How to Build a Western Swing Music Collection

If you’re a fan of Willie Nelson, George Strait or Asleep at the Wheel, there’s a strong chance that you’re probably already a Western Swing music fan. All of these artists by their own admission have been strongly influenced by Western Swing. Most popular in the thirties and forties, Western Swing is a fusion of country, jazz, blues and New Orleans music. It all began with The Light Crust Doughboys, and its prime members were Bob Wills, Milton Brown and W. Lee “Pappy” McDaniel. Start your collection with Bob Wills, the master.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Internet connection

1. The “Western Swing on 78” blog is a good place to start with your Western Swing music education. Here you’ll learn about the genre’s greatest stars. Listen to the online jukebox for a great introduction to Western Swing. If the music doesn’t grab you immediately, you may not want to go any further (see Resources below).
   
   Note that there are also music downloads available at “Western Swing on 78.” Even though these files are in the public domain, you still may not want to download them for the sake of artists’ rights.

2. Visit YouTube and search for “Bob Wills.” Give the videos a listen.

3. Buy one of Proper Records’ budget-priced box sets of remastered classic American music, in particular “Doughboys, Playboys, and Cowboys,” 99 tracks that provide a wide cross-section of major and minor Western Swing bands (see Resources below). Proper also has great box set collections of music from Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, and Milton Brown and his Brownies. These box sets should give you more than an ample start in building your Western Swing collection.

Resources

• Western Swing history from Seattle Western Swing Music Society
• Western Swing on 78 blog
• Proper Records

[buckatune]

on 8/19/2009 Great collection of western swing mp3s available at www.buckatune.net