Subtitled "Hot Texas Swing, 1940-1941," this set brings together a nice cross-section of tracks from territory bands that sprang up in the wake of
Bob Wills,
Milton Brown and the entire Western swing movement. Artists like
Bill Mounce, the Bar X Cowboys,
Modern Mountaineers, the Dixie Ramblers, and the Sons of Dixie may not be household names by any stretch of the imagination (although names like
Bob Dunn,
Leon Payne,
Tiny Moore,
Jimmy Wyble,
Moon Mullican, and
Cliff Bruner show up on these sides), but the music is top-notch, unfettered by commercial restraints, local music with a free and wild spirit. Loads of steel playing, twin fiddles and swinging rhythm sections coupled with jaunty vocals make these old Bluebird 78s come to life. Decent transfers of the material and extensive liner notes make this a package well worth the extra effort to find. ~ Cub Koda