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Western journalist and photographer Jeri Dobrowski's monthly column, Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews, is a regular feature of the Tri-State Livestock News. She welcomes submissions for consideration.
We're pleased to carry her monthly Cowboy Jam Session column, which is posted below.
Jeri is an award-winning writer and photographer with works appearing in publications nationwide. Among others, she has had feature and cover articles and photos in American Cowboy, Cowboy Magazine and True West.

From the official press release at the launch of the column:

A new column of interest to Western enthusiasts is coming to Tri-State Livestock News, Sturgis, S.D. "Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews," written by Jeri L. Dobrowski, debuts in January 2005.

Dobrowski explains, "When cowboy poets and entertainers get together, one of their favorite things to do is 'jam.' Simply put, they circle the chairs or lay claim to a chunk of ground, pull out the guitars and start picking. You never know what you'll hear: a timeless campfire classic, a freshly-penned composition, an occasional poem. Cowboy jammin' exposes participants and onlookers to fresh material and different voices. It broadens the horizons and excites the senses of Western heritage devotees."

Not just a book review, "Cowboy Jam" rides a slightly wider circle encompassing an expanded offering: CD recordings, cowboy gatherings and broadcasts, documentaries and films. It's a bigger herd but one whose bloodlines are familiar: historical characters and events; ranchers and ranches; cowboys, cowgirls and rodeos; poets, poetry; singers and songs. The delivery may be different but the common thread encourages readers to ponder, preserve and perpetuate the heritage of the American West.
Dobrowski welcomes submissions for consideration. Books, CDs, videos and event announcements should be sent to Jeri L. Dobrowski, Cowboy Jam Session, 1471 Carlyle Road, Beach, ND 58621. You may reach her at 406-795-8168 or at CowboyJam@robscabinets.com.

Tri-State Livestock News is published weekly with a focus on the cattle industry. Additional coverage is devoted to the equine, sheep and bison industries, as well as pork, crops and hay. Established in 1963, the paper boasts a paid circulation of 10,700 households, rural addresses and ag-related businesses in all 50 states. The primary circulation area includes South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Colorado and Iowa.

Jeri Dobrowski is in good company at the Tri-State Livestock News, along with with Baxter Black, Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns and other columnists.

Books, CDs, videos and event announcements can be sent to:

Jeri L. Dobrowski
Cowboy Jam Session
1471 Carlyle Road
Beach, ND 58621
406-795-8168
email

Roz Brown of Lakewood, Colorado
at the 2006 Cowboy Songs & Range Ballads event, Cody, Wyoming
View Jeri Dobrowski's Western Entertainers and Personalities Gallery, designed for those creating gathering programs and other publications, includes her photos of "entertainers, storytellers, authors, artists, and gear purveyors" between.

Working as a free-lance photographer/journalist since 1981, Jeri Dobrowski’s images appear on and in cowboy poetry and music recordings, books, programs and posters.

Visit more of Jeri Dobrowski's professional photo galleries here, which include photographs of Western interest and from various gatherings and events: the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering; Cody's Cowboy Songs and Range Ballads; the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo; the Heritage of the American West show;the Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering; and others. Also view the Western Entertainers and Personalities Gallery.
The site also includes examples of her wedding photography.
View the galleries at http://jeridobrowski.smugmug.com, where you can also order photos.
Also see some of her photography here at the BAR-D.
Read more about Jeri Dobrowski below.

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About Jeri Dobrowski

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

July 2008

Sounds for the busy season

As summer takes the bit in its mouth and races across the horizon toward the first frost, I can only glance wistfully at the books and magazines clamoring for my attention. Colorful stacks, sorted by size and subject, are growing beside my desk; there’s another bedside. For me, outdoor demands take precedence over reading during the brief growing season here on the Northern Great Plains. While I can’t devote as much time to reading as I’d like, I can listen as I scrub radishes, dice rhubarb, and make a parts run. Here’s a sampling of what I’ve been playing lately:

Beneath a Western Sky by Texas cowgirl Linda Kirkpatrick

Gaining a reputation for her quality poetry recitations, Kirkpatrick is joined by saddle pals Frank Roberts and Joe Wells on this 2005 recording. The trio, known as Sunset Serenade, is familiar on the southern cowboy and folk festival circuit, presenting Western history in story and song. Subtle, well-chosen sound effects and background music add to the selections without overpowering. You’ll find 17 tracks on this CD, including one of my all-time favorite contemporary cowboy poems, Debra Coppinger Hill’s “Old Yellow Slicker.” Another track worthy of mention is Bruce Kiskaddon’s “Bronco Twister’s Prayer.” I never tire of hearing Kirkpatrick recite this classic. She does such a grand job.

“When Roundup Time Comes Around” and “Cupful of Mem’ries” are Kirkpatrick originals. Raised on a ranch near Leakey, Texas, she was fortunate to have known a good many cowboys, the subject of both pieces. Kirkpatrick is best known for “Cathay Williams,” the true story of a female Buffalo Soldier. (Read the poem at www.cowboypoetry.com/lk.htm)

Besides her interest in poetry, Kirkpatrick writes a monthly column that appears in Texas Escapes, an on-line magazine dedicated to Texas travel and history. Her column, Somewhere in the West, focuses on the Texas Hill Country: www.texasescapes.com/LindaKirkpatrick/Linda-Kirkpatrick.htm

To order Beneath a Western Sky, send $15.50 to Linda Kirkpatrick, PO Box 128, Leakey, Texas 78873. Contact her at lbrice@hctc.net; 830-232-5308.


Vaudeville Cowboy by singer-yodeler-accordionist Sourdough Slim

Despite his goofy demeanor and retro appearance, Sourdough Slim is a serious musician, well versed in American folk music. It’s easy to be blinded by his 1920's-era cowboy duds and Vaudeville shtick–which is exactly where he wants you. During the Depression, cowboys were popular on the big traveling tent show circuit. Vaudeville Cowboy is a 17-track tribute to the cowboy entertainers of the first half of the 20^th century: Tom Mix, Jimmie Rodgers, Col. Tim McCoy, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Will Rogers. Augmented by Sourdough’s own compositions, you’ll hear such period classics as “Jean From Abilene,” “Golden Slippers,” “Man on The Flying Trapeze,” and “In the Jailhouse Now.” The arrangements are made all the more authentic–and endearing–having been recorded with novel instrumentation of the day.


As much as I like Vaudeville Cowboy for its historical significance, it’s not been the commercial success of Sourdough’s Classics. Featuring great old-time cowboy and hobo songs, it’s little wonder. You’ll find “High Noon,” “Cool Water,” “Boots and Saddles,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “The Big Rock Candy Mountain,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” and “Back in the Saddle,” among others. Sourdough performs these songs mostly solo, accompanying himself on guitar, accordion, tenor banjo, baritone ukulele, and harmonica. (Give a listen Sourdough’s sound clips at www.sourdoughslim.com)

Order either Vaudeville Cowboy or Classics for $15 each (postpaid/US funds). Send cash, check or money order to Sourdough Slim, PO Box 2021, Dept. CJS, Paradise, CA 95967. Contact Sourdough at 530-872-1187.

Calling All Cowboys, hosted by Charley Engel

Charley Engel, a.k.a. Chuckaroo the Buckaroo, has been hosting Calling All Cowboys on KPOV-LP FM, Bend, Oregon, since the community station began broadcasting in June 2005. A writer for the Central Oregon Horse Journal, he enjoys trail riding and performing music. As Chuckaroo the Buckaroo (don’t let his radio moniker scare you off), Engel shares a pleasing, eclectic mix of old-time and contemporary cowboy and Western music, cowboy poetry, Western swing, old-time radio, and artist interviews with his radio audience.

