Hillbilly Classics

This generous collection of early country music contains, nestled among deep cuts by familiar names like Tennessee Ernie Ford, the Carter Family, and the Delmore Brothers, some fine examples by much more obscure figures in the Western swing and cowboy boogie style: “Birmingham Bounce” by the legendary steel guitar virtuoso Leon McAuliffe and His Western Swing Band, the blues-based “49 Women” by Jerry Irby and His Texas Ranchers, “Who Puts the Cat Out When Papa’s Out of Town?” by Sam Nichols with The Melody Rangers, and more. Even Chet Atkins is here, playing a very swinging “Boogie Man Boogie” and demonstrating just how far into the country music mainstream Western swing sounds had penetrated by the late mid-century. But the biggest value proposition of this 73-track compilation comes from its exhumation of long-deleted recordings that might never have seen the light of day again otherwise.