Music Reviews
Feb-Mar 2004
Music of the West
Sing and Swing
By Hugh McLennan
The History Of The Cowgirl
Lesley Schatz
 There’s a ranch and a vet clinic between the city of Wetaskiwin and Pigeon Lake, in Alberta’s prime cattle and crop country. Sometimes from the kitchen, by the woodstove, you can hear a cowboy song carried on the sweet, clear voice of Leslie Shatz. The History of The Cowgirl is an intriguing collection of some of Leslie Shatz’s established songs, the recollections of several Alberta cowgirls, and some brand new material.
“The Alberta Waltz” and Tom Russell’s “Alberta Blue” are two of her best-known songs, and they are both here. Among the previously un-released material is a song based on a story written by Andy Russell, titled “The Wall-Eyed Stud.”
Hod Pharis, a musician and radio personality well known in some Alberta circles a while back, wrote “I heard The Bluebird Sing”, which hit the country music charts some years ago, when the Browns recorded it on RCA. Leslie is joined by Ernie on a duet version of this old favorite.
As the cowgirls’ stories are told in their own words, they are interwoven with the songs and it’s a very intriguing collection. There’s even some family harmony as Les’s daughter, Elizabeth, joins her on “The Streets of Laredo,” while her youngest, Nicolas, shares the mike on an abbreviated version of “How the Yodel Was Born,” made famous by Riders in the Sky.
You can order this CD from her at schatze@telus.net, or by regular mail at R.R. #2 Westrose, Alberta, Canada T0C 2V0
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