The two-hour show is available on demand through the magic of the World Wide Web. Listen at your convenience: www.kpov.org/index.php?option=com_shows&task=view&id=57. Select “Most Recent” or “Previous” from “Show Archive.” It’s that simple. Take Engel up on his invitation to “Ride the dusty high-desert as we explore music, poetry and old-time radio, all with a decidedly Western bent.”
Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

June 2008

Gas Mileage and Summer Escapes

Trying to get away between haying and harvest is hard enough without stratospheric fuel prices. Near-$4/gallon gas could deflate all but the most pressing travel plans. Rabid news reporters are quizzing consumers on how they’re cutting corners, cutting back, preparing for the next torturous trip to the pump.

The answers aren’t exactly cutting edge: Families are cooking from scratch and eating at home. They’re baking bread, planting gardens, stocking up on sale items. (One desperate Lois Lane, trying to make the most of the situation, labeled buying and freezing sale-priced beef, pork and chicken as “food hoarding.”) Folks are walking, riding bikes, riding horses, sharing rides. They’re spending weekends at home, discovering the backyard, reconnecting with family, meeting their neighbors, and driving slower.

Which brings me to Baxter Black’s audio book, Hey, Cowboy, Wanna Get Lucky? Released in 2007 and touted as “the best-selling rodeo novel ever written,” Baxter presents the adventures of Lick and Cody on their quest to qualify for the finals–in its unabridged entirety. Notice I didn’t say he “reads” the book. It’s more like theater of the mind. Kudos to producers Brent Reason and Gail Steiger.

I took the seven-CD, PG-13 rated book on a recent trip. Unable to find a run time on the package, I wondered how much of the tale my husband, Rob, and I would hear. Then I saw it printed on the case: “Almost 450 miles of listenin’!” But, traveling at what speed, I wondered.

Baby calves were soaking up the sun as we headed west with Baxter. It was much like a trip in 1989 when Rob and I met Baxter at the Rapid City, S.D. airport for an in-car interview en route to Winner, S.D. As was the case then, laughter filled the car and the miles fell quickly behind us. It occurred to me that there should be a warning on the case: “Listening to this book while driving may constitute a hazard slightly less dangerous than painting your toenails, reading a book, or using a cell phone.”

We interrupted Baxter and stopped at the Basque coffee shop in Miles City, Mont. I knew he’d second the motion. Back on the road, eagles glided along the Yellowstone River, a military honor guard presided over a burial at Custer, bulls lolled in a pasture awaiting turnout. We were engrossed in Lick and Cody’s quest for the finals.

Returning home, I took my question regarding Baxter’s mathematical computations to the “arthur” himself and was told that the 450 miles of listenin’ is at 75 mph. By my calculations, that’s 420 miles at 70 mph; if you slow down to 65 mph, it’s 390 miles. Of course, your mileage may vary. Even if gas is expensive, it will hurt less while listening to Hey, Cowboy, Wanna Get Lucky? Order your copy online at www.baxterblack.com or send $29.95 to Coyote Cowboy Company, PO Box 2190, Benson, AZ 85602; 1-800-654-2550.

Despite what’s happening with fuel, I expect a full house in Cody, Wyoming, for Brian Lebel’s Cody Old West Show & Auction. The auction is Thurs., June 26; the show Fri.-Sat., June 27-28. A 144-page, full-color sale catalog arrived in my mailbox last week. Gracing the cover is a 1870s Mexican saddle made for a wealthy vintner in the Republic of Mexico (estimated selling price: $50,000-$100,000). Decorated with cactus fiber and silver, it is exquisite!

Also pictured are a Missouri River and Black Hills Stage Company ticket; Winchester 1876 Serial #4; original artwork by Will James, O.C. Seltzer, Edward Borein; 27 first-edition Will James books; 1889 Colt Navy revolver with Furstnow and Coggshall holster, once the property of Texas Ranger and first sheriff of Miles City, Montana, Bill Hawkins; Luis B. Ortega quirt; J.A. Garrett’s (Johnson County War) Colt. Saddles carry the marks of such makers as Shipley, Visalia, Meanea, Frasier, and Bohlin. There’s even one with an AM radio built into the pommel. As a kid, I dreamed of just such a thing.

I’ve attended the event on several occasions and give it two spurs up. But, if a trip to Cody doesn’t fit within your budget, order yourself a copy of the catalog. It’s a great reference that you’ll pick up again and again. Order online at www.codyoldwest.com or send $30 to Cody Old West Auction, PO Box 2038, Carefree, AZ 85377; (307) 587-9014.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

May 2008

A Father’s Day hat trick
If the dad in your life is a rancher or a horseman, here’s a Father’s Day suggestion that will be as welcome as a second cutting of alfalfa to a dryland producer—Holo Holo Paniolo. In Hawaiian, holo holo means "to get around." That’s exactly what the documentary producers do in episode three of their ongoing Vaquero Series, this time featuring island cowboys called paniolos.

By chance I caught a screening of Holo Holo Paniolo at December’s Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival, Monterey, Calif. I couldn’t have been happier to see the footage, and I finally met Susan Jensen and Paul Singer.

Jensen and Singer, J&S Productions, have undertaken what can only be described as a labor of love, showcasing the history and regional differences among America’s cowboy culture. The 90-minute Paniolo follows #1 Tapadero, the California vaquero, and #2 The Remuda , the buckaroo. (For more on these previous releases see Cowboy Jam Session May 2007 below). Number 4, Houlihan (northern range), was just released May 12, 2008. But, back to Paniolo.

The story of how cattle came to the islands, and became a menace, is every bit as interesting as the traditions of those caring for them. In 1833, King Kamehameha recruited three vaqueros from California to train Hawaiians to ride, rope, and catch the wild cattle that were running rampant in his kingdom.

J&S spent six weeks filming across the five islands. Naturally, there’s footage from one the largest cattle ranches in the United States–the Parker Ranch–running 17,000 head on 175,000 acres. But, you’ll also see smaller homesteads of the native Hawaiians.

Adaptations to a rocky and wet environment can be seen in the construction of stone corrals and the Hawaiian saddle. Because of the high humidity, a traditional high Plains saddle is ill-suited to the tropics. Instead, paniolos adopted a stripped down tree that is waterproof for swimming cattle to boats and dries quickly.

As with previous episodes, there is a cowboy music component to the DVD. In the case of the Hawaiians, it’s the slack-key guitar tradition, a remnant of the vaqueros’ Spanish guitars.

Individual DVD titles from the Vaquero Series sell for $21.95. Bundled, episodes #1-3 sell for $55; episodes #1-4 sell for $77. All prices include shipping. Order from J&S Productions, PO Box 91560, Santa Barbara, CA 93190; (805) 695-0164; www.tapadero.com. To locate a store that sells the series–from Hawaii to Montana, Texas to Germany–visit www.tapadero.com/html/locations.html.

A recent arrival in my mailbox that I’m delighted to recommend is Ray Doyle’s The Emigrant Trail: a Journey West. The Dublin-born Doyle is familiar to fans of Wylie & The Wild West as Wylie’s longtime band leader. That alone says a lot, but Ray is a class act in his own right. This CD makes that point perfectly clear.

In liner notes, Doyle recounts his family’s journey aboard "an overcrowded ship for a turbulent nine-day voyage from Ireland." Eventually, they settled near the Hollywood Hills in California. While not biographical, the 11 tracks successfully condense the immigrant experience that is America, spanning both the continent and the centuries.

