Despite the evocative, rural-sounding band name these guys do set off a few it-was-the-'Seventies-man warning bells, mostly the presence of congas, flute, recorder and saxophone, none of which should be on a country record. Unfortunately, the backing musicians are not identifiedĪppaloosa "Morning Riser" (White Gold Music, 1980) (LP)Ī country-rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Fans of Don Williams might like this one - it has a similar world-weary vibe. Good vocals, understated accompaniment, strong material, emotional resonance. On this self-released indie album, he goes all-out country, covering Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, Hank Williams and others, and adds a twang anthem to the canon called "Country Music Is Alive And Well." This was, I believe, his second-to-the-last album, with Anderson passing away in '76. (By the way, anyone know if this guy was related to country deejay Les Acree? Just wondering.) Nice one!Ĭasey Anderson "Good Old Boys" (Edge Records, 1974) (LP)īorn in Chicago, singer-guitarist Casey Anderson was more of a "folk" artist, recording albums in the '60s for Elektra, Atco and other "real" labels, but he'd always peppered his work with country and blues material. I guess they mostly did the county fair circuit, with Acree's own career reaching back a few decades before this album was recorded. Andy Acree is joined by brothers Jack Sampson and Larry Sampson on lead guitar and steel, singer (and songwriter) Leroy Clark, a gal vocalist named Janey Elston, who sings lead on one of Clark's originals, "My Whole World Turned Blue," and finally Acree's son, Gene Acree, playing drums. Anyway, apparently these guys were from Springfield, Illinois, and played county fairs and similar local gigs, a continuation of Acree's youthful apprenticeship in Johnny Barton's band. Crisp, direct, understated country ballads with a strong debt to Merle Haggard, though packed with original material, most of it penned by Leroy Clark, who may also have been the band's primary lead singer. Oh, thou vast, wiggly quantum physics, you canst be cruel.) I did eventually track down a real copy, and am pleased to report that this is a great record. I was psyched to see this album in the dollar bin at my local Record Hut, but profoundly bummed when it had the wrong disc was in the jacket. guaranteed to pry a smile out of other devoted fans as well.Īndy Acree's Country Squires "Welcome To Squires Country" (Illini Records, 197-?) (LP) A nice, guileless, straightforward homage to their hero. The songs are all covers except for one original called "I'm Going Fishing," written by lead guitarist Phil Pedigo, and it fits right in with the slack, Waylonesque vibe of the rest of the record. Sure, Abernathy's no Waylon, but he's alright, and his band holds their own as well, pickin' and plunkin' in the classic style. This album, recorded towards the tail end of the Waylon & Willie glory years, is basically a Waylon tribute disc, covering a bunch of the biggest, most iconic outlaw hits: "Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "Waymore Blues," "Luckenbach, Texas," "Don't Cuss The Fiddle," "Me And Paul" and more. In the cosmic contest for the world's all-time biggest fan of Waylon Jennings, Illinois honkytonker Ab Abernathy is a pretty strong contender. Jim "Ab" Abernathy "Good Timin' Man" (Applause Records, 1982) (LP) This is an ongoing projects, with new stuff coming in all the time, and we welcome any recommendations, additions or corrections. Most of the artists here are little-known locals, bar-band singers, etc., but the list also includes Nashville stars who were from the state, as well as some bluegrass and gospel artists, etc. It's part of a larger guide to unsigned and off-the-radar regional artists from years gone by, which is also part of the even larger Guide To Hick Music on. Locals Only: Illinois Twang This page collects artist profiles and record reviews of country music from the state of Illinois. Locals Only: Illinois Country Music - American Twang, State By State - Joe Sixpack's Guide To Hick Music
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