A Glorious Blend Of The Past, Present.......And Future!
Jef Fazekas | Newport Beach, California United States | 06/28/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"You don't have to look too far in today's world of modern Country music to find at least a few artists who have remained true to their roots without climbing onto the corporate bandwagon that is much of the genre today. Acts as diverse as Marty Stuart, Rosie Flores and Dale Watson have remained honest to themselves and their music, albeit at the cost of monster sales. Other artists such as Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris have also held onto their country roots, mixing in some newer, more challenging elements. However, one thing shines thru all of these artist's material....a true and honest love of Country music. This love and respect can also be found on Tommy Hays' new disc 60 YEARS OF WESTERN SWING. A noted band leader, guitarist and talk show host, Hays has only now released his first CD, an upbeat tribute to the "smoke-filled honky-tonks in and around Bakersfield." Things kick off with the jammin' instrumental "Tommy's Guitar Ripple." To say that there's a good-time vibe to the cut is like saying water is wet! Hays has a weathered, warm voice, and he uses it to great advantage on "Send Me The Pillow." Toss in some great guitar, pedal steel and piano, and you have a real winner! Ditto "Who'll Buy The Wine", a classic broken-hearted done-wrong weeper that features drummer Jimmy Phillips stepping in on lead vocals. Awash in fiddle and pedal steel, the song just drips with old-time Country heartache! Bookending this track are two more standards, "Roly Poly" and "Jambalaya." What REALLY makes these two cuts so interesting are the singers.....sisters Maria and Theresa Weir (now Maria Weir Werth and Tracy Barns). Starting out in the late 70's as the bass player and lead vocalist/saxaphonest, respectively, of the LA-based jazz-pop band The Weirz (which also featured their seven other siblings!), both women have matured and blossomed into consummate performers, able to master any style or genre. Proving the critics right, lo, those many years ago - that both these women should be HUGE stars! - the ladies make these songs their own, with Barns' take on "Roly Poly" both fresh and frisky, while Weir Werth's "Jambalaya" is relaxed, yet spirited. A pair of gems, indeed! Second bassist Bill Wilkerson takes the lead on "Ramblin' Fever", a shufflin' back porch mid-tempo number. Jimmy Phillips' percussion brilliantly anchors the track, keeping things moving at a comfortable clip. Hughie Smith - and his fiddle! - take center stage on "Little Bit Of Swing." With it's good-time hoe-down vibe, this one will have you tapping your toes and shimmying your shoulders by song's end! Simple, sturdy, fun and unaffected, this is old-time, good-time Country at it's best! Hays steps forward again with "Welcome To My World." His some what pleading/some what pained vocal is beautifully complemented by Smith's emotive piano playing, resulting in a track that alternately tugs on the heartstrings and clips you upside the chin. Another winner! Barns takes over the mike next for a swinging (yet steamy!) version of "Bill Bailey." One of Theresa's (sorry, just can't get used to "Tracy!") main strengths has always been the ability to sing from the very core of her being......and make it seem effortless! This cut just soars, and Barns soars with it (Love, love, LOVE Smith's piano fill!)! Brilliant! Phillips is back on lead for a great doo-wop version of "Kansas City." His vocal is easy-going and snappy, and it's beautifully backed up by Hays' tasteful guitar, Barns' subdued sax and the sublime backing vocals of the W.W.S. (Wonderful Weir Sisters). Yet ANOTHER gem! Wilkerson's take on Merle Haggard's "Swingin' Doors" is spot-on.....cushioned by an arrangement that's a perfect blend of every instrument used, he wraps his pipes around hurt-so-good lyrics ("I've got swingin' doors/A jukebox/And a barstool/My new home/Has a flashing neon sign/Stop by and see me/Any time you want to/Thanks to you/I'm always here/'Til closing time"), and totally does them justice. "Home To San Antone" is probably the disc's weakest track, with a less-than-sterling vocal from Hays and a some what.....cloppy.....arrangement. Nice fiddle, though! Things rebound strongly, though, with Barns' "Brain Cloudy Blues", a shimmering number that warmly wraps around you like sable and whiskey. Another of Barns' true gifts has always been the ability to be sultry/sexy without being sluty.....you can hear all the desire and emotion in that powerhouse of a voice, but it's never over the top. Bluesy and engaging, this is probably my favorite cut on 60 YEARS OF WESTERN SWING. Things wrap up with "Black Mountain Rag", a spritely instrumental. So, if you want to hear a wonderful blend of country, with the emphasis on swing, pick up Tommy Hays And The Western Swingsters' 60 YEARS OF WESTERN SWING....it's got it all! (As for my usual plus or minus half a star for including or not including the lyrics, I'm going to forego it here, since most of the cuts are traditional and/or covers)."
