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Winners of several and various prestigious
Western Music awards, The Texas Trailhands have
developed into one of the most popular groups on the
western scene, consistently nominated as a 'Top Five'
group every year since 1981. Based in Fort Worth, The
Texas Trailhands consist of 'Hoot Al' (Allan Chapman)
stand-up bass - lead vocals; 'Rodeo Kate' Karen
Howell-Chapman) fiddle - flute; 'Miss Devon' (Devon
Dawson) rhythm guitar - lead and harmony vocals;
'Rancho Ron' (Ron McRuiz) light percussion - lead and
harmony vocals, alongside 'Chuckwagon Chuck' (Chuck
Dawson) lead guitar - harmonica and are helped out
here by Fort Worth's very own top accordionist Ginny
Mac.
Following in the wake of their award winning CDs
Cowboy Swing, In The Moo and Lone Star Swing, The
Texas Trailhands have now released their much-awaited
album San Antonio Waltz.
Eleven tracks are contained here with an exiting mix
of  self-penned
material and covers from top western songwriters from
both today and yesteryear.
San Antonio Waltz
sets the tumbleweed rolling with "Texas
Canyon" a lively song written by Miss
Devon while taking a rest stop on their travels at a
southern Arizona landmark. Another song from Miss
Devon's pen is the lovely "Katydid
Swing" written as a tribute to band member
and fiddle player Rodeo Kate. My own personal
favourite on this collection is the mid-paced "Lights
Of Old Sane Fe", from the movie of the
same name in which Roy Rogers and Dale Evans sang the
duet and stared Gabby Hayes, who reference is made to
in the Trailhands version….an excellent number!!!
"Pico de Gallo"
comes as a fun song about a genuine Texas hot
flavoured dish, while an instrumental comes in the
form of "The Blue Goose"
written and featuring Rodeo Kate on fiddle. Top
western songwriter Kip Callahan contributes "Al
Valle De Animas", a song about the
beautiful Animas Valley with its keystone of Mexican
driven tempo. Sliding back in time we are treated to
sensational versions of older songs such as "I'll
Be All Smiles Tonight" and the jaunty
"Jingle Jangle Jingle"
a #1 hit for Tex Ritter back in the 1940's, which the
Trailhands stamp with their own mark and make it their
very own. A virtual love-potion comes with "A
Red Silk Bandana", co-written by Hoot Al
and John B. Westbrook, the song appears as a
biographical romantic tale of a cowboy (Hoot Al's
great-grandfather) out on the Chisholm Trail and the
girl who he left behind yearning for his long-awaited
return.
The remaining two numbers on the album sees an
account of the roughest, toughest cowboy, the
legendary "Pecos Bill"
earlier recorded by Roy Rogers and The Sons Of The
Pioneers. Finally we close with the title track…."San
Antonio Waltz" with its story of love
eternally remembered and perhaps sadly lost forever!!!
Don't miss The Texas Trailhands new sensation San
Antonio Waltz; you wouldn't want this one to be
cut from the herd…….it's as pretty as dust on a
Texas sunset!!! www.texastrailhands.com
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