A Salute to the Heroes of Texas Swing
(TexTrax) Austin’s one and only Pickin’ & Singin’ Perfesser, Rod Moag, pulled together a crew of Texas Swing luminaries young and old for this sound lesson in Lone Star musical history. You’ll learn what Western swing was all about — Milton Brown and Bob Wills — in a fresh, vibrant fashion. Old-timers like Floyd Tillman, Roy Lee Brown (brother of Milton), and Texas Playboys drummer Johnny Cuviello are side-by-side with folks like Hot Club of Cowtown, Justin Trevino, Ray Benson, and Dayna Wills (niece of Bob), providing a link between the past and the present. Moag and crew even used old recording techniques, such as gathering the players in a semicircle around one mic, and vintage gear to capture the feel of classic-era swing. High points include Herb Remington’s “Ricochet Rag,” Ray Benson’s take on the Moon Mullican classic “What’s the Matter With the Mill,” and Dayna Wills’ “Traveling Blues.” Johnny Gimble’s mandolin work on “Mandolopin'” illustrates one more time what a great, multifaceted player he is (as if we needed any more proof). There’s a level of musicianship on all these tracks that’s nothing short of astonishing, with players that range in age from their 20s up through their 80s. Also included is a fat booklet that digests the history of Western swing from Milton Brown through today, with meticulously researched biographies on each featured player. Calling these folks “heroes” is not overstating the case.
This article appears in May 9 • 2003.