A Prairie Portrait

Don Edwards (Artist), Waddie Mitchell (Artist), John Giordano (Conductor), Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)

Product Details

• Orchestra: Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: John Giordano
• Audio CD (July 27, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Western Jubilee Recording Company
• ASIN: B0002IQLJY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #167,209 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Texans like to tout Fort Worth as "where the West begins." It's a former cattle town turned teeming metropolis, where the heritage of the West remains faintly alive amidst a modern, urban setting. What better place (and time--Fort Worth's sesquicentennial) for staging this serendipitous collaboration of two seemingly disparate American musical styles: modern classical symphonics and old-time cowboy music and poetry? The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra opens--or rather, unleashes--A Prairie Portrait (recorded in Fort Worth's famed Bass Performance Hall) with a medley of "Yellow Rose of Texas," "Streets of Laredo" and "Deep in the Heart of Texas" so dramatic that you can close your eyes and see John Wayne galloping across the high plains in an old John Ford movie. Cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell enlivens this powerful, seamless musical tapestry with prosaic, yet earnest recitations like "Commutin'" and "Sage & Cedar," where he ruminates on everything from the existence of God to the price of beef. But the real centerpiece and anchor is veteran cowboy singer Don Edwards. With his rich, honeyed baritone (often delightfully reminiscent of the late, great Marty Robbins), Edwards reminds us that he's among the elite of living Western singers. --Bob Allen

Product Description
Buckaroo Poet, Waddie Mitchell and Minstrel of the Range, Don Edwards team up with the Fort Worth Symphony and conductor, John Giordano. The result: Cowboy Hall of Fame Wrangler Award-winning Outstanding Traditional Western Recording of the Year - A Prairie Portrait. Edwards and Mitchell, the Bard and the Balladeer, blend their individual gifts of song and story with the majesty of the Symphony for a musical celebration of the great American West. Its cowboys and culture from one of the west's largest acoustic groups.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What A Wonderful Surprise!, September 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Prairie Portrait (Audio CD)

Beautiful orchestral rendetions of Yellow Rose of Texas, Streets of Laredo, Ghost Riders in the Sky and more. Orchestra accompanying Don's songs and Waddie's poetry was just perfect. And when Don finished singing Shenandoah, I was clapping just like I had been sitting in the concert hall!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Try something different!, January 27, 2003

By	EMC "neelie klop" (Sierra Vista, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Prairie Portrait (Audio CD)

Don and Waddie shine on this album! When I first heard they had done a project with a symphony orchestra, I thought to myself that this would be one CD by Don Edwards that would never get into my collection. I hestitated for a long time to purchase it, but kept looking for information about it to get feedback from others. I love cowboy music and poetry and I enjoy orchestral music, but the concept of putting these very different styles together was a bit beyond my comprehension. But I'm so glad I bought it and I find myself listening to it quite often. The haunting words, the beautiful sounds from the orchestra, Don's smooth-as-silk drawl and Waddie's wistful recitations all come together beautifully in this collection. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys taking a bit of a chance in exploring something a little different. The two songs I find most poignant are "Roundup In The Spring" and "Annie Laurie." I wish I could have been present when the actual performance took place! It's a beautiful production in every way.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too old for this CD?, August 31, 2000

By	Don Nickell (Coeur d'Alene, ID and Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Prairie Portrait (Audio CD)

I guess I'm too old for this one. I first learned to like Don Edwards with his West of Yesterday, Chant of the Wanderer, Saddle Songs I & II. This is NOT of the same type. If I'd wanted to hear the a Symphony Orchestra I'd have bought a Boston Pops record. And I don't care to hear Waddie over and over; I can listen to Night Hearder, Prairie Lullaby, Chopo, etc., over and over and never get enough. I wish I had known the format of this before I bought, I'd have passed and put on Chant of the Wanderer instead.