Doyle did a masterful job of selecting and choreographing the songs, which are a mixture of original compositions and traditional tunes, plus Jimmy Driftwood’s "Tennessee Stud," Gordon Lightfoot’s "Canadian Railroad Trilogy," and "The Vaquero Song" by Dave Stamey. From the gut-wretching title track to the lovely guitar instrumental "Rosalba," from Doyle’s award-winning Yellowstone National Park tribute, "The Jewel," to a mournful 7th Cavalry ballad set to a leisurely-paced "Garryowen," it’s a grand journey.

The tempo changes from track to track are smooth and effortless; the subject matter interesting and refreshing. A surprisingly educational "The Jigger Boss" is a fine example of the latter. And, yes, that’s Cowboy Celtic you hear on Doyle’s arrangement of "The Water is Wide" and several others.

Order The Emigrant Trail for $18 (postage included) from Ray Doyle, PO Box 661111, Mar Vista, CA 90066; ray@raydoyle.net. It would be wise to order two copies. It’s the type of CD you want to listen to again and again, and you won’t want to part with it once you’ve heard it.

If your dad prefers books to videos or music, consider Ray Hunter’s 135-page hardback, Dim Trails. Hunter lived the life of cowboy and rancher, with most of his years spent in South Dakota. In 1995, he started writing stories about how things used to be.

Born in 1928 near White River, S.D., Hunter was six years old when his father died. Hard pressed to make ends meet, Hunter’s mother farmed him out to earn his keep. He and a brother bounced between an aunt in California and farms and ranches in southwest South Dakota.

At 13, Ray came to live with Baxter and Lyndall Berry on their ranch south of Belvidere. The Berry family ran several thousand steers on three townships near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Baxter’s father, Tom, was an old family friend of the Hunters and South Dakota Governor from 1933-37.

Art Thode, brother to 1929 All-Around Cowboy Earl Thode, was on the Berry payroll when Hunter arrived. Thode could have taken credit for teaching the lad to ride broncs, as related in "Horse Manure in the Milk Bucket." As a 15-year-old, Hunter wrangled the horses in the morning, riding a green two-year-old colt. Thode, who milked the Berrys’ cow, would step out of the shadows, holler at the wrangler, and toss the milk bucket under the colt. Naturally, the colt would blow up and buck out the gate. Hunter writes, "This went on all spring until I got so I could set up and ride, and he never bothered me again."

Ray served two years in the Marines, from 1946-48. Back home, he again earned his living horseback. He worked as a cowhand on several outfits, was cowboss for Frank Greenough’s Antler Land & Livestock at Wyola, Mont., and managed the Berry Ranch for 10 years. He also ran a few cows of his own, ran a bar near Cottonwood, S.D., worked construction, sold real estate, and learned the auction business. He married and raised two sons and two daughters, who he describes as "all good hands with a horse."

Hunter worked for the Berrys, off and on, for 30 years. Most of the work pertained to raising cattle and breaking horses, but there was the annual hog drive, related in "Shippin’ Hogs." The Berrys ran range sows–similar to range cows. When it came time to take them the market, they’d get a wagon load of corn and feed them a little. The next day, they’d move the wagon a couple hundred yards and feed a little more. Pretty soon, the hogs would follow the wagon. It was 15 miles from the ranch into Belvidere; the trip took about a week. The Berrys raised between 600-700 hogs each year. Proceeds paid the grocery bill and the land leases.

Stories like these put a fresh face on the Old West, challenging some stereotypical notions about cowboys and ranchers. But, don’t worry, there are still plenty of entertaining, enlightening and engaging stories about horses, roundups, and rodeos.

Hunter sold the last of his cattle in 2004 and moved to town. While you might wonder how an old cowboy is taking retirement in town, don’t worry. Hunter says, "It don’t bother me a damn bit to sit and look out the window and remember the things I’ve done. I did a lot of interesting things."

To order a copy of Dim Trails, send $25 (postage included) to Ray Hunter, 1220 Cedar St., Apt #409, Sturgis, SD 57785; 605-347-0218.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

April 2008


When a cowboy’s fancy turns to poetry

It’s spring on the Northern Great Plains, the time when a rancher’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of calving. Among cowboy poets, spring also brings Cowboy Poetry Week, observed this year from April 20-26. The inauguration of Cowboy Poetry Week came in 2002, building upon April’s designation as National Poetry Month in 1996.

Released in conjunction with Cowboy Poetry Week, The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) is an audio anthology showcasing 26 cowboy poetry recordings. The compilation was conceived and orchestrated by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry. The Center sponsors CowboyPoetry.com, the world’s largest, ongoing cowboy poetry gathering.

If you’re a regular follower of this column, you are likely aware of The BAR-D Roundup: Volume One (reviewed, below, in April, 2006) and Volume Two (reviewed, below, in April, 2007). Both received critical acclaim. I expect the same will prove true of Volume Three.

This year’s collection takes listeners across the breadth of the North American West: from the days of the early Texas cowboy to the Yukon gold rush, from once-legendary cattle ranches to modest, modern-day family outfits. In large part, the collection is a reverent retrospective honoring those who toiled in the West. A sprinkling of humorous selections provides just the right amount of comic relief:
Texas horseman Joel Nelson opens with “Shadow on the Cutbank,” an intelligent salute to the “horseback man for hire.” Jay Snider recites Luther A. Lawhon’s “The Good Old Cowboy Days.” Lawhon was a founding member of the Trail Drivers’ Association in 1915. Snider hails from Oklahoma. D.J. O’Malley’s classic “The ‘D2’ Horse Wrangler” receives a playful presentation by Arizonan Ross Knox.

Canada’s poetic darling, Doris Daley, provides “Bones,” assessing the bodily damages incurred by three fence-sitting cowboys. Deadly accurate with meter and rhyme, California’s Pat Richardson—king of the spoof—spins a yarn about the time he befriended “Bigfoot.”

Aspiring cowboys could learn a lot from Wyoming cowboy and octogenarian Georgie Sicking as she recounts what it takes “To be a Top Hand.” There’s more sound “Advice” from New Mexico cowgirl and rancher Deanna Dickinson McCall.

Montana’s Wallace McRae, National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow, contributes “Urban Daughter,” a touching piece recorded live in Elko, Nev., at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. I was in the audience when the recording was made and was delighted to hear it again!

Wyoming emcee, funny man and radio host Andy Nelson gets serious and pays homage to his brother in the well-crafted rhyme “The Old Crockett Spurs.”

Henry H. Knibbs’ classic, “Where the Ponies Come to Drink,” gets the star treatment from noted Montana reciter Randy Rieman. This is as close to perfection as you’ll get when pairing a classic poem with a contemporary reciter.

DW Groethe, a Montana day hand, calls an endearing roll of horses in “My Father’s Horses.” Fond sights and smells from Paul Kern’s Utah childhood take center stage in a short but powerful, “At Codding’s Place.” South Dakotan Ken Cook comes clean about his family’s horseflesh in his spot-on-the-money “Bloodlines.”

“The Memories in Grandmother’s Trunk” by past Texas Poet Laureate Red Steagall should inspire us to leave such a treasure for future generations. South Dakota master quilter and poet Yvonne Hollenbeck showcases her dual talents in “Prairie Patchwork,” a tribute to one woman’s “life out on the plains.” “Fiddleback Headquarters” by Wyoming’s Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns is part family history and part guided tour.

