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What They're Saying about The BAR-D Roundup
Jeri Dobrowski, Cowboy Jam Session
"The 2008 Bar-D Roundup 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 modern-day family outfits. Like the two previous volumes which received critical acclaim, Volume Three is a must for the comprehensive Western audio collector or the person just learning about cowboy poetry."
"If you hear somebody wonder at the 'why' of perpetuating the Western ethic, the Cowboy Way and particularly 'why cowboy poetry,' here's the answer for all of it. This collection clearly says what this important, artful communication of the heart conveys at its best."
Rick Huff, Best of the West ReviewsJoe Baker, The Backforty Bunkhouse
The Bar-D Roundup compilations represent the finest poets and the best in cowboy poetry. They are the real deal and a real contribution to not only to promoting and preserving our heritage but also in representing the cowboy arts."
"This is a CD to own and listen to often. It's like a full-course meal with each dish adding to the flavors and textures. The last poem is like dessert: the voice of Robert Service reciting his own 'The Cremation Of Sam McGee.' The previous two CD were good. This one is great."
PJ and Dallas McCord, hosts of The Cowboy Culture Corner
The Bar-D Roundup: Volume Three is a great meld of past and present. Anytime you can hear both Buck Ramsey and Robert Service in their own voices, plus Red Steagall, Paul Zarzyski and, well, me, you know you're running the iambic gamut! Another great ride.
Mick Vernon, Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival Artistic Director and Radio Ranch host
Read more about The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) here.
Comments about The BAR-D Roundup:
Volume Two (2007):
, producer of the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo"Prepare for a trip through time. There are classics and pieces written about times long gone. Also included are glimpses into the lives of modern cow hands, ranchers, ranch wives, farriers, and poets...Close your eyes and be carried along with an ebb and flow of emotions and imagery. Wrapped within the subject matter and interpretations there’s sincerity, intimacy, good-natured joshing, wisdom, respect, hogwash, poignancy, and spirituality."
Jeri Dobrowski, Cowboy Jam Session
"...something for everyone who appreciates tales of ranching, riding, and roping..."
Associate Editor Kyle Partain, Western Horseman
"...a treasury in every sense of that word..."
Rick Huff, The Western Way
"Cowboypoetry.com has done it again. Volume 2 of The Bar D Roundup continues to celebrate life in the west with all the picturesque phrasing and expressions delivered as only real, live, hard-working cowboys can. Highlighted by Charles Badger Clark, Jr. reciting his own "Ridin'," every cut on this album is a revealing look into true cowboy living. You'll want to listen to this one over and over."
Marvin O'Dell, Around the Campfire
"The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two is a ride well worth the taking. Feel a saddle gently rock between your legs, smell pine trees or the sagebrush in bloom, taste strong black coffee and trail dust, and see — truly see — the West come to life in your mind's eye."
Mick Vernon, Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival Director and Radio Ranch host
"On a scale of 1 to 10, The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two rates an 11."
Sam Jackson
Read more about The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two (2007) here.
Comments about The BAR-D Roundup
(2006)
"For those of us who love cowboy poetry, this is perhaps the best anthology we've yet heard." Cowboy Magazine
"The BAR-D Roundup provides a fine collection of classic and contemporary poetry offerings that'll please any fan of the genre." Western Horseman
"...one not to miss." O. J. Sikes, host of Western Music Time
"I know of no better compilation of cowboy poetry anywhere."
Marvin O'Dell, Around the Campfire"This is a keeper!" Toe Tappin' Tommy Tucker, The Western Heritage Show
"What a fine compilation of cowboy poetry; makes you want to listen 'just one more time'!" Waynetta Ausmus, Waynetta's Western Roundup
"...a super compilation of contemporary recordings of some of today's best classic and contemporary cowboy poetry...If you like cowboy poetry, I'd say this is a must-have CD." Mark McMillan, British Columbia Cowboy Heritage Society
Read more about The BAR-D Roundup (2006) here.
About The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four (2009)
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four (2009) is a compilation of vintage and contemporary recordings of some of yesterday's and today's best classic and contemporary cowboy poetry. A wide range of voices present tales that express this venerable art form, words that uncover "the heartbeat of the working West."
This fourth CD opens with a moving look at cowboys at the end of their lives, "The Men Who Ride No More," a poem by respected Texas horseman, rancher, writer and poet Joel Nelson. The poem is from his Grammy-nominated CD, The Breaker in the Pen. Baxter Black commented that the CD, "raised the bar for cowboy poetry for 1000 years."
