Featured: Cowboy Jam Session Jeri Dobrowski Tri-State Livestock News Cowboy Poetry at the BAR-D Ranch www.CowboyPoetry.com

Back on Home

The Latest
   What's New
   Newsletter
        Subscribe (free!)

Be a Part of it All
   About the BAR-D
   Join us!

The BAR-D Roundup

Cowboy Poetry Collection
   Folks' poems
     Honored Guests
     Index of poems

Poetry Submissions
Guidelines
    Current Lariat Laureate

Events Calendar

Cowboy Poetry Week

Featured Topics
    Classic Cowboy Poetry
    Newest Features
        Poets and musicians
        Cowboy poetry topics
        Programs of interest
        Gathering reports
        In memory
   Who Knows?

Cowboy Life and Links
    Western Memories
    Books about Cowboy Poetry

The Big Roundup

Link to us!
Give us a holler

Western journalist and photographer Jeri Dobrowski's monthly column, Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews, is a regular feature of the Tri-State Livestock News. She welcomes submissions for consideration.
We're pleased to carry her monthly Cowboy Jam Session column, which is posted below.
Jeri is an award-winning writer and photographer with works appearing in publications nationwide. Among others, she has had feature and cover articles and photos in American Cowboy, Cowboy Magazine and True West.
From the official press release at the launch of the column:

A new column of interest to Western enthusiasts is coming to Tri-State Livestock News, Sturgis, S.D. "Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews," written by Jeri L. Dobrowski, debuts in January 2005.

Dobrowski explains, "When cowboy poets and entertainers get together, one of their favorite things to do is 'jam.' Simply put, they circle the chairs or lay claim to a chunk of ground, pull out the guitars and start picking. You never know what you'll hear: a timeless campfire classic, a freshly-penned composition, an occasional poem. Cowboy jammin' exposes participants and onlookers to fresh material and different voices. It broadens the horizons and excites the senses of Western heritage devotees."

Not just a book review, "Cowboy Jam" rides a slightly wider circle encompassing an expanded offering: CD recordings, cowboy gatherings and broadcasts, documentaries and films. It's a bigger herd but one whose bloodlines are familiar: historical characters and events; ranchers and ranches; cowboys, cowgirls and rodeos; poets, poetry; singers and songs. The delivery may be different but the common thread encourages readers to ponder, preserve and perpetuate the heritage of the American West.
Dobrowski welcomes submissions for consideration. Books, CDs, videos and event announcements should be sent to Jeri L. Dobrowski, Cowboy Jam Session, 1471 Carlyle Road, Beach, ND 58621. You may reach her at 406-795-8168 or at CowboyJam@robscabinets.com.

Tri-State Livestock News is published weekly with a focus on the cattle industry. Additional coverage is devoted to the equine, sheep and bison industries, as well as pork, crops and hay. Established in 1963, the paper boasts a paid circulation of 10,700 households, rural addresses and ag-related businesses in all 50 states. The primary circulation area includes South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Colorado and Iowa.

Jeri Dobrowski is in good company at the Tri-State Livestock News, along with with Baxter Black, Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns and other columnists.

Books, CDs, videos and event announcements can be sent to:

Jeri L. Dobrowski
Cowboy Jam Session
1471 Carlyle Road
Beach, ND 58621
406-795-8168
email

Roz Brown of Lakewood, Colorado
at the 2006 Cowboy Songs & Range Ballads event, Cody, Wyoming
View Jeri Dobrowski's Western Entertainers and Personalities Gallery, designed for those creating gathering programs and other publications, includes her photos of "entertainers, storytellers, authors, artists, and gear purveyors" between.
Working as a free-lance photographer/journalist since 1981, Jeri Dobrowski’s images appear on and in cowboy poetry and music recordings, books, programs and posters.

Visit more of Jeri Dobrowski's professional photo galleries here, which include photographs of Western interest and from various gatherings and events: the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering; Cody's Cowboy Songs and Range Ballads; the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo; the Heritage of the American West show;the Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering; and others. Also view the Western Entertainers and Personalities Gallery.
The site also includes examples of her wedding photography.
View the galleries at http://jeridobrowski.smugmug.com, where you can also order photos.
Also see some of her photography here at the BAR-D.
Read more about Jeri Dobrowski below.

2008

April

March
February
January

2007

December
November
October
September

August
July
June
May

April
March
February
January

2006

Special December, 2006 Edition
December
November
October
September

August
July
June
May

April
March
February
January
Special Black Hills Stock Show Edition

2005

A year's worth of columns on page 2

About Jeri Dobrowski

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

April 2008


When a cowboy’s fancy turns to poetry

It’s spring on the Northern Great Plains, the time when a rancher’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of calving. Among cowboy poets, spring also brings Cowboy Poetry Week, observed this year from April 20-26. The inauguration of Cowboy Poetry Week came in 2002, building upon April’s designation as National Poetry Month in 1996.

Released in conjunction with Cowboy Poetry Week, The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) is an audio anthology showcasing 26 cowboy poetry recordings. The compilation was conceived and orchestrated by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry. The Center sponsors CowboyPoetry.com, the world’s largest, ongoing cowboy poetry gathering.

If you’re a regular follower of this column, you are likely aware of The BAR-D Roundup: Volume One (reviewed, below, in April, 2006) and Volume Two (reviewed, below, in April, 2007). Both received critical acclaim. I expect the same will prove true of Volume Three.

This year’s collection 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 modest, modern-day family outfits. In large part, the collection is a reverent retrospective honoring those who toiled in the West. A sprinkling of humorous selections provides just the right amount of comic relief:
Texas horseman Joel Nelson opens with “Shadow on the Cutbank,” an intelligent salute to the “horseback man for hire.” Jay Snider recites Luther A. Lawhon’s “The Good Old Cowboy Days.” Lawhon was a founding member of the Trail Drivers’ Association in 1915. Snider hails from Oklahoma. D.J. O’Malley’s classic “The ‘D2’ Horse Wrangler” receives a playful presentation by Arizonan Ross Knox.

Canada’s poetic darling, Doris Daley, provides “Bones,” assessing the bodily damages incurred by three fence-sitting cowboys. Deadly accurate with meter and rhyme, California’s Pat Richardson—king of the spoof—spins a yarn about the time he befriended “Bigfoot.”

Aspiring cowboys could learn a lot from Wyoming cowboy and octogenarian Georgie Sicking as she recounts what it takes “To be a Top Hand.” There’s more sound “Advice” from New Mexico cowgirl and rancher Deanna Dickinson McCall.

