Western Swing Music Society

Vancouver, BC Canada

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Newsletter: Spring 2009, Volume 17 No 1 & 2

THE SWINGFIELD PLAYBOYS

The View From Down Under by Alan Morgan       

     
Like most lovers of western swing I enjoy Bob Wills recordings and the revival bands recreating his tunes.   However, sometimes we can get too much of a good thing.  It is refreshing to discover a new recording of a western swing band with a different approach as did The BeBop Cowboys.

      A delightful new CD titled The Swingfield Playboys – Martini & Western Music For The Refined, features my favourite steel guitarist, Herb Remington.

Swingfield Playboys      The Swingfield Playboys feature seven of Houston's best musicians performing the music of Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and other jazz greats with vocals from guitarist/vocalist, Ron Crick who also composed five tunes on this CD.   Tight, structured orchestrations and a fresh approach to western swing make this a true gem.

      The fourteen tracks include great jazz standards, Way Down Yonder In New Orleans,  Ain't Misbehavin',  After You've Gone, Undecided, Shine, and Skeleton which is actually Louis Armstrong's early Skeleton In The Closet.  Herb Remington is still swingin' and playing great.  On Skeleton he performs great ghost and haunted house effects to lift a previously forgotten song to new heights.  Herb also performs Shine on Dobro...   not the usual western swing, but a great new experience.

      I obtained my copy on the Internet from cdbaby.com    It is also available from the band's website www.swingfieldplayboys.com 

WESTERN SWING MUSIC SOCIETY
3565 CAMBRIDGE STREET
VANCOUVER, B.C.  
V5K 1M3                

Contact – John York  email or phone: 604-299-2301