Next come poems about today's cowboys and the real working West. South Dakota rancher and poet Elizabeth Ebert's "Cowboy" introduces the breed, and fellow South Dakota rancher and poet Ken Cook shows the unbreakable bonds of past and present in his poem, "The Conversation."
The cows come next, and the late cowboy and poet Larry McWhorter's "The Red Cow" is a masterpiece of storytelling, a realistic view of a young cowboy's experience. Ranch-raised writer and poet Jane Morton tells how "The Cows Came First" in a vivid remembrance of her father and mother.
More portraits of a population follow: Octogenarian cowboy (the term she prefers) Georgie Sicking lets her views about some terms be known in "Housewife," a perfect example of contrast with South Dakota ranchwife and top poet Yvonne Hollenbeck's "A Plain Ol' Ranchwife." North Dakota rancher Rodney Nelson gives another glimpse of a ranch woman's life in his humorous "Cowboy Laundry," and popular Alberta poet Doris Daley tells about the "Average Girl."
Crustier characters show up next in humorous selections, starting with dangerously funny California artist, poet, and former cowboy Pat Richardson's tale of "Henry." Cowboy, poet, songwriter, and filmmaker Gail Steiger presents an engaging recitation of his famous grandfather Gail Gardner's (1892-1988) wry saga of "The Dude Wrangler." Wyoming poet, writer, humorist, emcee, and popular radio host Andy Nelson introduces a well-known ranch beast in "The Worst One to Buck."
The tone turns serious with cowboy, poet, and reciter Jesse Smith's recitation of "The Black Beauty," written by rodeo great Johnie Schneider (1904-1982). Oklahoma rancher and poet Jay Snider speaks volumes about life, death, worth, and connections in his poem, "Of Horses and Men." (A photo of three generations of Snider cowboys is featured inside the CD.)
Two poems that follow get their inspiration from the night sky: "The Star Cavvy" by Montana ranch hand, poet, and songwriter DW Groethe, and "The Star Planters," recited by Utah's Allen Clark, written by Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943). They create the mood for respected horseman, poet, and reciter Randy Rieman's entrancing recitation of "An Old Western Town" by Bruce Kiskaddon (1878-1950).
That old Western town sets the scene for other poems that look back. "The Shallows of the Ford," by Henry Herbert Knibbs (1874-1945) is performed in a nearly cinematic presentation by top reciter Jerry A. Brooks of Utah. Ranch-raised Linda Kirkpatrick draws on her deep Texas roots and Texas Ranger heritage in her poem, "The Ranger." The much-missed voice of the late J.B. Allen carries the more-often-sung "I'd Like to be in Texas" to an unforgettable height in his recitation. And the voice of the most respected Texas writer among cowboy poets, the late Buck Ramsey, continues with "Chapter Three" from his book-length masterpiece, Grass, another mesmerizing piece of the story of a cowboy's life. Each edition of The BAR-D Roundup has included a chapter from the poem. Buck Ramsey, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, is recognized as the modern spiritual leader of the genre.
Coming back to the present and still reflecting on the past, two strong poems share themes of women and life's important ingredients: Utah poet, artist and teacher Jo Lynne Kirkwood tells of "Ida's Bread," and poet and writer Rod Miller, in a thoughtful recitation, presents his poem, "The Staff of Life."
Themes of endings close out the main portion of the recording: The late Ray Owens of New Mexico offers enduring philosophy in "Tracks That Won't Blow Out." South Dakota's Slim McNaught tells of "Headin' Home," in a poem inspired by an Art Spur at CowboyPoetry.com. Reciter and poet Dick Morton offers the realistic and good-natured "Cattleman's Prayer," a traditional piece.
In a special lively, vintage recording, cowboy and poet Gail I. Gardner (1892-1988) recites his well-known classic poem "The Sierry Petes (Tying Knots in the Devil's Tail)," written in 1917. The recording is from a 1986 family recording.
The 2009 CD's cover features an irresistible image of Gail Gardner as a boy, from an 1890s tintype, provided by the Gardner and Steiger families. Inside the CD, there is a contemporary photo of three generations of the cowboys in Jay Snider's family, taken on the Snider ranch in Cyril, Oklahoma.
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four CD includes a radio Public Service (PSA) Announcement written and performed by top cowboy poet and philosopher Baxter Black (listen below).
