Western Swing

On the way home from work yesterday, I was listening to WBEZ, Chicago's National Public Radio Station. Occasionally, they have segments about the music world, covering everything from classical to avant garde rock. This time they featured a band called The Time Jumpers, a group of first-call Nashville studio musicians. This means they spend their days in recording studios and on tour, backing up major recording artists like Alison Krauss. When they aren't laying down tracks for other musicians, they get together to jam on their favorite style of music, Western Swing.

Now I'll admit, I only have a vague idea about this genre and its history, but from what I do know, it sounds like bluegrass musicians playing swing era jazz. It's similar to the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli (that's a post for another day!) The sound is mainly acoustic with the fiddles, stand-up bass, and the soft touch of brushes on the drum kit, but there's also the sound of cleanly amplified jazz guitar. Reedy accordion and shimmering pedal steel guitar are also there, so it has a traditional country sound as well. All of these sounds and influences come together to make a kind of music that can't help but make you smile. Check it out at the NPR Music website.

If you want to learn more about country music instruments, visit the Country Music Hall of Fame.