Category Archives: Country Swing

Country Swing, Early Rock, Fifties Country

Hillbilly Boogie

Hillbilly Boogie
Hillbilly Boogie

Deeper Roots looks at one of the many precursors to rockabilly and rock ‘n roll. Hillbilly boogie is a term used to describe an early pop music fad that blended early 20th century boogie woogie piano style, popular black music of the time, and western swing. Now many will say that it started with Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith but we’ll hear the swing and boogie woogie sounds that predated Smith. And the word was “boogie”. Boogie Woogie Baby, New Broom Boogie, Birthday Cake Boogie, Cherokee Boogie…well, you get the idea. We’ve got all of those and more with performances from Tex Williams, Hank Penny, Johnny Bond, Rose Maddox, and many more. Join Dave Stroud for another journey through a century of America’s music here on listener-supported community radio for Bodega Bay!

Country Swing, Fifties Country

Swinging Country

Swinging Country
Swinging Country

This week’s Deeper Roots show revisits country swing. Join Dave Stroud tonight at 9 for the sounds of Tex Williams, The Sons of the West, Spade Cooley, Hank Penney, and a host of others whose sounds attracted huge crowds to the dance halls and clubs in Texas, Oklahoma, and California during the thirties and forties.  With its basis in jazz and ‘gypsy jazz’, its sound is an upbeat amalgamation of rural, cowboy, polka, folk, blues, and Dixieland jazz, all played by the hot string bands who gave it a distinctive sound with amplified steel guitars, stand-up bass, fiddle, as well as an occasional accordion or brass accompaniment. It’s still alive today…you just need to look.