Andy Nelson engineered and co-produced each 2008 edition of The BAR-D Roundup.
Joe Baker of the Backforty Bunkhouse has distributed every edition of The BAR-D Roundup to his extensive network of western radio stations.
Poems and permissions were generously donated by poets, musicians, families, publishers, and organizations.
The Center's Cowboy Poetry Week celebration—recognized by unanimous U.S. Senate resolution and by twenty-two states' governors and officials—is held each April during National Poetry Month. Each year, The BAR-D Roundup CD and the celebration's poster (by top Western artist Bob Coronato in 2009) are offered to libraries in the Center's Rural Library Project. The outreach program is a part of the Center’s commitment to serve rural communities and to preserve and promote our Western heritage.
Special thanks for the 2009 edition go to Gail Steiger and the Gardner and Steiger families; the Snider family; Baxter Black; Bette Ramsey and Texas Tech University Press; Steve Green and the Western Folklife Center; Andrea Waitley; Verna Owens; Margaret Allen; the Schneider Family; Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns; Lew Vasquez; Liz Masterson, Joe Baker; Howard Higgins; Jeri Dobrowski; Alf Bilton; Jim Thompson; Francie Ganje; Dallas and PJ McCord; Andy Nelson, and to all the poets, reciters, families, publishers, and organizations for poetry and permissions.
The BAR-D Roundup CDs are produced by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, made possible by generous funding support from sustaining donors.
The BAR-D Roundup CDs are dedicated to all those who proudly carry on the ranching tradition.
Track list for The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four (2009)
1. Joel Nelson, "The Men Who Ride No More" 3:26
2. Elizabeth Ebert, "Cowboy" :37
3. Ken Cook, "The Conversation" 2:14
4. Larry McWhorter, "The Red Cow" 8:12
5. Jane Morton, "The Cows Came First" 2:45
6. Georgie Sicking, "Housewife" :56
7. Yvonne Hollenbeck, "A Plain Ol' Ranchwife" 1:11
8. Rodney Nelson, "Cowboy Laundry" 3:20
9. Doris Daley, "Average Girl" 2:04
10. Pat Richardson, "Henry" :57
11. Gail Steiger, "The Dude Wrangler" (Gail I. Gardner) 3:33
12. Andy Nelson, "The Worst One to Buck" 1:05
13. Jesse Smith, "The Black Beauty" (Johnie Schneider) 2:34
14. Jay Snider, "Of Horses and Men" 1:32
15. DW Groethe, "Star Cavvy" 1:24
16. Alen Clark, "The Star Planters" (Arthur Guiterman) 3:34
17. Randy Rieman, "An Old Western Town" (Bruce Kiskaddon) 3:28
18. Jerry A. Brooks, "The Shallows of the Ford" (Henry Herbert Knibbs) 3:16
19. Linda Kirkpatrick, "The Ranger" :47
20. J.B. Allen, "I'd Like to Be in Texas for the Roundup in the Spring" (traditional) 2:34
21. Buck Ramsey, "Chapter 3" from Grass 5:26
22. Jo Lynne Kirkwood, "Ida's Bread" 2:50
23. Rod Miller, "The Staff of Life" 1:03
24. Diane Tribitt, "Half the Hand" 1:25
25. Ray Owens, "Tracks That Won't Blow Out" 1:36
26. Slim McNaught, "Headin' Home" 1:07
27. Dick Morton, "Cattleman's Prayer" (traditional) 1:32
SPECIAL CLASSIC RECORDING
28. Gail I. Gardner, "The Sierry Petes (or Tying Knots in the Devil's Tail)" 3:45
29. Baxter Black, Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry Public Service Announcement (PSA) :30All rights are reserved by the artists and owners of the included tracks.
The BAR-D Roundup is produced by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, with generous funding support from sustaining donors.
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Gail Steiger and the Gardner and Steiger families; the Snider family; Baxter Black; Bette Ramsey and Texas Tech University Press; Steve Green and the Western Folklife Center; Andrea Waitley; Verna Owens; Margaret Allen; the Schneider Family; Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns; Lew Vasquez; Liz Masterson; Joe Baker; Howard Higgins; Jeri Dobrowski; Alf Bilton; Jim Thompson; Francie Ganje; Dallas and PJ McCord; Andy Nelson, engineer and co-producer (with Margo Metegrano); and to all the poets, reciters, families, publishers, and organizations for poetry and permissions.
Dedicated to all those who proudly carry on the ranching tradition.
