I guess my frequent use of “Western swing, cowboy jazz, and maybe a surprise or two” as a way of describing the content of SWING ON THIS constitutes some sort of tagline. But as I look over this week’s playlist, I see the description is pretty apt this time around.
Lots of Western swing will be coming your way Saturday night, beginning with an alternate take of a great ‘30s instrumental from Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys and including one of my top favorite tunes in the genre, done by Roy Newman and His Boys. There’s cowboy jazz, too, although I imagine steel-guitarist Rose Sinclair prefers the term “cocktail steel” to describe her new album, WAVE, which supplies us with another nice song this week.
And then there are the surprises. Now, I realize if you look at my playlist online at the Public Radio Tulsa site or on my own website (www.johnwooley.com), there won’t be any surprises, because it’s all right there. However, if you don’t, then let me say that you may be indeed surprised by a very famous cowboy tune sung by a vocalist who would become a very famous motion picture star.
All that and more heads your way Saturday at 7 p.m. over NPR affiliate station KWGS, 89.5 FM, Outside the Tulsa listening area, you can catch it live-streaming at publicradiotulsa.org
1. “Tulsa Stomp,” Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
2. “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” Clint Eastwood
(for SUE ANN CHAPMAN)
3. “Warm Red Wine,” Tulsa Playboys w/Wanda Jackson
(for DALE CLARK and the GLASS LIFTERS)
4. “Great Long Pistol,” Jerry Irby and His Texas Rangers
5. “Wildwood Flower/Weeping Willow/Under the Double Eagle,” Tommy
Crook & Paul McGhee
(for SE EGAN)
6. “Smile Medley,” Peggy Rains
(for RAY BINGHAM)
7. “Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off of Me,” Pee Wee King and His Golden
West Cowboys
8. “Average Man,” Billy Parker
(for CAROLE & JACK BENDER and HAMILL TIME)
9. “San Antonio Rose,” Jimmy Russell
(for AP MCQUIDDY)
10. “That Lucky Old Sun,” Leon Russell
(for the LEON LIFERS)
11. “Just Because You’re in Deep Ellum,” Shelton Brothers (Bob & Joe)
12. “Canadian Sunset,” Rose Sinclair
13. “I Can’t Dance (Got Ants in My Pants,” Roy Newman and His Boys
(for JON TERRY)
14. “That’s LIfe,” Brazos Valley Boys w/Ray Benson