Buddy Jewell - Tales of the New West (Songs of the Coreys and Dennis Kahler)

Pros

• "Rosa Danced in Veracruz"
• "I Get The Bird"
• "Pancho Villa's Gold"

Cons

• None.

Description

• Twelve songs written by the Coreys and Dennis Kahler, performed by "Nashville Star" Buddy Jewell.
• Mastered by Marty Rifkin, who also arranged a number of the tracks and plays several instruments.
• Superior example of independent CD production.

Guide Review - Buddy Jewell - Tales of the New West (Songs of the Coreys and Dennis Kahler)

One way to get your music heard these days is to appeal directly to those of us who like to impress our opinions on others (i.e., CD reviewers). While I'm known to be hard to please, I don't mind it when independents contact me directly to ask me to listen to their new CD, because a lot of the time that means I hear a nice little gem like this one. I was willing to give a listen because I like Buddy Jewell's voice. When he's given some fine songs like these, he shines.

With Marty Rifkin's capable steel playing on the tracks he arranges, it's a sure bet I'm going to like something here. As an added bonus, these are good songs. Wholly contemporary, yet with a strong traditional country sound, these are songs you'd expect to hear on the radio sung by the likes of Strait and Jackson.

I had a hard time chosing favorites off this disc because I enjoyed all of them, but when I heard the lyrics for "I Get the Bird," I almost laughed out loud. It's not too often you hear lines like "You can have the house, you can have the cash, you can even have my car, but I get the flamingo in the yard." I also liked "Mama Della," as well as "One Time We Cared." "Parrothead Paradise" is all right, but Jimmy Buffett country is starting to wear on me. Still, this was recorded back in 2002, so I can forgive them as being some of the first on that bandwagon. I know this is a disc that Buddy Jewell fans will love listening to, and it's a good one for any fans of contemporary, but not pop, country.