Cat. No. BCD 15946: THE TEXAS TROUBAOURS WITH BUDDY EMMONS ~ ALMOST TO TULSA - THE INSTRUMENTALS. BEAR FAMILY BCD 15946. (IMPORT).

THE TEXAS TROUBADOURS ARE BEST KNOWN AS ERNEST TUBB’S BACKING BAND. ERNEST LIKE MANY COUNTRY ARTISTS INSISTED THAT THE BAND PLAY NOTE-FOR-NOTE FROM HIS RECORDS BUT HE WAS DIFFERENT IN THAT HE ENCOURAGED THE HIS GROUPS TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO DO DURING THE OPENING WARM-UPS AND THIS PROVED USEFUL WHEN ROCK AND ROLL HIT IN THE MID 1950s. COUNTRY ARTIST FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO FIND WORK AND FOUND THAT THEY HAD TO CHANGE VENUES AND INSTEAD OF PLAYING FAIRS AND AUDITORIUMS THEY WERE RELEGATED TO THE DANCEHALL CIRCUIT AND THIS REQUIRED THE BAND TO PLAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS, KEEPING THE DANCERS ON THE DANCE FLOOR FOR AN EVENING’S ENTERTAINMENT. AS A RESULT, THE TROUBADOURS BUILT UP A FOLLOWING OF THEIR OWN AND BECAME KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST ADVENTUROUS FREE-SWINGING AND MUSICALLY ENTERTAINING BANDS IN COUNTRY MUSIC. THIS BEING THE CASE THE TEXAS TROUBADOURS WERE ABLE TO RECORD IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. OVER THE YEARS THE HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL LINE-UP CHANGES BUT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF STEEL GUITARIST BUDDY EMMONS TO THE LINE-UP IN 1958 SAW THE BAND MOVE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION AS BUDDY PLAYED THE STEEL GUITAR IN A MORE JAZZY AND FREEWHEELING STYLE. AT FIRST ERNEST WAS RELUCTANT TO HIRE HIM BUT HE RELENTED AND BUDDY SOON PROVED HIS WORTH WITH HIS PLAYING ON TUBB’S HIT RECORD “HALF A MIND”. THIS CD ENCOMPASSES 36 SUPERB WESTERN SWING INSTRUMENTALS WHICH INCLUDE FOUR OF BUDDY EMMONS RECORDINGS NOT WITH THE TROUBADOURS BUT WITH NASHVLLE STUDIO MUSICIANS. INCL. 44 PAGE BOOKLET. SUPERB WESTERN SWING *****

TRACK LISTING: Rose City Chimes / Danny Boy / Tuxedo Junction / Almost To Tulsa / Leon’s Guitar Boogie (115 459 alt.) / C-Jam Blues / Cool It / The Waltz You Saved For Me / Rhodes-Bud Boogie / Walking The Floor Over You / Honey Fingers / Steel Guitar Rag / Lover’s Waltz / Panhandle Rag / Gardenia Waltz / Redskin Rag / Texas Troubadour Stomp / E.T. Blues / Nashville Shuffle / Jamming With C And C / Cain’s Corner / Big Beaver / 12th Street Rag / Ridgetop Stomp / Cocoanut Grove / Red Top / Take That / Twilight Over Texas / Leon’s Guitar Boogie (115 481) / Buddie’s Boogie / This Ain’t The Blues / Buddy Emmons – Four Wheel Drive / Blue Wind / Highland Swing / Greensleeves / Texas Troubadours – Leon’s Guitar Boogie (115 459).

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