Montana’s Wallace McRae, National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellow, contributes “Urban Daughter,” a touching piece recorded live in Elko, Nev., at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. I was in the audience when the recording was made and was delighted to hear it again!

Wyoming emcee, funny man and radio host Andy Nelson gets serious and pays homage to his brother in the well-crafted rhyme “The Old Crockett Spurs.”

Henry H. Knibbs’ classic, “Where the Ponies Come to Drink,” gets the star treatment from noted Montana reciter Randy Rieman. This is as close to perfection as you’ll get when pairing a classic poem with a contemporary reciter.

DW Groethe, a Montana day hand, calls an endearing roll of horses in “My Father’s Horses.” Fond sights and smells from Paul Kern’s Utah childhood take center stage in a short but powerful, “At Codding’s Place.” South Dakotan Ken Cook comes clean about his family’s horseflesh in his spot-on-the-money “Bloodlines.”

“The Memories in Grandmother’s Trunk” by past Texas Poet Laureate Red Steagall should inspire us to leave such a treasure for future generations. South Dakota master quilter and poet Yvonne Hollenbeck showcases her dual talents in “Prairie Patchwork,” a tribute to one woman’s “life out on the plains.” “Fiddleback Headquarters” by Wyoming’s Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns is part family history and part guided tour.

Listening to Bill Siems, Spokane, Wash., recite “The Strawberry Roan” by Curley Fletcher is akin to hearing the classic for the first time. Take the music away and really listen to the words—it’s glorious! Known for making words sing, Paul Zarzyski performs “Luck of the Draw.” Zarzyski is the recipient of the Montana Governor’s Arts Award for Literature.

Utah miner Jerry Brooks recorded Badger Clark’s “The Free Wind” especially for this project. Fans who have long been asking for a full-length recording will be pleased with this offering.

“Chapter Two” is the third annual selection from the late Buck Ramsey’s master work, Grass. An NEA National Heritage Fellow, Ramsey is recognized as the modern spiritual leader of the genre.

Smoke Wade tells of his family’s Idaho ranch that was lost through changes in land management policies in “A Change of Season.”

Susan Parker recites “The Homemade Cigarette” by A.V. Hudson, a vintage piece she uncovered while doing research for her Wild Women of the West program. It brings to mind a neighboring rancher from my childhood who rolled his own smokes.

“Bill’s in Trouble,” by James Barton Adams, is skillfully and humorously recited in perfect character by Hal Swift. Following on his heels is “Jack Potter’s Courtin’” by S. Omar Barker. Recited by Mick Vernon, it is a delightful rendition of the tongue-tied puncher trying to purpose to his gal.

Linda Kirkpatrick’s eloquent recitation of Bruce Kiskaddon’s classic “The Bronco Twister’s Prayer” slows the collection, signaling the approaching end.

Gene Kern, CKWX, Vancouver, introduces the final cut—and it’s a dandy–a 1948 recording of Robert Service reciting “The Cremation of Sam McGee.” Service lavishes more than nine minutes on the tale, infused with a hearty Scottish accent and lengthy pauses. Kudos to the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry for making it available to the public!

A radio Public Service Announcement by South Dakota radio personality and Heritage of the American West producer Francie Ganje brings the collection to a wrap. Wyoming cowboy entertainer Andy Nelson engineered and co-produced Volume Three. A vintage photo of Texas cowboy Perry Preston Dickinson, circa 1912, appears on the cover. Deanna Dickinson McCall, who recites “Advice” is his granddaughter.

The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Three (2008) sells for $20 postpaid. Order from CowboyPoetry.com, PO Box 330444, San Francisco, CA 94133; or by credit card or Paypal from CowboyPoetry.com.

If you don’t already have the two previous compilations, I encourage you to complete your set now, while the others are still available. Volumes Two and Three are available for a special price of $35 postpaid. Volume One (quantities limited) sells for $20 postpaid.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

March 2008

Till Leap Year gives it twenty-nine

Superman and my cousin Cassie celebrated a birthday this year. Both were born on February 29. Though Cassie was born three years after I was, she’s technically only 12. I sent her a vintage Leap Year postcard early in January, wanting her to have the fullest opportunity to celebrate the big day. Things get turned a bit upside down in a Leap Year. I figured I’d get into the spirit with this month’s selections.

The Banjo Monologues by Joel Mabus is not cowboy, nor especially Western by today’s standards. But it is magical, historically significant, and completely entertaining.

Mabus plays a 5-string banjo in the clawhammer style, sharing tunes and tales from his family’s career as professional hillbilly musicians. The Mabus family barnstormed the Midwest in the 1930s with road shows for the Prairie Farmer Magazine, parent company of WLS Radio, which produced the popular National Barn Dance. It was a good gig during the Depression. Through Joel’s yarns you’ll meet, among others, Gerald Mabus and his twin brother, Jerald, interspersed with licks from “Cindy.”

Head on over to CD Baby for generous two-minute clips of the 18 tracks: www.cdbaby.com/cd/mabusjoel. Besides “Cindy,” give a listen to “Uncle Joe,” “Three Nights Drunk,” and “The Uncloudy Day/Leonard Lively.”

Purchase The Banjo Monologues as either a CD or MP3 file from CD Baby for $15 (postage extra). If you prefer to order directly from Joel Mabus ($16 postpaid), send requests to PO Box 306, Portage, MI 49081. Stop by Joel’s Web site at http://joelmabus.com/ for an assortment of other titles, including How Like The Holly, songs for the holidays with (mostly) guitar accompaniment, and Parlor Guitar, songs from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

John Reedy describes his musical style as Western-Americana. It’s a fitting assessment.

John sent me his Twisted Vignettes last fall. I took it with me on a road trip to South Dakota, among an assortment I saved specifically for the drive. Being alone in a car with several hundred miles of road allows me to focus entirely on the subject at hand.

I was stunned at what I heard. The sound was fresh, eclectic, and skillfully presented. It made me sit up and take notice. When I’d finished listening to the 12 tracks, seven written by John, I listened again. When I met up with friends in the Black Hills, I loaned them the CD, and they listened to it. One vehicle after another, John’s CD made the rounds. The response was the same from everyone: WOW!

This isn’t your grandfather’s Western music. It’s frisky, edgy and smartly written. It’s a kick in the pants.

