Search - Patty Parker :: Southwestern Serenade

Happy trails across Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 10/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Patty Parker began her musical career as a singer but eventually switched to being a record producer for independent labels. Patty and her husband, songwriter Frank Fara, set up Comstock Records, an independent label of their own . After many years working as a record producer, Patty eventually decided to record her own album, which is inspired by the south-western United States, particularly Arizona but also embracing New Mexico and Colorado. Now I'll confess that although I've never been to the United States, I'd never thought that this region would be a high priority for a visit if I were to spend a holiday there, but Patty makes the region seem absolutely wonderful through these songs, all of which are originals. Frank and Patty wrote some of them together, with Frank writing the others alone.



The music has its roots in traditional country but Patty's voice gives it an easy listening quality, while there are occasional guest appearances by instruments that you wouldn't normally expect to find on a traditional country album such as flute, saxophone, clarinet and flugelhorn. But all those instruments are used tastefully and add a distinctive touch here and there without undermining the overall traditional country sound.



The set opens in great style with Crystal Canyon, a song of escapism (albeit about a place in Arizona that really is called Crystal Canyon) that features Sonny Garrish on steel guitar and dobro. The next three songs are about the three features that the region is most famous for, these being the Grand Canyon (Song of the Grand Canyon), the cacti (Hotel Saguaro) and the giant red rock outcrops (Sedona serenade). My favorite song comes next, and it is a tribute to Dale Evans, appropriately titled She rode a horse called Buttermilk. This happens to be the track that features a clarinet, but it works very well here.



The album continues with an amusing piece of advice that people were given in the days of the old wild west (Tips for stagecoach travellers), then continues with a song about Navajo land. After all these uplifting songs, we come to the reflective When Mama prayed. The closing track is a Christmas song that is also available as a single, La Noche Buena, It's Christmas Eve, which I've reviewed separately.



Fans of traditional country music with a western flavor should love this album, but the easy listening style means that it is likely to appeal to a lot of people who have an interest in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado."