 Spade
Cooley
Spade Cooley and his Western
Swing Dance Gang virtually dominated the Southern California
ballroom circuit during the World War II years, so these radio
transcriptions from 1944 and 1945 capture this hefty ensemble
at its peak. Country, jazz, cowboy, and dance music come together
in a fury of fiddles, accordions, and guitars as Spade Cooley's
Gang shifts from affable ballads (crooned by silky-smooth Tex
Williams) to vivacious polkas, stomps, and rags. Much of this
material is covered by Sony's Spadella! compilation, but those
studio versions don't quite match the spontaneity of these performances.
Considering the dearth of available Spade Cooley material--and
his band's enormous talent--these bubbly cuts take on even greater
import. --Marc Greilsamer |