John’s CD and book of poetry by the same name (with stunning black and white photography) are available from CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/cd/reedyj2. Give a listen to three of my favorites: “Buckaroo Girl,” “That Buckin’ Song,” and “Combover Blues.” Buy the CD alone for $13; the CD and book for $25 (plus postage.)

Order from John’s Web site at www.twistedcowboy.com. Prices are the same, but postage is free. Send orders to Twisted Cowboy Music, 2905 N Montana Ave. #113, Helena, MT 59601; (406) 465-0468.

Properties along the U.S.-Mexico border are at ground zero in a debate over economics and national security. In an attempt to keep illegal aliens from crossing into the United States, a 700-mile fence is being built to aid border enforcement.

You know where you stand on the issue. But, do you have any concept of what it’s like to be a border patrol agent? I didn’t until I read Patrolling Chaos: the U.S. Border Patrol in Deep South Texas by Robert Lee Maril (Texas Tech University Press, 2004, 368 pages, softcover, ISBN: 978-0-89672-594-2).

A professor of sociology at East Carolina University, Maril spent two years doing field work among 300 agents at the McAllen Station, McAllen, Texas. He followed 12 agents in particular, riding with them on their ten-hour patrols along the border. Maril describes in detail the risks and frustrations faced by agents; the reactions and situations of the apprehended aliens. It provides enlightening insight into the situation.

Order Patrolling Chaos directly from Texas Tech for $24.95 (plus postage): www.ttup.ttu.edu/BookPages/0896725944.html; (800) 832-4042. It is also available from online wholesalers.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

February 2008

Western Folklife Center prepping for 25th anniversary

Snowstorms pummeled the western United States as folks headed to Elko, Nevada, for the 2008 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Some bemoaned the fact that the gathering is held in winter. As I heard the story, organizers settled on late January as the time when ranchers could most easily get away from the demands of land and livestock. It’s a formula they’ve stuck with for 24 years.

The sponsoring Western Folklife Center, a regional nonprofit based in Elko with offices in Salt Lake City, is planning for the silver anniversary event January 24-31, 2009. They hinted at things to come in this year’s program: inviting all participants back for an ongoing reunion stage; recognition for those who have attended for 20 to 25 years; honoring deceased poets and musicians.

But, hold the phone, here’s what I consider the most exciting news to date: a performance tour of cowboy poetry and music that will play five sites in the western United States. There were rumors, but the Western Folklife Center (WFC) has made it official. The tour hits the road in the spring of 2009. They are looking for host communities.

Each site will host a two to three-day residency, including a concert, school program, writing workshop, and film screening. The WFC is looking for communities with small to medium-sized theaters and a community-based organization to assist on a local level. I encourage readers to find out more about this marvelous opportunity. Contact Meg Glaser or Christina Barr at (775) 738-7508 to get the ball rolling.

The WFC is open for business 12 months out of the year. It’s an oft-overlooked fact. WFC staff are busy year-round, documenting, preserving, and presenting the heritage of the American West. Resulting exhibits, films, radio programs, recordings, and public presentations are archived at www.westernfolklife.org. If you haven’t spent time digging into what’s there, allow me to highlight a few of my favorites.

A series of five-minute videos entitled The Art of Gearmaking profiles four cowboy craftsmen: Doug Groves of Nevada’s TS Ranch demonstrating rawhide work; Mark Dahl, Starr Valley, Nevada, bit making; Doug Krause, Eaton, Colorado, mecate making; and Dale Harwood, Shelley, Idaho, leather carving. The videos, along with an in-depth discussion of cowboy gear, award-winning contest entries, and resources, are part of a larger exhibit entitled Back at the Ranch: an Artful Life. Start your tour at http://www.westernfolklife.org/site1/batr/tools_landing.php

I reconnected with Sharon O’Toole at this year’s gathering, discussing the delicious leg of lamb that she and husband, Patrick, grilled for the Wyoming party. The O’Tooles ranch in Little Snake River Valley on the Wyoming-Colorado border. They are among a handful of diarists who log onto the WFC Web site with candid insights on life in the American West (earning them the title “Webloggers”). Blog authors welcome readers with customary Western hospitality, minus the coffee. Sharon faithfully posts her entries, augmented with powerful, workaday photos. You’re there as they calve heifers, rake hay, shear, supply the herder’s camp, and walk their daughter down the aisle at a ranch wedding: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/sharono/

Three other notable Weblogs are those of John and Robbin Dofflemyer, ranchers from the Sierra Nevada foothills near Visalia, California: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/dofflemyer/; Jeremiah Watt, Coalinga, California saddlemaker: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/watt/; and Linda Dufurrena, photographer from Winnemucca, Nevada: www.westernfolklife.org/weblogs/artists/dufurrenal/.

Trying another technological term on you for size, let me tell you about the WFC’s Podcasts—something akin to a free radio show that’s available on the internet. You can listen to the programming on your computer or download it to an iPod or digital music player. The WFC’s first Podcast was a 1990 recording of Texas poet Joel Nelson reciting Bruce Kiskaddon’s “When They Finish Shipping Cattle in the Fall.” The most recent features Don Edwards’ performance of the Jack Thorp classic, “Chopo.” To access Ranch Rhymes: Cowboy Poetry and Music from the Western Folklife Center, paste the following link into your browser: www.westernfolklife.org/site1/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=24&Itemid=241.

I leave you with one last on-line jewel, the complete set of National Cowboy Poetry Gathering programs. I’m not talking a representative photo of the covers. No, the entire program from each of the past 24 years can be viewed in its entirety, along with the corresponding poster. You can also read or listen to the keynote address. Paste the following into your browser: http://www.westernfolklife.org/site1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100&Itemid=265

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

January 2008

Elko’s 24^th annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Vaqueros from the Sonora region of northern Mexico and the western United States will be spotlighted at the 2008 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada. Invited guests will share examples of their customs and traditions honoring land and livestock. The humanities lecture by folklorist Norma Elia Cantú, University of Texas at San Antonio, will address the connection between the vaquero and the American cowboy in work, traditions, poetry and literature.

Started in 1985 by a handful of folklorists, poets and musicians, the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is produced annually by the Western Folklife Center. The Center describes the event as “the premiere festival celebrating the expressive arts of ranching and cowboy culture.”

My Northern Great Plains heart swells with pride when I read the names of artists from the region who have been invited to perform in Elko later this month. The doors for the first show open Saturday, January 26, with the last curtain closing on Saturday evening, February 2. In between are workshops, ranch tours, museum displays, daytime sessions, ticketed concerts, and dances.

