Cat. No. BCD 16987: LEON McAULIFFE ~ TULSA STRAIGHT AHEAD. BEAR FAMILY BCD 16987. (IMPORT).

LEON McAULIFFE, FORMER BOB WILLS' SIDEMAN, FORMED HIS OWN BAND IN 1946. HE RECORDED FOR THE MAJESTIC LABEL IN 1947 BUT THE LABEL FOLDED SHORTLY AFTER. McAULIFFE WAS THEN PICKED UP BY COLUMBIA RECORDS AND REPAID THE LABEL BY SCORING AN IMMEDIATE SMASH HIT, “PANHANDLE RAG”. DESPITE THIS INITIAL SUCCESS FOR COLUMBIA HIS SUBSEQUENT RECORDINGS FOR THE LABEL FAILED TO REPEAT THE SUCCESS. HOWEVER, HIS EFFORTS TO FOLLOW-UP “PANHANDLE RAG” YIELDED SOME OF THE BEST, TIGHTEST, MOST SWINGING AND ASSURED WESTERN SWING EVER RECORDED. BEAR FAMILY HAS GATHERED TOGETHER THE CREAM OF McAULIFFE’S SIX YEARS AT COLUMBIA ON THIS RELEASE INCLUDING A PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED VERSION OF “PANHANDLE RAG” ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED TRACKS. GREAT WESTERN SWING BY ONE OF THE BEST *****

TRACK LISTING: Panhandle Rag (2009) / Hard-Hearted Girl (1) / Hear Me Now / Rag Mop / Cimarron Rag / Take It Away, Leon / Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) / Run ‘Em Off / No One For Me / The Three Bears / Bonapart’s Retreat / Blue Guitar Stomp / What’ve You Got / Birmingham Bounce / I’ve Never Lived In Tennessee / Eating Right Out Of Your Hand / Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy / Tulsa, Straight Ahead / Jelly Bean Rag / Mr. Steel Guitar / Hard Hearted Girl (2) / Redskin Rag / Wished You Would / Somebody Else Is Beatin’ My Time / This Side Of Town / Twin Fiddle Rag / Blacksmith Blues / What, Where And When / Smooth Sailing / There’s A Right Way, A Wrong Way / Daylight.

CD DIGI-PAK     NEW