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© Paul Zarzyski. All rights reserved. These words may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission.

NEWSFLASH September 17, 2009

Fly out tomorrow at oh-dark-thirty for Albuquerque and the kick-off El Rey Theater concert for The Narrow Gauge Cowboy Train Tour—Durango, Silverton, Pagosa Springs, Chama…. Tom Russell and Gretchen Peters headline the fandango. Late last year they recorded an album together titled One To The Head, One To The Heart. Powerful work. And Tom’s hot-off-the-press new one is nothing short of a MASTERPIECE!—yes, an all-caps exclamatory MASTERPIECE! Blood And Candle Smoke (SHOUT! Factory records). Read more about both recordings (and most definitely add both to your collections) at www.gretchenpeters.com, at www.tomrussell.com, at www.russeltom.blogspot.com, at www.myspace.com/russelltom and follow the proverbial Yellow Brick Roads from there.

Wylie and sidekick, Paul, crooning on the Elko stage, 2009 (photo by Jeri Dobrowski)

While you’re at it, go to www.myspace.com/thebuffalobluesband for a taste of top-shelf music from the “non-cowboy” genre which—thank my lucky Musical Universe stars—includes a lyric I wrote decades ago, originally titled “The Broken Down-‘n’-Flustered Bronco Buster At The Conoco Saloon Blues.” It later was shortened to “Bronco Buster At The Conoco Saloon Blues.” Finally, Robert Shepherd—who wrote the melody and who sings the song on this dynamic CD, One Last Look—convinced me to pare ‘er down to “Conoco Saloon Blues.” (I have another lyric titled “The Have Laptop, Will Travel Paladin-Never-Used-A-Computer Boogie-Woogie Blues.” HELP!, Bob.) Bob and his History-Professor-Blues Singing-Dynamo-Spouse, Kathy Ogren (aka “Perky”) are longtime friends with whom I’ve worked often on stage in front of Johnston College/Redlands University students and teachers over the past 15 years. You say you’re looking for music to which to drive the wide-open wild blue highways of both the rural AND urban West? This IS IT! If—and only “IF”—you’re unafraid to kick-in the afterburners of your “road warrior” vehicles to 85—otherwise, just go on listening to Yani or Michael Bolton.

More later—if my liver survives the coming week with the likes of Wylie “Mr. Agave” Gustafson—not to even MENTION Tom “Irish Car Bomb with A Chardonnay Back” Russell!

The End (maybe)