Among those packing their bags for the trip are poets and singers, perennial favorites, and those making their first appearance. Colorado is represented on all four accounts by the Sons and Brothers Band—Frank Wolking and sons Mike, Joe, and Aaron—from Westcliffe, and Vess Quinlan, Alamosa.

Wyoming is home to four featured poets: Echo Roy Klaproth, Shoshone; Andy Nelson, Pinedale; Georgie Sicking, Kaycee; and Jesse Smith, Cora. The musical duo of Vince Crofts and Mindi Reid, better known as Tumbleweeds, hail from Firth.

Clearfield ranchwife Yvonne Hollenbeck is the lone artist invited from South Dakota. North Dakota is represented by Rodney Nelson, Sims, and Bill Lowman, Sentinel Butte. To the east, from across the Red River of the north, comes Diane Tribitt, Hillman, Minnesota.

Montana could charter a bus for the artists and family members coming from Big Sky Country: Stephanie Davis, Columbus; DW Groethe, Bainville; Mike Logan, Helena; Wallace McRae, Forsyth; New Frontier comprised of Ron Kane, Meghan Merker, and Linda Svendsen, Dillon; Bob Petermann, Wibaux; Henry Real Bird, Hardin; Randy Rieman, Dillon; Sandy Seaton, Emigrant; and Paul Zarzyski, Great Falls. Back by popular demand for the Saturday night dance is Montana native Wylie Gustafson, who fronts Wylie & The Wild West. Although he now lives in Washington state, he maintains family ties to Montana, which proudly claims him as one of their own.

Representing the Plains of Canada with her eloquent and entertaining poetry is Doris Daley, Calgary, Alberta. Also hailing from Alberta is music legend Ian Tyson.

For a complete listing of invited artists, along with photos and brief biographies, visit the Western Folklife Center’s site: www.westernfolklife.org. Contact the Western Folklife Center at 501 Railroad Street, Elko, Nevada 89801; (775) 738-7508; email: wfc@westernfolklife.org.

If you can’t make the trip to Elko to hear these artists in person, there is an alternative. Nearly all of them have recordings. Here’s a sampling of CDs released in 2007 by those mentioned above:

To Be a Top Hand, by National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee Georgie Sicking, contains 16 poems. Send $18 to Georgie Sicking, PO Box 11, Kaycee, WY 82639. For more information on Georgie, see her honored guest page: www.cowboypoetry.com/sicking.htm.

From clear out west comes Andy Nelson’s Full Nelson Shoeing, with 25 poems and bits of wacky wisdom. Send $18 to Andy Nelson, PO Box 1547, Pinedale, WY 82941; email: www.CowpokePoet.com.

Bob Petermann’s long-awaited gospel collection contains 12 songs. Thanks for the Rain sells for $15. Send orders to Bob Petermann, 942 Pine Unit Road, Wibaux, MT 59353; 406-486-5618; email: pet7410@midrivers.com.

Yvonne Hollenbeck teamed up with Texas singer and songwriter Jean Prescott on Pieces of the Past. The CD contains 15 tracks of poetry and music. Send $18.50 to Yvonne Hollenbeck, 30549 291st Street, Clearfield, SD 57580; 605/557-3559; www.YvonneHollenbeck.com.

Montana Legacy is the title of Sandy Seaton’s 13-track collection of poetry and vocals. Order for $17 from Sandy Seaton; PO Box 117, Emigrant, MT 59027; (406) 222-7455; email: www.blackmountainoutfitters.com.

Diane Tribitt’s latest is entitled Ranchin' Rhymes. Included are 15 poems and one song. Send $18 to Diane Tribitt, 38034 193rd Street, Hillman, MN 56338; 320-277-3389; www.dianetribitt.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2008, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

December 2007

A Bookish Christmas

From lighthearted yodeling lessons to probing cowboy poetry, from vintage quilts to sublime images of the Grand Canyon, these books have it covered. For good measure, there’s a collection of short stories guaranteed to satisfy your minimum daily dose of comic relief. Any of these will be enjoyed long after the cutout sugar cookies are gone:

Wylie Gustafson, of Wylie & the Wild West, brings us How to Yodel: Lessons to Tickle Your Tonsils. Suitable for children and adults, it offers lessons, tips, and techniques pertaining to the high art of yodeling. It includes a CD of warm-up exercises, examples of yodeling styles, and yodel-along-with-Wylie tracks. Illustrated by Robert Payne, the drawings are as much fun as the recording and Gustafson’s hilarious prose. (Gibbs Smith, 2007, 96 pages, 6"x6", illustrations & instructional CD, softcover, ISBN: 1423602137)

How to Yodel sells for $10 (plus $3 shipping). Order from www.wyliewebsite.com and your copy will be personally signed by the original Yahoo^® yodeler! Mail orders to Two Medicine Music, 24502 SR 127, LaCrosse WA 99143; fax them to (509) 549-3684. (Did I mention it’s just the right size to fit in a Christmas stocking?)

The late, contemporary cowboy poet JB Allen is remembered in JB—the Circle, edited by Duward Campbell and Chuck Milner. Sorting through files left behind following his death in 2005, the duo selected Allen’s newer and unpublished works for inclusion. A chapter entitled “The Circle” contains remembrances penned by friends and fellow poets. Campbell’s ranch-savvy drawings and paintings are sprinkled throughout. (Dry Camp Press, 2007, 90 pages, 9"x6", 65 poems, artwork, illustrations; softbound, ISBN: 0976183439)

JB the Circle sells for $25 postpaid from Duward Campbell, 2515 Second St, Lubbock, TX 79415; (806) 762-2343.

If you have a quilter on your list, or perhaps a history buff, consider Texas Quilts and Quilters: A Lone Star Legacy by Marcia Kaylakie, with Janice Whittington. The recipient need not be from Texas to enjoy this colorful collection showcasing 34 remarkable quilts. Ten years of travel and research went into this interpretation of Texas history. It’s a journey from the 1870s to the 2003. Photos by Jim Lincoln give an intimate perspective of the textiles. (Texas Tech University Press, 2007, 264 pages, 11"x11", 182 color photos & map, hardcover, ISBN: 0896726061)

Texas Quilts and Quilters sells for $39.95 plus shipping from Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock, Texas. Call (800) 832-4042 to order. For more on Texas Quilts, go to www.ttup.ttu.edu.

Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography by Stephen Trimble won a Wrangler Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. More than simply pretty pictures, Trimble melds 125 years of photos, of one of the most photographed subjects on earth, with essays by experienced Canyon photographers. (Northland Publishing, 2006, 210 pages, 12"x11", 115 photos, hardcover, ISBN: 0873588940)

If you’re ever stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon and attempted to capture the color and grandeur before your eyes with a camera, you know the challenge. These photographers—working with glass-plate negatives, film, and digital images—succeed where others fail. And, they've been to the bottom of the Canyon, capturing images few of us ever see, in glorious detail.

Lasting Light lists for $40. Call Northland Publishing at (928) 774-5251 or mail them at P.O. Box 1389, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

Montana’s Ken Overcast can brighten the darkest winter day with his storytelling. Case in point, his latest collection of knee-slappin' stories from the real West, Tradin’ Tales: Stories from a Montana Back Porch. Augmenting 48 tales are illustrations by cowboy cartoonist Ben Crane. (Bear Valley Press, 2007, 240 pages, 5.5"x8.5", illustrations, paperback, ISBN: 0971848122)

Every copy carries a “Genuine Montana Cowboy Guarantee.” If you're not completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return the unread portion of your book, and Ken will cheerfully refund the unspent portion of your money. In case this logic sounds familiar, you may already be an Overcast fan. His weekly column, Meadow Muffins, appears in numerous weekly publications. If you’re not familiar with his work, take a listen to a sample chapter at www.tradintales.com.

Tradin’ Tales sells for $16.95. (Shipping is just $3 whether you buy one or a dozen. So check out Ken’s other books as well as his CDs at www.kenovercast.com) Give a toll-free call to the Overcast outfit at (888) 753-7611 and they’ll take care of you. Guaranteed!

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

November 2007

Music and Books for the Christmas Season
In my husband’s opinion, Christmas music should be played in December. Period. He was chagrined to hear me playing it in September this year. I told him, "It’s for work." Read on for news of those CDs, as well as two books from my gift-giving suggestion list: one for the baker; one for the little buckaroo.

Montana singer/songwriter Stephanie Davis delivers a sophisticated, Western-swing feel in the 11-tracks of Home for the Holidays. Traditional favorites such as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" take you on a leisurely stroll through the season. Ray Price joins Stephanie on "All I Want for Christmas Is You." If you’re not already familiar with Stephanie’s "The Gift," you’re in for a treat. It is rapidly making inroads as a modern classic. There’s a rich array of accompaniments on the waltzes, two-steps and ballads, including piano, fiddle, steel, and guitar.

Home for the Holidays sells for $17. Send checks to Recluse Records, 838 Countryman Creek Rd., Columbus, MT 59019. Place PayPal orders at www.stephaniedavis.net/order.htm

Wylie Gustafson—of Wylie & the Wild West—is debuting his first Christmas album. The 10-track Christmas for Cowboys celebrates the birth of a Savior with a Western spin. The title track was made popular by John Denver; Wylie adds a light touch with his trademark yodel. He dug deep, beyond the standards, for "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" and "In the Bleak Midwinter." His version of "Christmas Time’s a-Comin’" will have you dancing while decorating cookies.

Christmas for Cowboys ships on or about Dec. 5, 2007. Preorder for $18 (postpaid) from Two Medicine Music, 24502 SR 127, LaCrosse WA 99143; or www.wyliewebsite.com/Product_Catalog_01.htm.

Western Jubilee Recording Company assembled a baker’s dozen of cowboy-friendly holiday standards, contemporary tunes and cowboy poetry on Christmas Trail. You’ll recognize the headliner artists: Sons of the San Joaquin, Don Edwards, Rich O’Brien, Waddie Mitchell, Cowboy Celtic, Michael Martin Murphey, and Wylie Gustafson. Songs include "Ridin’ up the Christmas Trail," "Away in a Manger," "O, Holy Night," and "Cowboy Christmas Ball."

Christmas Trail sells for $15.00 plus postage. Call 1-800-707-2353 or order online at westernjubilee.com/ChristmasTrail.htm.

Kim Ode pegged my favorite way to eat bread in Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club: Recipes, Tips & Stories, as she describes her mother’s too-hot-to handle loaves: "Too tender to cut, she would slice the end off of one and pass it to me. There is nothing like a slice of hot, fresh bread, the steam still rising through a sheen of butter. Especially the heel of a loaf."

A member of the St. Paul Bread Baking Club, Ode bakes her loaves in a wood-fired brick oven in her backyard. She’s serious about bread! But, she demystifies the art with sections on "Bread Wisdom for Beginners" and gives instructions for traditional home ovens. More than 70 recipes are included for novice and master bakers. Ode recommended four to me: Aunt Anna’s Swedish Rye, Ihla’s Oatmeal Bread, Milk Bread, and Cheddar Cheese Bread.

Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club sells for $24.95 (Minnesota Historical Society, 2006, 160 pages, 8"x9", 70 recipes, hardcover; ISBN 0-87351-567-6). Look for it in bookstores nationwide or order directly from Ode at www.kim-ode.com.

First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol is a delightful romp through the halls of the Treasure State capitol with Jag, a border collie. Written by Jessica Solberg and illustrated by Robert Rath, First Dog is the true story of a black-and-white cow dog that accompanies Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer wherever he goes. Far from just entertaining, it’s educational and interesting.

Jag, canine special assistant to the governor of Montana, was born on a Whitefish ranch. When his human family left to occupy the governor’s mansion in Helena, he went too. (He has his own seat in the governor’s airplane!) Written for kids ages 6 to 9, the story is supplemented with facts about Montana, the duties of a governor, and an overview of how Montana government works.

First Dog is available in softcover and hardback. The softcover sells for $11.95 plus postage (Farcounty Press, 2007, 40 pages, 8.5 x 11, glossary, illustrations and photos; ISBN 13: 978-1-56037-419-0). A portion of the proceeds is donated to Ronald McDonald charities of Montana. To order, call 1-800-821-3874; Farcountry Press, PO Box 5630, Helena, MT 59604; www.farcountrypress.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

October 2007

The Many Faces of Western Entertainment
Performance venues across the country are showcasing Western entertainers. Beneath the broad umbrella of the genre are individuals who bring diverse talents and experiences to the stage:

Utah-born singer/songwriter Brenn Hill celebrates the West with a contemporary flavor. His sixth recording, What A Man’s Got To Do, is described on www.brennhill.com as "a potent collection of songs filled with interesting characters and eagle-eyed observations on life, love and the indomitable Western spirit."

