|
Album: Still Swinging in Texas Bobby Lueders is a very smooth vocalist who is, after these many years, making his first Western Swing CD. Bobby has a band of some of the Austin area's legendary players of this wonderful genre of music. On top of this Bobby is the younger brother of Benny Leaders, who had one of the Houston area's top Western Swing bands in the late 1940s and early 50s. Therefore, it is no surprise that this album of 16 tunes is comprised of some awesome western swing. The album features the steel guitar of Western Swing Hall of Fame member and Texas steel great, Jimmie Grabowski. Another treat is former Hank Thompson Brazos Valley Boys lead guitarist Ray Tesmer. Ray also plays fiddle and Don Keeling, long time Don Walser band member is the album bassist. Greg Rickard is heard playing piano and Sherman Lindsey, drums. The album opens with a great big band swing memory Jersey Bounce and then goes to the Bob Wills tune library with Cindy Walker's Bubbles in My Beer. Other Wills memories revisited are Faded Love, Old Fashioned Love, San Antonio Rose, Tommy Duncan's Time Changes Everything and Haven Gillespie's Right or Wrong. Cindy also wrote You Don't Know Me, originally recorded by Eddy Arnold. Bobby and the band borrow from Louise Massey and the Westerners My Abode Hacienda and also go south of the border for the Kennedy/Carr composition South of the Border and Spanish Eyes on which Bobby sounds as smooth as Al Martino on the original 1960s recording. The Tommy Camfield/Diane Johnston masterpiece Miles and Miles of Texas is from Asleep at the Wheel and Cotton Collins gave us the Westphalia Waltz which is done instrumentally. Kansas City scored originally for Wilbert Harrison from the rhythm and blues world but was recorded in 1960s albums by both Leon McAuliffe and Bob Wills. Six Days on the Road is from the late Dave Dudley and the country music field. The final tune in the album is the beautiful Austin Waltz; this is simply a very appropriate way to close this very special album of standards. The album can be obtained from Bobby Lueders, 104 Bowstring Bend, Bastrop, TX 78602 for $15 (including postage.) The price for international orders is $18. Mike Gross, WVOF-FM, Fairfield, CT |