I’ve done a pretty good amount of research on Bob Wills over the years, and one of the more interesting things I’ve unearthed was his apparent attitude toward rock ’n’ roll music in the late 1950s. Of course, this was when he and brother Johnnie… Read More »29 JANUARY 2022
This week, I’m starting SWING ON THIS with an alternate take of a famous Bob Wills tune that didn’t see the light of day until nearly 40 years after it was recorded. You’ll also hear a song from Leon McAuliffe that was recorded at the… Read More »22 JANUARY 2022
When the music that would become known as Western swing took off from Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, via Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom and radio station KVOO, a lot of bands came along that looked to Wills for inspiration — and sometimes, for outright imitation.… Read More »15 JANUARY 2022
Like the blues and other musical genres, Western swing — especially Western swing from the ‘30s and ‘40s — loves its double entendre songs. One of the best-known, whose origin is attributed to the blues artist Memphis Minnie, is “What’s the Matter with the Mill?”… Read More »9 JANUARY 2022