The first time I heard it, I was struck by the Chris LeDoux overtones. When I mentioned this to Hill’s manager, he seemed both surprised and pleased. Come to find out, LeDoux was a big fan of the 30-year-old Hill. The late singer’s band, Western Underground, recorded one of Hill’s songs on their new album. That’s not to say Hill is a LeDoux wannabe, but if you liked LeDoux, give him a listen. "Simple Things," with simple piano accompaniment, brings the 15 tracks to a surprisingly touching conclusion.

Billboard described Hill as "a bridge between Western music’s best traditions and the future of the genre ..." Truly in step with the times, Hill has a My Space page where visitors can listen to four full-length songs: www.myspace.com/brennhill. You can also purchase CDs and mp3 downloads. What A Man’s Got To Do sells for $18 plus $2 s/h. Direct inquires to (615) 369-0810.

A 16-track CD of Georgie Sicking's poems, To Be a Top Hand, was released this summer. The first recording devoted exclusively to Georgie’s poetry, it’s long overdue. Kudos to Andy Nelson, Pinedale, Wyo., for recording and producing the album.

Among the poems is "Housewife." Sicking takes umbrage at the term bestowed upon her by a banker, declaring, "never, was I ever, married to a house!" Don’t think for a minute these stories are fictional. Raised near Kingman, Ariz., Sicking captured wild cattle and horses, tended a ranch by herself, and wrote poetry to help pass the time alone.

Georgie performed at the first National Cowboy Poetry Gathering 22 years ago. A National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Honoree, the Nevada Cattleman’s Association recognized her for having ridden 100,000 miles horseback. (Read more about this no-nonsense octogenarian at www.cowboypoetry.com/sicking.htm. Send $18 (postpaid) to Georgie Sicking, PO Box 11, Kaycee, WY 82639.

South Dakota ranch hand Ken Cook is capturing the essence to modern ranch life, much as Sicking did during her era. The father of four, Cook is committed to sharing agriculture’s work and reward with his family. A good many of the lessons are captured on two recordings, I’m Gonna Be a Cowboy and Dad, We’ll Rope Today. Hear selected tracks at www.kencookcowboypoet.com. For additional photos of the Cook kids and the words to several of Ken’s poems, drop by his featured guest page at www.cowboypoetry.com/kencook.htm. The CDs sell for $12 each (postpaid) from Ken Cook, 23154 Teal Lane, Martin, SD 57551-6601; (605) 685-6749.

Cook recently competed in the 2007 National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo held in Hot Springs, S.D. He took home a buckle and prize money for winning the poet/serious category and placed in two other events. What that means is he knows the cowboy life, does a decent job of crafting his poems, and delivers them in a pleasing and effective fashion. (For more on the rodeo see www.cowboypoetry.com/ncpr.htm#2007)

Patty Clayton, Academy of Western Artists’ 2007 Western Music Female Vocalist of the year, salutes the West with a folk/bluegrass flair. More than half of the 13 tracks on her recently released Astraddle a Saddle are Clayton’s own works—honoring a rich family heritage. In addition to the vocals, Clayton plays guitar, clawhammer-style banjo and acoustic upright bass.

The title track has a delightful, old-time feel. Clayton proves that beauty’s in the eye of the beholder with "Wyoming Wind," painting the Cowboy State’s gusts and gales with a lovely melody. In "The Vaquero and Me," Clayton tells how Hawaii became home to the paniolo (cowboy), causing heartache for one Mexican senorita.

Listen to two-minute clips of all these, and more, at cdbaby.com/cd/pattyclayton3. Order directly from CD Baby for $15 plus postage. Write Clayton at PO Box 140772, Edgewater, CO 80214 or via www.pattyclayton.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

September 2007

Anthologies corral entertaining mix
Anthologies—collections of stories, poems or audio recordings—are an excellent way to sample a variety of artists’ works without breaking the bank. Consider these:

A generous 26 tracks are included on Cowboy Songs & Range Ballads: 25th Anniversary Album. Held each April at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, the music festival noted its silver anniversary in 2007. To celebrate, the BBHC assembled recordings from 24 years of live stage performances. That’s both the good news and the bad news. There are gems among the titles, but a handful lack technical quality. Thank goodness somebody had the foresight to make the recordings!

Skimming the list of performers, several are deceased; others, to my knowledge, never released a recording of their own. It’s an amazing time capsule featuring, among others, Jim Bob Tinsley, Lyle "Wild Horse" Cunningham, Liz Masterson and Sean Blackburn, Otto Rosfeld, Gary McMahan, Joe Bain, Duane Dickinson, Howard Parker, Stan Howe and Kelly Wells, Kyle Evans, Jean Prescott, Gene Davenport, and Buck Ramsey, Richard Dillof and Amanda Ramsey.

Described by the BBHC as "capturing the essence of cowboy music," the CD sells for $19.99 plus postage. For a complete track listing and audio clips, go to www.bbhc.org/events/cowboysongs.cfm. Write the BBHC at 720 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY 82414; call (800) 533-3838.

I first heard A Western Jubilee: Songs and Stories of the American West on a drive-hard-till-you-get-there road trip. It was well after midnight when my traveling buddy slipped it into the CD player. The tunes and tales added considerable interest to an otherwise uninteresting stretch of blacktop. Released by Western Jubilee Recording Company in 2004, it showcases artists in the company’s catalog at the time.

Don Edwards kicks off the 20 tracks with "The Old Chisholm Trail." He’s heard several more times, solo and with special guests, including the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Waddie Mitchell. A poet, Mitchell recites on two additional tracks. The velvety harmonies of the Sons of the San Joaquin are featured on four tracks: "Sierra Nevada," "He's Runnin' out of Roundups," "From Whence Came the Cowboy" and "Unclouded Day."

Red Steagall offers "My America"; David Wilkie & Cowboy Celtic deliver "The Drover Road to Amulree"; Katy Moffatt sings "The Brazos"; Wylie & the Wild West set Ogilvie’s "Hooves of the Horses" to music; Glenn Ohrlin spins the tale, "International Glenn." Instrumentals by Rich O’Brien fit nicely within the collection, as does "Velociraptor Rag" by Tom Morrell.

Selling for $15, that’s only 75 cents per track! (Shipping to U.S. addressees is free on website orders over $50). Order from Western Jubilee Recording Company, PO Box 9187, Colorado Springs, CO 80932; 1-800-707-2353; westernjubilee.com.