Listening to Bill Siems, Spokane, Wash., recite “The Strawberry Roan” by Curley Fletcher is akin to hearing the classic for the first time. Take the music away and really listen to the words—it’s glorious! Known for making words sing, Paul Zarzyski performs “Luck of the Draw.” Zarzyski is the recipient of the Montana Governor’s Arts Award for Literature.

Utah miner Jerry Brooks recorded Badger Clark’s “The Free Wind” especially for this project. Fans who have long been asking for a full-length recording will be pleased with this offering.

“Chapter Two” is the third annual selection from the late Buck Ramsey’s master work, Grass. An NEA National Heritage Fellow, Ramsey is recognized as the modern spiritual leader of the genre.

Smoke Wade tells of his family’s Idaho ranch that was lost through changes in land management policies in “A Change of Season.”

Susan Parker recites “The Homemade Cigarette” by A.V. Hudson, a vintage piece she uncovered while doing research for her Wild Women of the West program. It brings to mind a neighboring rancher from my childhood who rolled his own smokes.

“Bill’s in Trouble,” by James Barton Adams, is skillfully and humorously recited in perfect character by Hal Swift. Following on his heels is “Jack Potter’s Courtin’” by S. Omar Barker. Recited by Mick Vernon, it is a delightful rendition of the tongue-tied puncher trying to purpose to his gal.

Linda Kirkpatrick’s eloquent recitation of Bruce Kiskaddon’s classic “The Bronco Twister’s Prayer” slows the collection, signaling the approaching end.

Gene Kern, CKWX, Vancouver, introduces the final cut—and it’s a dandy–a 1948 recording of Robert Service reciting “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” Service lavishes more than nine minutes on the tale, infused with a hearty Scottish accent and lengthy pauses. Kudos to the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry for making it available to the public!

A radio Public Service Announcement by South Dakota radio personality and Heritage of the American West producer Francie Ganje brings the collection to a wrap. Wyoming cowboy entertainer Andy Nelson engineered and co-produced Volume Three. A vintage photo of Texas cowboy Perry Preston Dickinson, circa 1912, appears on the cover. Deanna Dickinson McCall, who recites “Advice” is his granddaughter.

The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) sells for $20 postpaid. Order from CowboyPoetry.com, PO Box 330444, San Francisco, CA 94133; or by credit card or Paypal from CowboyPoetry.com.

If you don’t already have the two previous compilations, I encourage you to complete your set now, while the others are still available. Volumes Two and Three are available for a special price of $35 postpaid. Volume One (quantities limited) sells for $20 postpaid.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

March 2008

Till Leap Year gives it twenty-nine

Superman and my cousin Cassie celebrated a birthday this year. Both were born on February 29. Though Cassie was born three years after I was, she’s technically only 12. I sent her a vintage Leap Year postcard early in January, wanting her to have the fullest opportunity to celebrate the big day. Things get turned a bit upside down in a Leap Year. I figured I’d get into the spirit with this month’s selections.

The Banjo Monologues by Joel Mabus is not cowboy, nor especially Western by today’s standards. But it is magical, historically significant, and completely entertaining.

Mabus plays a 5-string banjo in the clawhammer style, sharing tunes and tales from his family’s career as professional hillbilly musicians. The Mabus family barnstormed the Midwest in the 1930s with road shows for the Prairie Farmer Magazine, parent company of WLS Radio, which produced the popular National Barn Dance. It was a good gig during the Depression. Through Joel’s yarns you’ll meet, among others, Gerald Mabus and his twin brother, Jerald, interspersed with licks from “Cindy.”

Head on over to CD Baby for generous two-minute clips of the 18 tracks: www.cdbaby.com/cd/mabusjoel. Besides “Cindy,” give a listen to “Uncle Joe,” “Three Nights Drunk,” and “The Uncloudy Day/Leonard Lively.”

Purchase The Banjo Monologues as either a CD or MP3 file from CD Baby for $15 (postage extra). If you prefer to order directly from Joel Mabus ($16 postpaid), send requests to PO Box 306, Portage, MI 49081. Stop by Joel’s Web site at http://joelmabus.com/ for an assortment of other titles, including How Like The Holly, songs for the holidays with (mostly) guitar accompaniment, and Parlor Guitar, songs from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

John Reedy describes his musical style as Western-Americana. It’s a fitting assessment.

John sent me his Twisted Vignettes last fall. I took it with me on a road trip to South Dakota, among an assortment I saved specifically for the drive. Being alone in a car with several hundred miles of road allows me to focus entirely on the subject at hand.

I was stunned at what I heard. The sound was fresh, eclectic, and skillfully presented. It made me sit up and take notice. When I’d finished listening to the 12 tracks, seven written by John, I listened again. When I met up with friends in the Black Hills, I loaned them the CD, and they listened to it. One vehicle after another, John’s CD made the rounds. The response was the same from everyone: WOW!

This isn’t your grandfather’s Western music. It’s frisky, edgy and smartly written. It’s a kick in the pants.

John’s CD and book of poetry by the same name (with stunning black and white photography) are available from CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/cd/reedyj2. Give a listen to three of my favorites: “Buckaroo Girl,” “That Buckin’ Song,” and “Combover Blues.” Buy the CD alone for $13; the CD and book for $25 (plus postage.)

Order from John’s Web site at www.twistedcowboy.com. Prices are the same, but postage is free. Send orders to Twisted Cowboy Music, 2905 N Montana Ave. #113, Helena, MT 59601; (406) 465-0468.

Properties along the U.S.-Mexico border are at ground zero in a debate over economics and national security. In an attempt to keep illegal aliens from crossing into the United States, a 700-mile fence is being built to aid border enforcement.

You know where you stand on the issue. But, do you have any concept of what it’s like to be a border patrol agent? I didn’t until I read Patrolling Chaos: the U.S. Border Patrol in Deep South Texas by Robert Lee Maril (Texas Tech University Press, 2004, 368 pages, softcover, ISBN: 978-0-89672-594-2).

A professor of sociology at East Carolina University, Maril spent two years doing field work among 300 agents at the McAllen Station, McAllen, Texas. He followed 12 agents in particular, riding with them on their ten-hour patrols along the border. Maril describes in detail the risks and frustrations faced by agents; the reactions and situations of the apprehended aliens. It provides enlightening insight into the situation.

Order Patrolling Chaos directly from Texas Tech for $24.95 (plus postage): www.ttup.ttu.edu/BookPages/0896725944.html; (800) 832-4042. It is also available from online wholesalers.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

February 2008

Western Folklife Center prepping for 25th anniversary

Snowstorms pummeled the western United States as folks headed to Elko, Nevada, for the 2008 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Some bemoaned the fact that the gathering is held in winter. As I heard the story, organizers settled on late January as the time when ranchers could most easily get away from the demands of land and livestock. It’s a formula they’ve stuck with for 24 years.

The sponsoring Western Folklife Center, a regional nonprofit based in Elko with offices in Salt Lake City, is planning for the silver anniversary event January 24-31, 2009. They hinted at things to come in this year’s program: inviting all participants back for an ongoing reunion stage; recognition for those who have attended for 20 to 25 years; honoring deceased poets and musicians.

But, hold the phone, here’s what I consider the most exciting news to date: a performance tour of cowboy poetry and music that will play five sites in the western United States. There were rumors, but the Western Folklife Center (WFC) has made it official. The tour hits the road in the spring of 2009. They are looking for host communities.

Each site will host a two to three-day residency, including a concert, school program, writing workshop, and film screening. The WFC is looking for communities with small to medium-sized theaters and a community-based organization to assist on a local level. I encourage readers to find out more about this marvelous opportunity. Contact Meg Glaser or Christina Barr at (775) 738-7508 to get the ball rolling.

