Recorded between 1947 and 1972, with the accent on pre-1965 material, this 20-song compilation highlights the instrumental skills of country guitarists working on the West Coast in the heyday of the L.A.-Bakersfield country sound. Like the other SwingWest! volumes, it's largely drawn from the Capitol vaults, but that's no great drawback, as Capitol's roster included such ace pickers as Jimmy Bryant, Joe Maphis, Merle Travis, Roy Clark and Speedy West, not to mention odds and ends in the country style by James Burton, Glen ...
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Recorded between 1947 and 1972, with the accent on pre-1965 material, this 20-song compilation highlights the instrumental skills of country guitarists working on the West Coast in the heyday of the L.A.-Bakersfield country sound. Like the other SwingWest! volumes, it's largely drawn from the Capitol vaults, but that's no great drawback, as Capitol's roster included such ace pickers as Jimmy Bryant, Joe Maphis, Merle Travis, Roy Clark and Speedy West, not to mention odds and ends in the country style by James Burton, Glen Campbell and Les Paul. All of those names are found on this anthology, along with stellar work by sidemen on tracks bearing the name of star bandleaders Merle Haggard and Hank Thompson. To be honest, you'll get as much quality swinging country virtuosity, with considerably more daring and invention, on Razor & Tie's Speedy West-Jimmy Bryant compilations. But if you're looking for a wider historical perspective, this is a good disc. A previously unreleased 1965 version of "Caravan," credited to Ferlin Husky but probably a jam by session musicians between songs, is not extraneous but a real highlight. It, and the cuts by Joe Maphis and Joe Clark, boast dazzlingly fast yet tasteful playing. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
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