Order Information for The BAR-D Roundup
Volume Four (2009)
Special Offer: Volume Four (2009) and Volume Three (2008)
Special Offer: Volume Four (2009), Volume Three (2008), and Volume 2 (2007)
Volume Three (2008)
Volume Two (2007)
Volume One (2006)
Volume Four (2009)
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Four (2009) is available, postpaid, for a $20 donation, and is offered to new and renewing supporters of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry at the Partner level and above.
Proceeds from The BAR-D Roundup support the Center. CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center.
You can order by mail using the form here or send $20 (check or money order in U.S. funds) per copy to:
CowboyPoetry.com
PO Box 330444
San Francisco, CA 94133Postage is included for the U.S. and Canada. Add $5 US for other countries.
You can also pay by a secure, on-line credit card payment (a Paypal account is not required):
CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, Inc. a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Act. Contributions are fully deductible for federal income tax purposes. The BAR-D Roundup fair market value is $15 and no amount of the $20 donation for its postpaid delivery is tax deductible as a charitable contribution.
Questions about quantity orders? Email us.
Special offers:
Volume 4 (2009) and Volume 3 (2008)
Order The BAR-D Roundup Volume Four (2009) and The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) postpaid, for a $35 donation.Proceeds support the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry. CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center.
You can order by mail using the form here or send $35 (check or money order in U.S. funds) for the two CDs:
CowboyPoetry.com
PO Box 330444
San Francisco, CA 94133Postage is included for the U.S. and Canada. Contact us for international postage fees.
You can also pay by a secure, on-line credit card payment (a Paypal account is not required):
CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, Inc. a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Act. Contributions are fully deductible for federal income tax purposes. The BAR-D Roundup fair market value is $20 and no amount of the $20 donation for its postpaid delivery is tax deductible as a charitable contribution.
Special offer:
Volume 4 (2009) and Volume 3 (2008) and Volume 2 (2007)
Order The BAR-D Roundup Volume Four (2009), The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008), and The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two (2007) and The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) postpaid, for a $50 donation.
Proceeds support the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry. CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center.
You can order by mail using the form here or send $50 (check or money order in U.S. funds) for the three CDs:
CowboyPoetry.com
PO Box 330444
San Francisco, CA 94133Postage is included for the U.S. and Canada. Contact us for international postage fees.
You can also pay by a secure, on-line credit card payment (a Paypal account is not required):
CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, Inc. a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Act. Contributions are fully deductible for federal income tax purposes. The BAR-D Roundup fair market value is $20 and no amount of the $20 donation for its postpaid delivery is tax deductible as a charitable contribution.
Volume Three (2008)
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) is available, postpaid, for a $20 donation, and is offered to new and renewing supporters of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry at the Partner level and above.
Proceeds from The BAR-D Roundup support the Center. CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center.
You can order by mail using the form here or send $20 (check or money order in U.S. funds) per copy to:
CowboyPoetry.com
PO Box 330444
San Francisco, CA 94133Postage is included for the U.S. and Canada. Add $5 US for other countries.
You can also pay by a secure, on-line credit card payment (a Paypal account is not required):
CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, Inc. a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Act. Contributions are fully deductible for federal income tax purposes. The BAR-D Roundup fair market value is $20 and no amount of the $20 donation for its postpaid delivery is tax deductible as a charitable contribution.
Volume Two (2007)
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two (2007) is available, postpaid, for a $20 donation.
Proceeds from The BAR-D Roundup support the Center. CowboyPoetry.com is a project of the Center.
You can order by mail using the form here or send $20 (check or money order in U.S. funds) per copy to:
CowboyPoetry.com
PO Box 330444
San Francisco, CA 94133Postage is included for the U.S. and Canada. Add $5 US for other countries.
You can also pay by a secure, on-line credit card payment (a Paypal account is not required):
Volume One (2006)
This CD is sold out, as of December 21, 2009. Some remaining copies may be available at retail outlets and from other sources.
About the cover art for The BAR-D Roundup: Volume 4 (2009):
The BAR-D Roundup: Volume 4 (2009) CD cover art is an 1890s tintype of Gail Gardner (1892-1988), cowboy, poet postmaster of Prescott, Arizona, and grandfather of cowboy, songwriter, and filmmaker Gail Steiger. Find a collection of photos of Gail Gardner in our feature here.