Perhaps not technically an anthology, The Deadwood Songbook feels like one. Hank Harris, singer, songwriter and musician, presents 15 popular songs from the early days of historic Deadwood, S.D. A project of the Adams Museum & House, the collection reproduces the music of Deadwood’s concert and dance halls at the turn of the century.

Liner notes reveal that before a disastrous fire in 1879, "Deadwood boasted more entertainment venues than any town of its size in the nation." Some venues were honorable; others more lascivious. Regardless, Deadwood was filled with music day and night. "Spirituals, patriotic and political music, minstrel songs, ethnic samplings, opera and dance hall music converged on Deadwood streets during an era unlike any other."

This is the music captured in A Deadwood Songbook. And what a grand compilation it is! A rousing "Short’nin Bread" opens the show. "On Top of Old Smokey" brings it to a close. In between are "Gary Owen," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/Wade in the Water," "Camptown Races," "Red River Valley," "Dixie," and Yankee Doodle," among others.

A second collection, The Deadwood Songbook II, further investigates early-day music of the Gulch. (Of the two, my own personal favorite is #I. But, what’s not to like about "Goober Peas" and "Oh, Susanna/Polly Wolly Doodle", appearing on #II?) Both use instruments of the era: banjos, tambourines, spoons, hambone, wooden flute and Chinese pipa.

The CDs sell for $16 each, plus postage. Shop for them on the Adams Museum web site: www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org.

Contact the museum at 605-578-1714; 54 Sherman St., Deadwood, SD 57732.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

August 2007

Sure-Fire Western Heritage Winners
Since the early 60s, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum^® in Oklahoma City, has recognized individuals whose work preserves the stories of the West. Winning entries in literature, music, film and television are awarded the museum’s prestigious Western Heritage Award—the Wrangler.

This month I’m spotlighting two of the 2007 recipients. (Look for more in my Christmas gift-giving suggestions.) A complete listing of past winners, interesting in itself, is available at www.nationalcowboymuseum.org: "Events & Exhibitions," "Western Heritage Awards." Guidelines for submitting entries are also posted. Should you prefer, call the museum at (405) 478-2250, Ext. 221.

Timothy Egan, New York Times National Enterprise Reporter, won for nonfiction book with The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (Mariner Books, 2006, 352 pages, b/w photos, softcover; ISBN-13/EAN: 9780618346974). It also received the National Book Award and was named a best book of the year by both the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. The Seattle Times called it "a flat-out masterpiece of historical reportage." And for good reason.

Egan dug deep for the story buried beneath the disaster, seeking out tenacious survivors’ firsthand accounts. Focusing on a dozen families and the communities where they lived, Egan enhanced the stories through diary entries, newspaper and magazine articles, books, and museum archives. This is not an account of those who left, rather the tale of those who persevered against all odds and stayed.

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been so totally swept up in a book. From the moment I studied the map outlining the Dust Bowl region, through the last acknowledgment, it tore at my emotions—just as the dusters themselves tore at soil laid bare by well-intentioned homesteaders and suitcase farmers looking to make a quick buck. Both succumbed to a wheat-farming frenzy, plowing under fragile grasslands where cattle once grazed—including the famous XIT.

After several prosperous and productive years, weather patterns changed. Rain ceased to fall. Temperatures vaulted well into triple digits. Crops failed. Trees died. And the wind began to blow. Animals and humans suffocated and went blind from dusters. Farmers fed thistles and yucca to their cattle; farm wives prepared the same to feed their families. Storm-generated static electricity shorted out automobile starters. People breathed through masks and sponges and tried in vain to keep the dust out of their homes. Babies, adults, and livestock succumbed to dust pneumonia.

And yet, people stayed. With the Depression gripping the country, moving was more frightening than not.

Egan deftly slips his readers’ feet into the shoes of his characters. Native Americans, cowboys, con artists, hoodwinked homesteaders, compassionate businessmen, students, and government officials tread across the pages. The reader is helpless but to follow. A fictional plot could not have been more spellbinding.

The Worst Hard Time retails for $14.95.

Don Edwards earned his sixth Wrangler for Moonlight and Skies, named best traditional western music album. The Grammy-nominated Edwards had me from the start with "My Blue Heaven." I spent hours at the piano practicing the tune for a recital when I was in grade school.

You may wonder how "My Blue Heaven" made the cut on a Western music album. Edwards explains, "It was a monster number one hit in 1927 for America’s number one pop singer Gene Austin." Austin served as a significant role model for Jimmie Rodgers—considered the father of country music.

Rodgers’ title track, and his "Land of My Boyhood Dreams," bring the album back to its Western roots. Others among the baker’s dozen that I especially like include "Boots and Saddle," "The Long Trail," "Coyotes," and "Can’t Shake the Sands of Texas from My Shoes."

A musicologist, historian and author, Edwards is well versed in cowboy lore and musical traditions. The son of a vaudeville magician, he grew up listening to classical, jazz, blues and Western-swing. He was drawn to cowboy life by the books of Will James.

Moonlight and Skies, and a fistful of other Edwards’ releases, are available from Western Jubilee Recording Company, PO Box 9187, Colorado Springs, CO 80932; 1-800-707-2353; westernjubilee.com. Single CDs sell for $15; double sets are $25. (Shipping to U.S. addressees is free on website orders over $50).

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

July 2007

The Cowboy Way

Trying to define a cowboy is something akin to deciding which came first, the chicken or the egg.

America’s folk hero has been likened to Europe’s knights and Japan’s samurai warriors: young, brave, hard working, their lives replete with danger and excitement.

Figuratively and literally, people from around the world look up to the cowboy. The image has been blurred by time, legend, and the entertainment and fashion industries. What are the truths of the American cowboy?

Paul H. Carlson, professor of history at Texas Tech University, undertook the task of answering that question. Sixteen resulting essays and an annotated bibliography are assembled in The Cowboy Way: An Exploration of History and Culture (Texas Tech University Press, 2006, 236 pages, 26 b/w photos, softcover; ISBN-13: 978-0-89672-583-6).

Carlson’s insights on "Myth and the Modern Cowboy" are presented in chapter one. From 19th-century lads tending cattle horseback to urbanites flocking to Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, he examines the historical record and the mythical notions.

Carlson is joined by other scholars who explore the music, dress, humor, films, and literature of the cowboy. Included in the examination are African American, Hispanic, Native American, French, and English cowboys. There’s a chapter about the great cowboy strike of 1883. Still others address cowboy songs, the origins of rodeo, and how today’s cowboys compare with the myth.

