Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Who sang "Rosetta"?


I've been listening to the excellent western swing collection, Stompin' Singers & Western Swingers, one of the many amazing box sets produced by UK label Proper Records (the Brits always seem to take Americana so much more seriously).  Upon a fresh listen recently, I was blown away by Bob Wills & Texas Playboys track "Rosetta," from the first disc (pictured above).  Lovely, lovely tune, certainly one of my favorites now.  But is that Bob Wills singing?  It definitely sounds like him.  It can't be Tommy Duncan, the primary singer for the band.  But the liner notes list Duncan as the singer, among other specific details on the recording (date, place, personnel).  Surely, this is inaccurate.  If this is Bob Wills singing, I regret that he did not sing more often.  He's got a great voice - very unique and striking, in my amateur opinion.

Looks like we have a mystery.  How can it be resolved?  Are there any Texas music authorities that may know the answer?


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

James Crisp at WF Museum of Art at MSU - Wed., Feb. 12

From the City of Wichita Falls February events newsletter:

JAMES CRISP - SPEAKERS AND ISSUES SERIES:
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM @ Wichita Falls Museum of Art – MSU. The Speakers and Issues Series at MSU will present James Crisp, professor and assistant head in the Department of History at North Carolina State University. His interests include the U.S./Mexican frontier, the Texas Revolution, and the Republic of Texas. He has contributed to PBS and History Channel documentaries on the Alamo and was awarded the T.R. Fehrenbach Book Award from the Texas Historical Commission for his book, Sleuthing the Alamo: Davy Crockett’s Last Stand and Other Mysteries of the Texas Revolution. His topic will be “The Case of the Missing Mexicans: How Tejanos Appear and Disappear in the Telling of Texas History.” Admission is free with donations welcome. For more information, call Dr. Claudia Montoya at (940) 397-4259.