The WFC is open for business 12 months out of the year. It’s an oft-overlooked fact. WFC staff are busy year-round, documenting, preserving, and presenting the heritage of the American West. Resulting exhibits, films, radio programs, recordings, and public presentations are archived at www.westernfolklife.org. If you haven’t spent time digging into what’s there, allow me to highlight a few of my favorites.

A series of five-minute videos entitled The Art of Gearmaking profiles four cowboy craftsmen: Doug Groves of Nevada’s TS Ranch demonstrating rawhide work; Mark Dahl, Starr Valley, Nevada, bit making; Doug Krause, Eaton, Colorado, mecate making; and Dale Harwood, Shelley, Idaho, leather carving. The videos, along with an in-depth discussion of cowboy gear, award-winning contest entries, and resources, are part of a larger exhibit entitled Back at the Ranch: an Artful Life. Start your tour at http://www.westernfolklife.org/site1/batr/tools_landing.php

I reconnected with Sharon O’Toole at this year’s gathering, discussing the delicious leg of lamb that she and husband, Patrick, grilled for the Wyoming party. The O’Tooles ranch in Little Snake River Valley on the Wyoming-Colorado border. They are among a handful of diarists who log onto the WFC Web site with candid insights on life in the American West (earning them the title “Webloggers”). Blog authors welcome readers with customary Western hospitality, minus the coffee. Sharon faithfully posts her entries, augmented with powerful, workaday photos. You’re there as they calve heifers, rake hay, shear, supply the herder’s camp, and walk their daughter down the aisle at a ranch wedding: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/sharono/

Three other notable Weblogs are those of John and Robbin Dofflemyer, ranchers from the Sierra Nevada foothills near Visalia, California: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/dofflemyer/; Jeremiah Watt, Coalinga, California saddlemaker: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/watt/; and Linda Dufurrena, photographer from Winnemucca, Nevada: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/dufurrenal/.

Trying another technological term on you for size, let me tell you about the WFC’s Podcasts—something akin to a free radio show that’s available on the internet. You can listen to the programming on your computer or download it to an iPod or digital music player. The WFC’s first Podcast was a 1990 recording of Texas poet Joel Nelson reciting Bruce Kiskaddon’s “When They Finish Shipping Cattle in the Fall.” The most recent features Don Edwards’ performance of the Jack Thorp classic, “Chopo.” To access Ranch Rhymes: Cowboy Poetry and Music from the Western Folklife Center, paste the following link into your browser: www.westernfolklife.org/site1/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=24&Itemid=241.

I leave you with one last on-line jewel, the complete set of National Cowboy Poetry Gathering programs. I’m not talking a representative photo of the covers. No, the entire program from each of the past 24 years can be viewed in its entirety, along with the corresponding poster. You can also read or listen to the keynote address. Paste the following into your browser: http://www.westernfolklife.org/site1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100&Itemid=265

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

January 2008

Elko’s 24^th annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Vaqueros from the Sonora region of northern Mexico and the western United States will be spotlighted at the 2008 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. Invited guests will share examples of their customs and traditions honoring land and livestock. The humanities lecture by folklorist Norma Elia Cantú, University of Texas at San Antonio, will address the connection between the vaquero and the American cowboy in work, traditions, poetry and literature.

Started in 1985 by a handful of folklorists, poets and musicians, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is produced annually by the Western Folklife Center. The Center describes the event as “the premiere festival celebrating the expressive arts of ranching and cowboy culture.”

My Northern Great Plains heart swells with pride when I read the names of artists from the region who have been invited to perform in Elko later this month. The doors for the first show open Saturday, January 26, with the last curtain closing on Saturday evening, February 2. In between are workshops, ranch tours, museum displays, daytime sessions, ticketed concerts, and dances.

Among those packing their bags for the trip are poets and singers, perennial favorites, and those making their first appearance. Colorado is represented on all four accounts by the Sons and Brothers Band—Frank Wolking and sons Mike, Joe, and Aaron—from Westcliffe, and Vess Quinlan, Alamosa.

Wyoming is home to four featured poets: Echo Roy Klaproth, Shoshone; Andy Nelson, Pinedale; Georgie Sicking, Kaycee; and Jesse Smith, Cora. The musical duo of Vince Crofts and Mindi Reid, better known as Tumbleweeds, hail from Firth.

Clearfield ranchwife Yvonne Hollenbeck is the lone artist invited from South Dakota. North Dakota is represented by Rodney Nelson, Sims, and Bill Lowman, Sentinel Butte. To the east, from across the Red River of the north, comes Diane Tribitt, Hillman, Minnesota.

Montana could charter a bus for the artists and family members coming from Big Sky Country: Stephanie Davis, Columbus; DW Groethe, Bainville; Mike Logan, Helena; Wallace McRae, Forsyth; New Frontier comprised of Ron Kane, Meghan Merker, and Linda Svendsen, Dillon; Bob Petermann, Wibaux; Henry Real Bird, Hardin; Randy Rieman, Dillon; Sandy Seaton, Emigrant; and Paul Zarzyski, Great Falls. Back by popular demand for the Saturday night dance is Montana native Wylie Gustafson, who fronts Wylie & The Wild West. Although he now lives in Washington state, he maintains family ties to Montana, which proudly claims him as one of their own.

Representing the Plains of Canada with her eloquent and entertaining poetry is Doris Daley, Calgary, Alberta. Also hailing from Alberta is music legend Ian Tyson.

For a complete listing of invited artists, along with photos and brief biographies, visit the Western Folklife Center’s site: www.westernfolklife.org. Contact the Western Folklife Center at 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada 89801; (775) 738-7508; email: wfc@westernfolklife.org.

If you can’t make the trip to Elko to hear these artists in person, there is an alternative. Nearly all of them have recordings. Here’s a sampling of CDs released in 2007 by those mentioned above:

To Be a Top Hand, by National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee Georgie Sicking, contains 16 poems. Send $18 to Georgie Sicking, PO Box 11, Kaycee, WY 82639. For more information on Georgie, see her honored guest page: www.cowboypoetry.com/sicking.htm.

From clear out west comes Andy Nelson’s Full Nelson Shoeing, with 25 poems and bits of wacky wisdom. Send $18 to Andy Nelson, PO Box 1547, Pinedale, WY 82941; email: www.CowpokePoet.com.

Bob Petermann’s long-awaited gospel collection contains 12 songs. Thanks for the Rain sells for $15. Send orders to Bob Petermann, 942 Pine Unit Road, Wibaux, MT 59353; 406-486-5618; email: pet7410@midrivers.com.

Yvonne Hollenbeck teamed up with Texas singer and songwriter Jean Prescott on Pieces of the Past. The CD contains 15 tracks of poetry and music. Send $18.50 to Yvonne Hollenbeck, 30549 291st Street, Clearfield, SD 57580; 605/557-3559; www.YvonneHollenbeck.com.

Montana Legacy is the title of Sandy Seaton’s 13-track collection of poetry and vocals. Order for $17 from Sandy Seaton; PO Box 117, Emigrant, MT 59027; (406) 222-7455; email: www.blackmountainoutfitters.com.

