Search - Various Artists :: A Western Jubilee: Songs and Stories of the American West

Ace-high selection of cowboy and Western tunes

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 10/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though the USA's continental frontier was settled nearly a century ago, the romance of the West lingers on in archetypes ranging from early settlers through modern-day cowboys. With Western films and TV classics having mostly exhausted their box-office gold, images of the West are now most often to be found in poetry and song. For many artists, like Wylie & The Wild West and the Sons of the San Joaquin, Western images and music are full-time musical pre-occupations, while for others, like Norman & Nancy Blake and Katy Moffatt, these themes are a thread in their tapestry of folk and country music.



This twenty track collection pulls together a variety of Western-themed pieces released on the Western Jubilee label, including throw-back harmony tunes, Western swing, cowboy poetry, and trail-dusted acoustic guitar folk (with and without Celtic and bluegrass flavorings). Highlights include the lush harmonies of the Sons of the San Joaquin, delicate guitar picking from Rich O'Brien, the poetic lyrics of Red Steagall and lyrical storytelling by Don Edwards and Norman Blake.



This is a great album of story and song, sure to be a favorite of both adults and children, and a perfect introduction to Western Jubilee's catalog."