Customer Reviews

Tall Tales

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As soon as I bought the Hot Jazz CD, I went looking for Tall Tales. Too bad I found it in the pop section rather than the country or near bluegrass where it belongs. I am totally impressed with this group and play these two disks more than the other 70 or so artists I have, combined. The female singer has an awesome 40's type voice and in a way reminds me of Mandy Barnett. The instrumentals are extremely well done, though I wish they had left "Polka dot and Moonbeams" on Tall Tales a complete instrumental. If you are looking for a western swing album, but don't mind a jazz blend, this is the group for you. They need to get their next album out soon!

I have only recently discovered Western Swing, what I've been missing! I come from the UK, and we only hear the commercial country over here - I have only just heard hank Williams Senior and I am 36!

Tall Tales is the finest CD I have bought for many a year, fresh, hot, uplifting and boy does it swing - put on your dancing shoes mumma there's going to be a ball in cowtown. Do yourselves a favour, buy it... when I play it I get a warm, happy glow.

Bold, joyous playing, at times precise, at times reckless, make this a treat to listen to. But be prepared for some weak vocals (by two of the three band members). Lovers of old country are not sticklers for staying on key, and know there's a great deal of expressive power in the deliberate roughness of Bill Monroe. Vern Williams and others. But crooning that goes flat provokes more wincing than dancing. Still--a talented and fun group gets my qualified yeehaw.

this is a very old school sound brought back anew. live show is great too. you've got upright bass thumpin away a country rhythm, a great violin permeates, and a nice rhythm guitar through the middle. something you'd expect to hear in a saloon in the old days. a very good outing by the hot club of cowtown.

The only thing better that listening to this CD is hearing them live. More music out of only three instruments than I thought was possible. It's spooky to think that these twenty-somethings can do western swing as well as the traveling bands of the 40's and 50's! If you see them live you will want to adopt the fiddle player.

The Hot Club is one of the best bands playing in Austin right now.They are a fantastic live band with great energy. I thought their debutalbum was solid, but not really noteworthy. Their followup album (Tall Tales), however, is really quite spectacular. The song selection is perfect and the production perfectly matches their music. Tall Tales is the next best thing to being there.

i saw this band when then opened for the paladins in austin texas at the continental and they were unbelieveable. they reminded me of a great band out of sand diego called the smiths ranch boys. the cd is kinda like what you'd hear if you walked into a saloon circa the 1800's its such a great record. loved it. chris the paladins

THE BEST CD TO COME OUT IN A LONG TIME!!! This CD will at once bring a smile to your face and a warm sweetness to your heart! Virtuoso musicianship abounds led by Whit Smith, undoubtedly one of the most accomplished young guitarists in the country who also has an impressive and expressive voice on display in his "When I Lost You" a soul searching and searing ballad. Smith's "Emily" is catchy as hell. His version of the classic "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" almost had me in tears. As if his virtuoso performance weren't enough, Elena Fremmerman provides a fiddle playing that will have you shouting. I really can't reccomend this CD highly enough!!!

Hot Club of Cowtown is a spectacular band. I heard them on WHRB (95.5 FM in Cambridge, Mass.), The Hillbilly at Harvard radio show. I have also seen them in concert twice and urge the whole world to check them out! Their music (both live and on CD) is contagious, warm and toe-tapping fun. Unlike most musicians their age (20-something) who are recording dark, whiney and unoriginal scree, Hot Club (two guys and a gal) have re-awakened a true American tradition: Westerm Swing; and reintroduced a new generation to the brilliance of Bob Wills, Cindy Walker and the rest of the Western Swing family. Very very very good stuff. You will play it over and over.

I first heard the group "Hot Club of Cow Town" in Aspen some years ago. My friends and I followed them to the Tractor Tavern in Seattle a few years later, keeping this extraordinary group in our sights ever since.

Elena Fremerman (sp?) makes a violin do things that certain currently influential groups would lose control of basic body functions over. Her interpretation of classic folk, country swing, show tunes and other great music has been honored recently by other great artists.

I've heard her voice described variously as "clear" and "smoky". I understand both descriptions, embrace them, and add "and a whole lot more."

I recommend the music of Hot Club of Cow Town and Elena Fremerman to people who like the genres, "country swing", "Show tunes","folk", (at this point I'm over my head) Just fun music.