Oklahoma Rag

05-24-10... Antagonize an undesirable situation and you give it the very power it needs to work against you. Deny it your power of thought and it crumbles away from you.

More Bob Wills soloists are featured for an instrumental. Oklahoma Rag







05-25-10... Don't know about you, but seeing footage of all that oil gushing into the Atlantic every day depresses the hell out of me. It represents heavy doses of greed, arrogance and irresponsibility wrapped in one, gigantic, all-consuming package. My only hope is that as every coastline along the Gulf of Mexico turns to disgusting muck, it will anger us to the point we're finally ready to get with the program, kick our silly asses into the 21st Century and convert to more sensible methods of heating our homes and fueling our autos.

On a related topic, I see climate change, or global warming as they call it, in the same light. Of course there is climate change. Has been since the Earth came into existence -- before humans, after humans. Do I believe we have an effect on climate change? Little. I liken it to one of George Carlin's lines in a bit he did regarding man versus environment. He suggested (I paraphrase) we ask the people buried under the rubble of Mexico City (after an earthquake, if you recall) if they feel they're a threat to mother nature. He said when the Earth has had enough of the human race, it will shake us off like we're fleas on a dog.

I agree with Mr. Carlin, but again, if our worrying over whether or not we're harming the Earth leads us to more logical forms of energy, then I say let's go ahead and believe we're the cause of climate change. Whatever prompts us to elevate our civilization is okay by me.

Another round of Texas Playboy solos today -- Tiny Moore's mandolin; Herb Remington's steel guitar; Louis Tierney's fiddle -- along with comical lyrics. Devlish Mary. Millard Kelso played piano for these Tiffany Transcription sessions, and while he's undoubtedly talented, his solos tend to sound similar from one song to the next. Bob Wills' pre-WWII pianist, Al Stricklin, was a much stronger musician, in my opinion, and when I get around to featuring the original Playboy band (next month, maybe?) you can formulate your own opinion regarding the two men.



05-28-10... You can only possess two emotions regarding any subject, any person or groups of people, and they are love or hate. Hate is an emotion we attach to things we don't understand. Love is the goal, but if you find you cannot remove hate from a thing, let go of it. Remove your thought from it. When it rears its head to again tempt you, don't give it that pleasure. Think of something else, anything that keeps your spirits high. One of my effective tricks is to think of a song, a melody, any melody, because any tune that can be conjered from memory undoubtedly will be a favorite. Music, to me, is a gift coming directly from the universal power (God, if you wish), and so is love.

I hope you can appreciate the highly-skilled guitar picking of Junior Barnard in this final Tiffany Transcriptions offering. Lazy Day. I will do a post for Memorial Day. Don't know what, yet... probably something flag related.

Links for these mp3 audio samples are HERE

Fiddle Makes you Dance For Reel

05-17-10... Another good reason for tackling a problem head on and immediately is that running away from it only allows it to present itself again, usually in the guise of another problem worse than before.

The lyrics in today's Bob Wills selection contain many problems, and the suggested solution for each is for the good Lord to set you free. This is a simple way of saying a contact with the universal power (Lord, God, or whatever label you wish) will change your consciousness concerning the problem, and it is the change that will lead you to solving it. Oh, Mona


05-19-10... Before radio, people held dances in their homes. They formed clubs and the location rotated week to week, same as we still do for our bridge or poker groups. Keeping things simple, one room was cleared and rock salt or sand scattered about the wood floor. As for music, all they needed at bare minimum was a fiddle player who could play reels while a caller gave couples their direction for the square dance. What are reels? Well, here's one with Tommy Duncan calling and Bob Wills handling the fiddle part himself, same as he did while growing up in the vicinity of Turkey, Texas. Smith's Reel


05-21-10... Late, am I? Sorry, modem went dead and I had to run out and exchange for new one. Honest!

Bob Wills. Country music. Western Swing, but as for his post-WWII instrumentalists, they could play jazz licks with the best of the big band musicians. Not theory. Fact. Proof? Listen to Junior Barnard's guitar and Joe Holley's fiddle talk to one another in I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket.

MP3 samples for these songs are found HERE

Playboy Chimes

05-10-10... An edited instrumental features Herb Remington's steel guitar lead with breaks by players Bob Wills will announce for you. Playboy Chimes


05-12-10... It's usually best to tackle a difficulty as soon as it presents itself. Allowing it to fester, to dig itself into your mentality will only make resolution more challenging with each passing day.

Today's Bob Wills song is about working hard while keeping faith that rewards will come in their due time. I'll Get Mine

















05-14-10... The idea behind the Tiffany Transcriptions was to give radio stations a wide range of music, so they could attract advertisers targeting various markets. I don't know exactly which products in 1945-47 might be of interest to people into polkas, but Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys provided the option with this tune. This selection also provides a good chuckle for me when Bob calls Louis Tierney and Joe Holley "you old fiddle pluckers". Jesse Polka

Links to the mp3 samplings of these songs are HERE