The Cornell Hurd Band
Song of South Austin If there’s one thing that Austin’s Cornell Hurd and his crew of cowpokes are good at, it’s making Western swing/honky-tonk music that’s alternately goofy and gorgeous, and this latest disc is no exception. Goofy: “Rubboard Playin’ Man” (a nod to Danny Young), “Nyquil Blues,” “The Garbageman.” Hurd & Co. always know when to get off the schtick, though, and keep from crossing over into joke-band territory. Gorgeous: “I’m Not Drinking to Drown My Sorrows (I’m Just Taking Them For a Swim),” “Texas Nite Train,” “The Heart of a Clown.” Frequent collaborator Marti Brom puts in a torchy appearance, not surprisingly, on “Maybe I Do,” while Johnny Bush drives up I-35 from San Antonio for “Jealously Insane.” As always, the band is spot-on, with Herb Steiner’s impeccable steel work, longtime Hurd string-bender Paul Skelton’s jazzy/country guitar, and the always-present multi-instrumentalist Howard Kalish filling in the gaps. The CD’s inside sleeve is full-up with affectionate liner notes from Hurd himself, prose that has the same gum-chewing wisecrackery of his on- (or off-) stage persona. The disc’s closer is “Don’t Wipe Your Face on Your Shirt,” featuring the Hurd young’uns, a song that’s also included on Bloodshot Records’ new kids’ compilation, The Bottle Let Me Down.
This article appears in July 26 • 2002.