Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 2
Merle Haggard once said that to simply call Bob Wills's music "country" would be like calling Louis Armstrong just a trumpet player. Wills was a synthesizer and innovator, along with Jimmie Rodgers and Elvis Presleythegreat integrator of black and white musical styles, and one of the pillars of modern country music. TheTiffany Transcriptionsare the most important and comprehensive of all of Wills's recordings, and volume 2 is a fine window on his creation of Western swing. Made for radio syndication in the late '40s at the height of the Texas Playboys' popularity, these recordings feature Wills's premiere ensemble and some of his tastiest songs: "Take Me Back to Tulsa," "Faded Love," and "San Antonio Rose." Given the age of these recordings, the fidelity is quite good, and the handling of diverse styles, from blues to jazz to ragtime to honky-tonk, is always fresh and versatile.--Roy Kasten