Legacy and the Music of Bob Wills

Robert Earl Keen, this is from memory, had an “album,” it was a free digital download at the time, so I don’t recall, but the very end, he talked about how he was a “total retard in the 7th grade,” being a fan of the Music of Bob Wills and Western Swing.

It’s an intro to his, REK’s, version of Panhandle Rag – so like REK, I must’ve been a total retard, sneaking in to see Asleep At The Wheel, at the old Electric Co. I was clearly underage.

That was then, and over the years, the music cycles in and out of style, but always near to my heart.

In the store, the other afternoon, noticed the Wheel’s new album on the rack, ten bucks. In this digital age, buying the CD is a tad archaic. I think I found one of the tracks as a freebie, but the album is, part tribute, part just “The Wheel” doing what they do best, playing the old Western Swing.

From sneaking in to see them, back in the day, to an amusing show, maybe a dozen years ago, at the Spoke, to seeing them open a stadium show, plus a donut shop opening, yes, seen them quite a few times – in and around Austin.

The music was pioneered by Bob Wills, Western mixed with Big Band, country, and in the background, with that pedal steel? Hawaiian. Truly, it is Americana at its finest.

More than one client has complained that the music is too twangy. It’s not for folks who don’t grasp the nature of Texas Twang. No complaining, it’s a music rooted in the shared American Experience, with origins deep in our heartland. Merle Haggard and Willie (Nelson) sit in on songs. Clearly marks a type of music.

Ray Benson, with his velvet-like voice, doing the “Call” of “Call and Answer” tunes, introducing the stars.

The album cover because Bob Wills is still the King.

I grew up on music that we called Western Swing
It don’t matter who’s in, Austin, Bob Wills is still the king

Still the King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys – Asleep At the Wheel