Music Reviews
Dec-Jan 2004
Music of the West
Sing and Swing
By Hugh McLennan
SOME KIND OF FANTASY
The Beebop Cowboys
 With Prairie Oyster having all but called it a day, Ontario country fans needed something with substance to sink their teeth into so the arrival of this, The Beebop Cowboys new, and second disc, is perfectly timed.
The quintet is comprised of individuals who are player's players and all involved are hot, tasty and inspired instrumentalists, hence the name of the group. Western-swing with elements and tastes of blues, and other North American roots music forms make for a great ride that features a number of excellent originals, alongside timeless, if not classic, pieces pulled from the repertories of artists like Spade Cooley and Buddy Charleton.
Guitarist Steve Briggs and pedal steel player Burke Carroll dazzle at every turn and their slick and technically intricate interplay is more often than not the centerpiece to this set of twelve tunes.
The baritone voice of Howard Willett, who also delivers some superb solos on his chromatic and blues harps, is an inviting and warm instrument that would lead one to believe he was the reincarnation of a singer from one of the great Oklahoma/Texas western swing bands of the late forties and fifties. Toss in a masterful rhythm section of upright bassist Dennis Pinhorn and drummer
John Adames and this is a band that deserves the kind of notoriety that Asleep at the Wheel has earned Stateside. Highlights include "Duncan Swings", "Some Kind of Fantasy", "New Texas Panhandle Rag" and "Back Home In Indiana" and "Cadillac Boogie".
For more information on the Beebop Cowboys head to www.beboopcowboys.com
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