While Bob Wills is pretty well remembered these days for pioneering Western Swing, Bill Boyd seems to be overlooked. Hopefully, this two disc 54 song collection will remind people that at one time, swing was the thing, even in country music. Boyd and his Cowboy Ramblers mixed fiddle, guitar, piano and even sometimes reeds to create an infectious sound that made you think Benny Goodman had a gapped tooth or something. These guys grooved!
The band boogies like there’s no tomorrow on the 8 beats to the bar “Under The Double Eagle” and the band takes you back to Tulsa on “Ridin’ On A Humpback Mule. The jamming is thick on “New Steel Guitar Rag” and the gents are festive and fun for “I’ve Got Those Oklahoma Blues” and a snazzy take of “St. Louis Blues”, while the band hits heads south on “Beale Street Blues”. These gents make today’s country boys look like city slickers.