Diane Tribitt’s latest is entitled Ranchin' Rhymes. Included are 15 poems and one song. Send $18 to Diane Tribitt, 38034 193rd Street, Hillman, MN 56338; 320-277-3389; www.dianetribitt.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

December 2007

A Bookish Christmas

From lighthearted yodeling lessons to probing cowboy poetry, from vintage quilts to sublime images of the Grand Canyon, these books have it covered. For good measure, there’s a collection of short stories guaranteed to satisfy your minimum daily dose of comic relief. Any of these will be enjoyed long after the cutout sugar cookies are gone:

Wylie Gustafson, of Wylie & the Wild West, brings us How to Yodel: Lessons to Tickle Your Tonsils. Suitable for children and adults, it offers lessons, tips, and techniques pertaining to the high art of yodeling. It includes a CD of warm-up exercises, examples of yodeling styles, and yodel-along-with-Wylie tracks. Illustrated by Robert Payne, the drawings are as much fun as the recording and Gustafson’s hilarious prose. (Gibbs Smith, 2007, 96 pages, 6"x6", illustrations & instructional CD, softcover, ISBN: 1423602137)

How to Yodel sells for $10 (plus $3 shipping). Order from www.wyliewebsite.com and your copy will be personally signed by the original Yahoo^® yodeler! Mail orders to Two Medicine Music, 24502 SR 127, LaCrosse WA 99143; fax them to (509) 549-3684. (Did I mention it’s just the right size to fit in a Christmas stocking?)

The late, contemporary cowboy poet JB Allen is remembered in JB—the Circle, edited by Duward Campbell and Chuck Milner. Sorting through files left behind following his death in 2005, the duo selected Allen’s newer and unpublished works for inclusion. A chapter entitled “The Circle” contains remembrances penned by friends and fellow poets. Campbell’s ranch-savvy drawings and paintings are sprinkled throughout. (Dry Camp Press, 2007, 90 pages, 9"x6", 65 poems, artwork, illustrations; softbound, ISBN: 0976183439)

JB the Circle sells for $25 postpaid from Duward Campbell, 2515 Second St, Lubbock, TX 79415; (806) 762-2343.

If you have a quilter on your list, or perhaps a history buff, consider Texas Quilts and Quilters: A Lone Star Legacy by Marcia Kaylakie, with Janice Whittington. The recipient need not be from Texas to enjoy this colorful collection showcasing 34 remarkable quilts. Ten years of travel and research went into this interpretation of Texas history. It’s a journey from the 1870s to the 2003. Photos by Jim Lincoln give an intimate perspective of the textiles. (Texas Tech University Press, 2007, 264 pages, 11"x11", 182 color photos & map, hardcover, ISBN: 0896726061)

Texas Quilts and Quilters sells for $39.95 plus shipping from Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas. Call (800) 832-4042 to order. For more on Texas Quilts, go to www.ttup.ttu.edu.

Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography by Stephen Trimble won a Wrangler Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. More than simply pretty pictures, Trimble melds 125 years of photos, of one of the most photographed subjects on earth, with essays by experienced Canyon photographers. (Northland Publishing, 2006, 210 pages, 12"x11", 115 photos, hardcover, ISBN: 0873588940)

If you’re ever stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon and attempted to capture the color and grandeur before your eyes with a camera, you know the challenge. These photographers—working with glass-plate negatives, film, and digital images—succeed where others fail. And, they've been to the bottom of the Canyon, capturing images few of us ever see, in glorious detail.

Lasting Light lists for $40. Call Northland Publishing at (928) 774-5251 or mail them at P.O. Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

Montana’s Ken Overcast can brighten the darkest winter day with his storytelling. Case in point, his latest collection of knee-slappin' stories from the real West, Tradin’ Tales: Stories from a Montana Back Porch. Augmenting 48 tales are illustrations by cowboy cartoonist Ben Crane. (Bear Valley Press, 2007, 240 pages, 5.5"x8.5", illustrations, paperback, ISBN: 0971848122)

Every copy carries a “Genuine Montana Cowboy Guarantee.” If you're not completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return the unread portion of your book, and Ken will cheerfully refund the unspent portion of your money. In case this logic sounds familiar, you may already be an Overcast fan. His weekly column, Meadow Muffins, appears in numerous weekly publications. If you’re not familiar with his work, take a listen to a sample chapter at www.tradintales.com.

Tradin’ Tales sells for $16.95. (Shipping is just $3 whether you buy one or a dozen. So check out Ken’s other books as well as his CDs at www.kenovercast.com) Give a toll-free call to the Overcast outfit at (888) 753-7611 and they’ll take care of you. Guaranteed!

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

November 2007

Music and Books for the Christmas Season
In my husband’s opinion, Christmas music should be played in December. Period. He was chagrined to hear me playing it in September this year. I told him, "It’s for work." Read on for news of those CDs, as well as two books from my gift-giving suggestion list: one for the baker; one for the little buckaroo.

Montana singer/songwriter Stephanie Davis delivers a sophisticated, Western-swing feel in the 11-tracks of Home for the Holidays. Traditional favorites such as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" take you on a leisurely stroll through the season. Ray Price joins Stephanie on "All I Want for Christmas Is You." If you’re not already familiar with Stephanie’s "The Gift," you’re in for a treat. It is rapidly making inroads as a modern classic. There’s a rich array of accompaniments on the waltzes, two-steps and ballads, including piano, fiddle, steel, and guitar.

Home for the Holidays sells for $17. Send checks to Recluse Records, 838 Countryman Creek Rd., Columbus, MT 59019. Place PayPal orders at www.stephaniedavis.net/order.htm

Wylie Gustafson—of Wylie & the Wild West—is debuting his first Christmas album. The 10-track Christmas for Cowboys celebrates the birth of a Savior with a Western spin. The title track was made popular by John Denver; Wylie adds a light touch with his trademark yodel. He dug deep, beyond the standards, for "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" and "In the Bleak Midwinter." His version of "Christmas Time’s a-Comin’" will have you dancing while decorating cookies.

Christmas for Cowboys ships on or about Dec. 5, 2007. Preorder for $18 (postpaid) from Two Medicine Music, 24502 SR 127, LaCrosse WA 99143; or www.wyliewebsite.com/Product_Catalog_01.htm.

Western Jubilee Recording Company assembled a baker’s dozen of cowboy-friendly holiday standards, contemporary tunes and cowboy poetry on Christmas Trail. You’ll recognize the headliner artists: Sons of the San Joaquin, Don Edwards, Rich O’Brien, Waddie Mitchell, Cowboy Celtic, Michael Martin Murphey, and Wylie Gustafson. Songs include "Ridin’ up the Christmas Trail," "Away in a Manger," "O, Holy Night," and "Cowboy Christmas Ball."

Christmas Trail sells for $15.00 plus postage. Call 1-800-707-2353 or order online at westernjubilee.com/ChristmasTrail.htm.

Kim Ode pegged my favorite way to eat bread in Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club: Recipes, Tips & Stories, as she describes her mother’s too-hot-to handle loaves: "Too tender to cut, she would slice the end off of one and pass it to me. There is nothing like a slice of hot, fresh bread, the steam still rising through a sheen of butter. Especially the heel of a loaf."

A member of the St. Paul Bread Baking Club, Ode bakes her loaves in a wood-fired brick oven in her backyard. She’s serious about bread! But, she demystifies the art with sections on "Bread Wisdom for Beginners" and gives instructions for traditional home ovens. More than 70 recipes are included for novice and master bakers. Ode recommended four to me: Aunt Anna’s Swedish Rye, Ihla’s Oatmeal Bread, Milk Bread, and Cheddar Cheese Bread.

Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club sells for $24.95 (Minnesota Historical Society, 2006, 160 pages, 8"x9", 70 recipes, hardcover; ISBN 0-87351-567-6). Look for it in bookstores nationwide or order directly from Ode at www.kim-ode.com.

