| TATER | BELLE OF THE PONDEROSA | SCRUBBOARD CHUCK | DAPPER DAN | BIG POSSUM |
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| aka Matt Rhody | aka Neti Vaan | aka Washboard Chaz | aka Matt Johnson | aka Jimbo Walsh |
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fiddle, mandolin backup vocals lead vocal on track #3 |
fiddle backup vocals lead vocal on track #6 |
washboard, snare drum lead and backup vocals |
guitar backup vocals lead vocal on track #11 |
acoustic bass backup vocals |
When I was living in Boulder, Colorado, I was introduced to western swing bands, most notably Dusty Drapes and the Dusters. Back in the 1930's, when western swing surfaced, people listened to all kinds of music, live and on the radio. Swing with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, blues with Son House and Fred McDowell and country with the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers were all happening at the same time. Western swing developeded when practicioners medled fiddles, steel guitars and sometimes horns to create their own music inspired by swing, a sort of "cowboy jazz".
The best known were Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys and Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies, but there were many bands that had large foloowings. Arriving in New Orleans in 200, I found there to be a dearth of the idiom. So in addition to my other bands, I eventually wanted to perform another style of music I enjoyed. Gathering a group of like-minded folks, we started rehearsing in mid 2005, only to be displaced by Katrina. Though we lost one member to the Katrina relocations, we soldiered on with another New Orleans fiddler. This recording is the result. Hope you like it.
Chaz
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