This "Journey of Drinkers" series go back to the 1930s. Characters in this era are so older than I that I cannot put empathy on them and I feel like seeing them as historical figures. HIstorical figures are often dramatized and forced to be put in the image of brand-new stories. There is Edison's invention called record for music on and after the 20th century, however, historical ones can revive just as they played. I come to know for the first time the historical name of Bob Wills , the standard-bearer of western swing, when I heard a memorial song called Bob Wills is Still the King by Waylon Jennings (you can hear it on like "The Essential Waylon Jennings"). Willie Nelson sang many Bob Wills songs, and Merle Haggard led the western swing revival and showed extraordinary eagerness; he not only played with Bob's Texas Playboys but became the successor of Bob's fiddle. Although their jazzy playing style of passing instrumental solos around is taken over till now, Bob Wills was almost ignored in the '50s and '60s country music scene where did use less pipes. As he told that he had no idea of playing country music, western swing is a dance music of fiddle and steal-guitar featuring horns under the influence of swing jazz. Thanks to Texas just near Mexico, this style took various musical styles and leapt the border of genres. It surely exceeds the country framework.
Bob Wills, born in Texas, played fiddle on a medicine show or appeared at radio stations in the last 20s, and had his own radio program in '31. He performed as a member of the Light Crust Doughboys, named after the sponsor to the program (songs of those days can be heard on the 4-disc "Legends of Country Music" ). Despite the profit of their performances heard in all over Texas, he and his boys including a new-comer vocalist Tommy Duncan quitted the radio program because they were banned from playing outside the radio station by their manager. They changed their own name as the Texas Playboys and did gigs in Texas, and then they had a radio program and came into play in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Tulsa their western swing formation was built up with the electric steel guitar of Leon McAuliffe and drums and horns. Moreover, they vigorously made musical adventures such as jazzy arrangement by the guitarist Eldon Shamblin under the influence of big band jass in full swing. It's Bob Wills' trademark to play fiddle and guide Tommy Duncan's vocal with his voice and urge solos of steel guitar or piano. This style makes me now feel so fresh. Tommy Duncan's voice leans on jazz rather than country. Steel guitar's tone is sometimes distorted and driven. And drums or horns come closer to rock, it seems to me, than the future honky tonk.
On their compilation of principal tunes "The Best of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys", from the start Get with It in 1935 is driven by happy fiddles on the fine Dixieland jazz style, and Tommy Duncan sings around in the manner of Jimmie Rogers' yodel on I Ain't Got Nobody, and Leon McAuliffe shows in front the classic for steel guitar players on Steel Guitar Rag, and then Bob Wills' voice of guidance adds pretty buoyancy to the blues like Trouble in Mind or Oozlin' Daddy Blues. Songs written by others like Red Hot Gal of Mine, That's What I Like 'Bout the South, Corrine Corrina, and the famous Liebestraum are turned into cheerful swing by their treatment. Tommy Duncan also plays a great role on sentimental tunes like Times Changes Everything or RIght or Wrong from "Legends of Country Music". Their virtue is best known on their big hits New San Antonio Rose or Take Me Back to Tulsa. In this connection, thier tune Ida Red was attempted to be read by Chuck Berry but finally turned into the origin of Maybelline. Despite the difference of instruments, two songs are in common with the speed and rhythm. Along with similar driving tunes like You're Okay, you should fine western swing and rock 'n' roll meet together.
For some of the members were recruited by Uncle Sam and fans who worked in the base moved to the West during the World War II, the Texas Playboys got active also in the west coast and continued to cut cheerful tunes in the smaller pieces featuring fiddle and electric guitar and steel guitar. their west coast tunes like Roly Poly, Stay a Little Longer or New Spanish Two Step is still joyfull, and Tommy Duncan's neigh on the blusy Brain Cloudy Blues is so special. In this era they often picked up Cindy Walker's songbook including Cherokee Maiden mixing with Indian rhythm and gentle jazz Dusty Skies, which gave the fresh air into the Texas Playboys. Sugar Moon or Bubble in My Beer co-written by her and them also brought novelty which could not be found only by the Texas Playboys. Meanwhile, there are wartime ones like Smoke on the Water (not the tune of Deep Purple) or Stars and Stripes on Iwo Jima or White Cross on Okinawa. I don't know why they are not released on CD in the U.S., however, I finally found them on the UK disk "So Let's Rock !". They are in the same western swing but not like their happy dance tunes.
The late 40s was the era of honky tonk with less members and western swing gradually went out of fashion. What was the hardest blow for Bob Wills was the quarrel and parting with Tommy Duncan. In '50 there was a ballad smash Faded Love, and there was the blues featuring wonderful steel guitar called Sittin' on Top of the World , however, Bob Wills got less active. In '60 he tagged again with Tommy Duncan on Heart to Heart Talk which hid itself under the prosperity of Nashville country. On "So Let's Rock !" you will find their 50s tunes chasing after R&B or rock 'n' roll such as SincerelyorSugar Baby orSo Let's Rock ! . In the time when Merle Haggard put the spotlight on him again, Bob Wills was in poor health because of alchohol probrems and was hardly able to play fiddle. When looking back, it seems to be heard so happy for the Texas Playboys to pass around solos of fiddle, piano or steel guitar. Although today's technique is far better than the past, I think the "delightful" music which gets ahead of "splendid" skills never fades. In Japan most folks began to listen to and play country music after the war, so western swing couldn't be heard by the contemporaries. It cannot be helped for wertern swing to be hid behind, however, it's no wonder this music should have a charm of alluring more and more. (2010/10/22)