty
23. Goodbye Liza Jane
24. Texas Playboy Rag
25. Roly Poly
26. Stay a Little Longer
27. Baby, Won`t You Please Come Home?
28. Dinah
29. Good Man Is Hard to Find, A
30. I`m a Ding Dong Daddy
31. Milk Cow Blues
32. Cotton Eyed Joe
33. Can`t Get Enough of Texas
34. Bubbles in My Beer
35. Little Cowboy Lament
36. Keeper of My Heart
37. Ida Red Likes to Boogie
38. Boot Heal Rag
39. Faded Love
40. Bob Wills Boogie

Album Information

Release Date:

09/25/2006

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Country

Subgenre:

Western Swing

Label:

Primo Records

Catalog Number:

PRMCD 6012

Original Release Year:

1998

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

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