First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol is a delightful romp through the halls of the Treasure State capitol with Jag, a border collie. Written by Jessica Solberg and illustrated by Robert Rath, First Dog is the true story of a black-and-white cow dog that accompanies Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer wherever he goes. Far from just entertaining, it’s educational and interesting.

Jag, canine special assistant to the governor of Montana, was born on a Whitefish ranch. When his human family left to occupy the governor’s mansion in Helena, he went too. (He has his own seat in the governor’s airplane!) Written for kids ages 6 to 9, the story is supplemented with facts about Montana, the duties of a governor, and an overview of how Montana government works.

First Dog is available in softcover and hardback. The softcover sells for $11.95 plus postage (Farcounty Press, 2007, 40 pages, 8.5 x 11, glossary, illustrations and photos; ISBN 13: 978-1-56037-419-0). A portion of the proceeds is donated to Ronald McDonald charities of Montana. To order, call 1-800-821-3874; Farcountry Press, PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604; www.farcountrypress.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

October 2007

The Many Faces of Western Entertainment
Performance venues across the country are showcasing Western entertainers. Beneath the broad umbrella of the genre are individuals who bring diverse talents and experiences to the stage:

Utah-born singer/songwriter Brenn Hill celebrates the West with a contemporary flavor. His sixth recording, What A Man’s Got To Do, is described on www.brennhill.com as "a potent collection of songs filled with interesting characters and eagle-eyed observations on life, love and the indomitable Western spirit."

The first time I heard it, I was struck by the Chris LeDoux overtones. When I mentioned this to Hill’s manager, he seemed both surprised and pleased. Come to find out, LeDoux was a big fan of the 30-year-old Hill. The late singer’s band, Western Underground, recorded one of Hill’s songs on their new album. That’s not to say Hill is a LeDoux wannabe, but if you liked LeDoux, give him a listen. "Simple Things," with simple piano accompaniment, brings the 15 tracks to a surprisingly touching conclusion.

Billboard described Hill as "a bridge between Western music’s best traditions and the future of the genre ..." Truly in step with the times, Hill has a My Space page where visitors can listen to four full-length songs: www.myspace.com/brennhill. You can also purchase CDs and mp3 downloads. What A Man’s Got To Do sells for $18 plus $2 s/h. Direct inquires to (615) 369-0810.

A 16-track CD of Georgie Sicking's poems, To Be a Top Hand, was released this summer. The first recording devoted exclusively to Georgie’s poetry, it’s long overdue. Kudos to Andy Nelson, Pinedale, Wyo., for recording and producing the album.

Among the poems is "Housewife." Sicking takes umbrage at the term bestowed upon her by a banker, declaring, "never, was I ever, married to a house!" Don’t think for a minute these stories are fictional. Raised near Kingman, Ariz., Sicking captured wild cattle and horses, tended a ranch by herself, and wrote poetry to help pass the time alone.

Georgie performed at the first National Cowboy Poetry Gathering 22 years ago. A National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Honoree, the Nevada Cattleman’s Association recognized her for having ridden 100,000 miles horseback. (Read more about this no-nonsense octogenarian at www.cowboypoetry.com/sicking.htm. Send $18 (postpaid) to Georgie Sicking, PO Box 11, Kaycee, WY 82639.

South Dakota ranch hand Ken Cook is capturing the essence to modern ranch life, much as Sicking did during her era. The father of four, Cook is committed to sharing agriculture’s work and reward with his family. A good many of the lessons are captured on two recordings, I’m Gonna Be a Cowboy and Dad, We’ll Rope Today. Hear selected tracks at www.kencookcowboypoet.com. For additional photos of the Cook kids and the words to several of Ken’s poems, drop by his featured guest page at www.cowboypoetry.com/kencook.htm. The CDs sell for $12 each (postpaid) from Ken Cook, 23154 Teal Lane, Martin, SD 57551-6601; (605) 685-6749.

Cook recently competed in the 2007 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo held in Hot Springs, S.D. He took home a buckle and prize money for winning the poet/serious category and placed in two other events. What that means is he knows the cowboy life, does a decent job of crafting his poems, and delivers them in a pleasing and effective fashion. (For more on the rodeo see www.cowboypoetry.com/ncpr.htm#2007)

Patty Clayton, Academy of Western Artists’ 2007 Western Music Female Vocalist of the year, salutes the West with a folk/bluegrass flair. More than half of the 13 tracks on her recently released Astraddle a Saddle are Clayton’s own works—honoring a rich family heritage. In addition to the vocals, Clayton plays guitar, clawhammer-style banjo and acoustic upright bass.

The title track has a delightful, old-time feel. Clayton proves that beauty’s in the eye of the beholder with "Wyoming Wind," painting the Cowboy State’s gusts and gales with a lovely melody. In "The Vaquero and Me," Clayton tells how Hawaii became home to the paniolo (cowboy), causing heartache for one Mexican senorita.

Listen to two-minute clips of all these, and more, at cdbaby.com/cd/pattyclayton3. Order directly from CD Baby for $15 plus postage. Write Clayton at PO Box 140772, Edgewater, CO 80214 or via www.pattyclayton.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

September 2007

Anthologies corral entertaining mix
Anthologies—collections of stories, poems or audio recordings—are an excellent way to sample a variety of artists’ works without breaking the bank. Consider these:

A generous 26 tracks are included on Cowboy Songs & Range Ballads: 25th Anniversary Album. Held each April at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, the music festival noted its silver anniversary in 2007. To celebrate, the BBHC assembled recordings from 24 years of live stage performances. That’s both the good news and the bad news. There are gems among the titles, but a handful lack technical quality. Thank goodness somebody had the foresight to make the recordings!

Skimming the list of performers, several are deceased; others, to my knowledge, never released a recording of their own. It’s an amazing time capsule featuring, among others, Jim Bob Tinsley, Lyle "Wild Horse" Cunningham, Liz Masterson and Sean Blackburn, Otto Rosfeld, Gary McMahan, Joe Bain, Duane Dickinson, Howard Parker, Stan Howe and Kelly Wells, Kyle Evans, Jean Prescott, Gene Davenport, and Buck Ramsey, Richard Dillof and Amanda Ramsey.

Described by the BBHC as "capturing the essence of cowboy music," the CD sells for $19.99 plus postage. For a complete track listing and audio clips, go to www.bbhc.org/events/cowboysongs.cfm. Write the BBHC at 720 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY 82414; call (800) 533-3838.

I first heard A Western Jubilee: Songs and Stories of the American West on a drive-hard-till-you-get-there road trip. It was well after midnight when my traveling buddy slipped it into the CD player. The tunes and tales added considerable interest to an otherwise uninteresting stretch of blacktop. Released by Western Jubilee Recording Company in 2004, it showcases artists in the company’s catalog at the time.

Don Edwards kicks off the 20 tracks with "The Old Chisholm Trail." He’s heard several more times, solo and with special guests, including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Waddie Mitchell. A poet, Mitchell recites on two additional tracks. The velvety harmonies of the Sons of the San Joaquin are featured on four tracks: "Sierra Nevada," "He's Runnin' out of Roundups," "From Whence Came the Cowboy" and "Unclouded Day."

Red Steagall offers "My America"; David Wilkie & Cowboy Celtic deliver "The Drover Road to Amulree"; Katy Moffatt sings "The Brazos"; Wylie & the Wild West set Ogilvie’s "Hooves of the Horses" to music; Glenn Ohrlin spins the tale, "International Glenn." Instrumentals by Rich O’Brien fit nicely within the collection, as does "Velociraptor Rag" by Tom Morrell.

