Heybale Reviewed

Heybale!

Live From 1-A

Everybody knows Heybale's weekly Continental Club clinic is a sure thing, and they're at their Sunday best on this Feb. 2, 2003, edition of KUT's Live Set. Telecaster master Redd Volkaert effortlessly slips inside Lefty Frizzell's skin for "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" and Merle Haggard's for "The Longer You Wait." Steinway sage Earl Poole Ball has no trouble crooning Harlan Howard's sorrowful "She Called Me Baby" or leading a frisky rockabilly romp through Chuck Berry's "Promised Land." Gary Claxton sounds like a million bucks on barroom standard "Wine Me Up" and Mel Tillis' pointed "Mental Revenge." Bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Tom Lewis even get in a few licks of their own on Bob Wills' "Home in San Antone." Most poignant is guest steelmeister Jim Murphy's picturesque "Mignight in Amarillo"; Murphy passed away earlier this year, and Live From 1-A is dedicated to his memory. For some reason, each song/player introduction gets a separate track, leading to funny titles like "Applause" and "Larry Intros Redd Intros Murph." For a laugh, it might be fun to call Larry Monroe on some Texas Radio shift and request "Applause," just to see if he'd play it. Any other time with Heybale, applause is a given.