The Oxford American is a literary magazine based in Little Rock and dedicated to writing from the Southern USA. Once a year it has a music issue which is accompanied by a CD.
How one of those CDs ended up in the Buddhist bookshop in Bethnal Green I don't know, but that's where I found it. This particular CD is devoted to music from Texas and dates from 2014. Whoever compiled it did a great job. There are tunes on there from the 1930s to the 2010s and while it is heavy on country they also squeeze blues, soul, gospel, jazz, Tex-Mex and Western Swing into the mix.
You would recognise many of the acts on the CD - Willie, Waylon, Buddy, Janis, Guy Clark and Bob Wills just for starters - but they have avoided any of the obvious song choices. There are a few less familiar names as well. Here are three of them.
"I Done It" - Moon Mullican
"Fools's Blues" - J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith
"El Gustito" - Rick Trevino
Here are two more Texans for you, selected for the remarkable musical similarities between them.
Great stuff Ernie and in particular the 13th Floor Elevators
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose Rick Trevino is related to the golfer Lee Trevino
ReplyDelete(George, who can't sign in for some reason)
No mention of a connection on either of their Wikipedia entries
DeleteNevertheless it is a belting track!
Delete(G)