Inside the CD, there's a photo of Oklahoma rancher and poet Jay Snider's cowboying family, including his two brothers, two sons, two nephews, and father.
From left: Joe Tom Snider, Jason Snider, Justin Snider, Jay Snider, Gene Snider, Rusty Snider, Ryan Snider, and Monte Snider at the Sniders' annual Rafter S Ranch Cowboy Reunion, 1997.
Find more photos of the Snider family's cowboys in a Picture the West feature here.
We welcome photo submissions for future editions of The BAR-D Roundup. Cover images will be vintage family cowboy and ranching photos, and inside, contemporary ranch family photos will be featured. Email us for information about sharing your family photos.
Listen to the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry Public Service Announcement
includes a radio Public Service (PSA) Announcement by top cowboy poet and philosopher Baxter Black (www.baxterblack.com).The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two CD
Listen to the 2009 30-second public service announcement from the CD by Baxter Black, top cowboy poet and philosopher (www.baxterblack.com).
Listen to the 2008 30-second public service announcement from the CD by Francie Ganje, radio host and director of South Dakota's Heritage of the American West show.
Listen to the 2007 30-second public service announcement from the CD and to an expanded 60-second version, both by poet, humorist, and radio host Andy Nelson.
Email us for audio clips for your broadcast or web site (or download them directly).
About The BAR-D Roundup: Volume 4 (2009) and Cowboy Poetry Week
SAN FRANCISCO—The eighth annual Cowboy Poetry Week (April 19-25, 2009) sponsored by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry (www.CowboyPoetry.com), celebrates a venerable and popular folk form. Cowboy poetry records the voices of the working West, a tradition—stories of cowboys, ranchers, and Western writers—that spans three centuries. The Cowboy Poetry Week celebration includes many events taking place in communities, libraries, and elsewhere.
Center Director and CowboyPoetry.com managing editor Margo Metegrano comments, "Cowboy poetry preserves a history as it tells the stories of our working West. As importantly, it conveys compelling modern accounts of an endangered way of life to those who may have little information about this important segment of our population. Cowboy poets are great ambassadors from the rural world."
Inaugurated in 2002, Cowboy Poetry Week was officially recognized by unanimous resolution of the United States Senate. The celebration, with a special focus on rural libraries with its Rural Library Project, is held during the third week of April each year, in conjunction with National Poetry Month in the United States and Canada.
Twenty-two states' governors and other officials have issued Cowboy Poetry Week proclamations. Texas Governor Rick Perry has commented, "...cowboy poets have played a large part in preserving western heritage and culture through oral and written poetry. While history books inform us of the past, cowboy poetry has allowed us to truly experience the past. Through cowboy poetry, we have been allowed into the emotions and thoughts of those making history. We can feel the excitement, sympathize through hardships and hear their hopes and dreams. Cowboy poets have inspired and informed, bringing to their many fans education, art, and the best of our heritage and history." Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has commented, "In the tradition of written and oral history, cowboy poets preserve our rich cultural history, opening the door for the generations to come to discover the heritage of the years past....we are proud of our numerous well-respected contemporary cowboy poets and look forward to the next generation of storytellers..."
"The Horse Wrangler Gather'd the Morning Mounts...," a painting by notable Western artist Bob Coronato of Hulett, Wyoming, was selected as this year's Cowboy Poetry Week poster art. Bob Coronato is an invited Master Artist at 2009's 12th Annual Autry National Center Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. Posters are sent to libraries as a part of the Center's Rural Library Project.
The BAR-D Roundup, the Center’s annual compilation recording of the best in classic and current cowboy poetry is also offered to libraries. Each edition includes vintage recordings of poets reciting their own works (this year includes a recitation by Gail Gardner (1892-1988) of his famous "The Sierry Petes (or Tying Knots in the Devils Tail)") and contemporary poets reciting their works and classic poems. The 2009 CD has a fourth annual selection from "Grass," a master work by the late Buck Ramsey, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, recognized as the modern spiritual leader of the genre. The CD includes a radio public service announcement written and delivered by top cowboy poet and philosopher Baxter Black.
CowboyPoetry.com is a central resource for cowboy poetry and associated Western arts, a project of the non-profit Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry. Cowboy poetry's enduring popularity is celebrated year round at CowboyPoetry.com, in a growing number of publications and recordings, and at hundreds of regional gatherings, most notably the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, which marked its 25th year in 2009.
Read more about Cowboy Poetry Week, including selected references and links and see news about poets' activities here.