Selling for $15, that’s only 75 cents per track! (Shipping to U.S. addressees is free on website orders over $50). Order from Western Jubilee Recording Company, PO Box 9187, Colorado Springs, CO 80932; 1-800-707-2353; westernjubilee.com.

Perhaps not technically an anthology, The Deadwood Songbook feels like one. Hank Harris, singer, songwriter and musician, presents 15 popular songs from the early days of historic Deadwood, S.D. A project of the Adams Museum & House, the collection reproduces the music of Deadwood’s concert and dance halls at the turn of the century.

Liner notes reveal that before a disastrous fire in 1879, "Deadwood boasted more entertainment venues than any town of its size in the nation." Some venues were honorable; others more lascivious. Regardless, Deadwood was filled with music day and night. "Spirituals, patriotic and political music, minstrel songs, ethnic samplings, opera and dance hall music converged on Deadwood streets during an era unlike any other."

This is the music captured in A Deadwood Songbook. And what a grand compilation it is! A rousing "Short’nin Bread" opens the show. "On Top of Old Smokey" brings it to a close. In between are "Gary Owen," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/Wade in the Water," "Camptown Races," "Red River Valley," "Dixie," and Yankee Doodle," among others.

A second collection, The Deadwood Songbook II, further investigates early-day music of the Gulch. (Of the two, my own personal favorite is #I. But, what’s not to like about "Goober Peas" and "Oh, Susanna/Polly Wolly Doodle", appearing on #II?) Both use instruments of the era: banjos, tambourines, spoons, hambone, wooden flute and Chinese pipa.

The CDs sell for $16 each, plus postage. Shop for them on the Adams Museum web site: www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org.

Contact the museum at 605-578-1714; 54 Sherman St., Deadwood, SD 57732.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

August 2007

Sure-Fire Western Heritage Winners
Since the early 60s, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum^® in Oklahoma City, has recognized individuals whose work preserves the stories of the West. Winning entries in literature, music, film and television are awarded the museum’s prestigious Western Heritage Award—the Wrangler.

This month I’m spotlighting two of the 2007 recipients. (Look for more in my Christmas gift-giving suggestions.) A complete listing of past winners, interesting in itself, is available at www.nationalcowboymuseum.org: "Events & Exhibitions," "Western Heritage Awards." Guidelines for submitting entries are also posted. Should you prefer, call the museum at (405) 478-2250, Ext. 221.

Timothy Egan, New York Times National Enterprise Reporter, won for nonfiction book with The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (Mariner Books, 2006, 352 pages, b/w photos, softcover; ISBN-13/EAN: 9780618346974). It also received the National Book Award and was named a best book of the year by both the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. The Seattle Times called it "a flat-out masterpiece of historical reportage." And for good reason.

Egan dug deep for the story buried beneath the disaster, seeking out tenacious survivors’ firsthand accounts. Focusing on a dozen families and the communities where they lived, Egan enhanced the stories through diary entries, newspaper and magazine articles, books, and museum archives. This is not an account of those who left, rather the tale of those who persevered against all odds and stayed.

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been so totally swept up in a book. From the moment I studied the map outlining the Dust Bowl region, through the last acknowledgment, it tore at my emotions—just as the dusters themselves tore at soil laid bare by well-intentioned homesteaders and suitcase farmers looking to make a quick buck. Both succumbed to a wheat-farming frenzy, plowing under fragile grasslands where cattle once grazed—including the famous XIT.

After several prosperous and productive years, weather patterns changed. Rain ceased to fall. Temperatures vaulted well into triple digits. Crops failed. Trees died. And the wind began to blow. Animals and humans suffocated and went blind from dusters. Farmers fed thistles and yucca to their cattle; farm wives prepared the same to feed their families. Storm-generated static electricity shorted out automobile starters. People breathed through masks and sponges and tried in vain to keep the dust out of their homes. Babies, adults, and livestock succumbed to dust pneumonia.

And yet, people stayed. With the Depression gripping the country, moving was more frightening than not.

Egan deftly slips his readers’ feet into the shoes of his characters. Native Americans, cowboys, con artists, hoodwinked homesteaders, compassionate businessmen, students, and government officials tread across the pages. The reader is helpless but to follow. A fictional plot could not have been more spellbinding.

The Worst Hard Time retails for $14.95.

Don Edwards earned his sixth Wrangler for Moonlight and Skies, named best traditional western music album. The Grammy-nominated Edwards had me from the start with "My Blue Heaven." I spent hours at the piano practicing the tune for a recital when I was in grade school.

You may wonder how "My Blue Heaven" made the cut on a Western music album. Edwards explains, "It was a monster number one hit in 1927 for America’s number one pop singer Gene Austin." Austin served as a significant role model for Jimmie Rodgers—considered the father of country music.

Rodgers’ title track, and his "Land of My Boyhood Dreams," bring the album back to its Western roots. Others among the baker’s dozen that I especially like include "Boots and Saddle," "The Long Trail," "Coyotes," and "Can’t Shake the Sands of Texas from My Shoes."

A musicologist, historian and author, Edwards is well versed in cowboy lore and musical traditions. The son of a vaudeville magician, he grew up listening to classical, jazz, blues and Western-swing. He was drawn to cowboy life by the books of Will James.

Moonlight and Skies, and a fistful of other Edwards’ releases, are available from Western Jubilee Recording Company, PO Box 9187, Colorado Springs, CO 80932; 1-800-707-2353; westernjubilee.com. Single CDs sell for $15; double sets are $25. (Shipping to U.S. addressees is free on website orders over $50).

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

July 2007

The Cowboy Way

Trying to define a cowboy is something akin to deciding which came first, the chicken or the egg.

America’s folk hero has been likened to Europe’s knights and Japan’s samurai warriors: young, brave, hard working, their lives replete with danger and excitement.

Figuratively and literally, people from around the world look up to the cowboy. The image has been blurred by time, legend, and the entertainment and fashion industries. What are the truths of the American cowboy?

Paul H. Carlson, professor of history at Texas Tech University, undertook the task of answering that question. Sixteen resulting essays and an annotated bibliography are assembled in The Cowboy Way: An Exploration of History and Culture (Texas Tech University Press, 2006, 236 pages, 26 b/w photos, softcover; ISBN-13: 978-0-89672-583-6).

Carlson’s insights on "Myth and the Modern Cowboy" are presented in chapter one. From 19th-century lads tending cattle horseback to urbanites flocking to Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, he examines the historical record and the mythical notions.

Carlson is joined by other scholars who explore the music, dress, humor, films, and literature of the cowboy. Included in the examination are African American, Hispanic, Native American, French, and English cowboys. There’s a chapter about the great cowboy strike of 1883. Still others address cowboy songs, the origins of rodeo, and how today’s cowboys compare with the myth.

I found "Work Clothes of American Cowboys" especially interesting. For instance, cowboys often wore suspenders to keep their wool or denim overalls in place. Some elected to wear bib overalls to further simplify their garb. John Stetson’s first cowboy hat, patterned after a Mexican sombrero, was made from a rabbit pelt.

"Cowboys and Sheepherders" are compared in chapter nine. At an average age of 24 years, cowboys were full of energy, well suited to a life of demanding, physical labor. The more mature sheepherders were considered to be thinkers, philosophers, careful with their charges—bands of sheep numbering from 1,000 to 2,500 head.

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield oft complained of getting no respect. She