I found "Work Clothes of American Cowboys" especially interesting. For instance, cowboys often wore suspenders to keep their wool or denim overalls in place. Some elected to wear bib overalls to further simplify their garb. John Stetson’s first cowboy hat, patterned after a Mexican sombrero, was made from a rabbit pelt.

"Cowboys and Sheepherders" are compared in chapter nine. At an average age of 24 years, cowboys were full of energy, well suited to a life of demanding, physical labor. The more mature sheepherders were considered to be thinkers, philosophers, careful with their charges—bands of sheep numbering from 1,000 to 2,500 head.

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield oft complained of getting no respect. Sheepherders suffered the same lot. While both cowboys and sheepherders tended livestock on the range, the lowly herder’s life lacked the romance of the cowboy. The sheep industry as a whole missed out on the adoration given over to the cowboy and rancher. Truth be known, sheep paid for many a cattle ranch in the West. And, sheepherders and sheepmen were generally accepted as more financially secure than cowboys and ranchers.

Carlson’s collection provides an amazing amount of information. Additionally, the bibliography directs readers to dozens of other titles of interest. Whether reading for pleasure or research, The Cowboy Way has something for everyone. This title is worthy of gift giving. Order now for Christmas, and get a head start on your shopping.

The Cowboy Way is available directly from Texas Tech and through booksellers. The softcover retails for $18.95. Contact the publisher at 800.832.4042; Texas Tech University Press, Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037; ttup@ttu.edu. Visit their Web site at www.ttup.ttu.edu.

Multi-talented Pop Wagner has a recording that cowboys of any era will enjoy. Ranging from classic to contemporary, Cinchin’ Saddles and Pullin’ Bridle Reins is the type of music, poetry and ballads that old-time cowboys might have recited or sung. It’s also the type of music that Wagner, a singer, picker, fiddler, trick rope artist and storyteller, performed on a George Peabody Award winning episode of A Prairie Home Companion.

Wagner opens the 15-track CD with Bruce Kiskaddon’s "Hittin’ the Trail Tonight." Hal Cannon set the classic poem to music. You’ll also find Curly Fletcher’s "Strawberry Roan," Jack Thorp’s "Choppo," and the traditional "Old Paint." There’s "Roving Cowboy," Ken Maynard’s adaptation of an old trail song; "Platonia" by Powder River Jack Lee; and Jimmy Driftwood’s "Tennessee Stud." (The last time I heard the latter performed in public was at the funeral of a dear neighbor who passed away in her 90s.) For good measure, Pop threw in "Buddies in the Saddle" by the Carter Family and two of his own compositions.

Hear track samples and order at https://www.cdbaby.com/all/popwagner. CDs are $14 plus $2.25 shipping. Contact Wagner at (612) 817-5898; popwagner@mac.com. Visit his Web site at www.popwagner.com.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

June 2007

Summer Fare
Summer is fast approaching. Time to grease the baler, fill the tank on the barbecue grill, and spiff up the parade rig.

Nothing says "summer" quite like a road trip. And there’s nobody I’d rather travel with than Andy Nelson (unless, of course, his big brother, Jim, is along for the ride). I’ve twice made the drive with the duo from Andy’s home in Pinedale, Wyoming, to Kanab, Utah, and back again—and lived to tell about it!

If you can’t travel with the Nelsons, listening to Full Nelson Shoeing will get you pretty close to the experience. The 25-track CD substitutes nicely for the banter and shenanigans. You’ll still need to swing by the convenience store for a dozen fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a couple 12" Subway sandwiches, bag of potato chips, pack of Snickers bars and a 32-ounce Mountain Dew before you can consider it an official Nelson road adventure.

Second-generation farriers, Andy and Jim co-host the weekly, syndicated "Clear Out West (C.O.W.) Radio" show: www.clearoutwest.com. They were named DJs of the year by the Western Music Association (WMA) and Academy of Western Artists. Andy is the WMA’s reigning outstanding male poet. He is also an ace emcee, able to handle whatever organizers might throw at him and make it look effortless.

Andy’s rib-tickling material is appropriate for ranch-savvy kids and grannies. Listen to full-track samples from Full Nelson Shoeing and others at www.cowpokepoet.com. Don’t be caught unprepared for summer travel, order now! Send $18 to Nelson at PO Box 1547, Pinedale, WY 82941; 307-367-2842; andy@cowpokepoet.com.

I never leave home without a book or magazine. Call it travel insurance. If I’m delayed, I have something to read. With road construction season in full swing, here’s a sure winner to have along: Diane Tribitt’s Trail Mix: Cowboy Language, Lingo, Poetry & Recipes (Beaver’s Pond Press, 2007, 303 pages, softcover, ISBN: 1-59298-171-2).

Part recipe book, part dictionary—augmented by cowboy sayings, poetry and photos—Trail Mix can be read anytime, anywhere. A couple gems nestled between the covers include "Never cry over spilt milk—it could have been whiskey" and "Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse."

Diane, who bills herself as Minnesota’s cowgirl poet, ranches near Hillman. A former rodeo events secretary, she also runs a construction crew that erects grain bins. Deep spirituality and faith have helped her overcome devastating losses in her life. That comes through in the introduction and the meaty text of several pieces. But, you’ll also find a lighthearted flare to the offering. The collection is an enjoyable, authentic ride. And, you’ll find tips, techniques and recipes for Dutch-oven and cast-iron cookery to boot!

Send $20.95 to Tribitt, 38034 193rd Street, Hillman, MN 56338. You may also order online from www.dianetribitt.com or at Amazon.com. Contact her at 320-277-3389; tribitt@brainerd.net.

A Cowboy’s Prayer, by Canadian singer-songwriter Barry Hertz, features 11 Badger Clark classics set to music. Among the tracks are "Jeff Hart," "The Song of the Leather," "A Cowboy's Prayer," "The Bunkhouse Orchestra," "To Her," and "Ridin'."

In the liner notes, Hertz tells of having heard a 1951 recording of Clark reciting "Ridin." Hertz said: "His poem sounded so lyrical that I wanted to set it to music." In 2001, he came across a copy of Clark’s Sun and Saddle Leather. After reading the introduction, Hertz came to the realization that you don’t have to be a cowboy to enjoy Clark’s poems, saying, "I too have the wind and the open skies of the West in my blood."

While this isn’t the first time Clark’s words have been set to music, I believe it’s the first audio project comprised entirely of his work. The tracks are sung pretty much as Clark wrote them—without a chorus. It’s a contemplative recording, not a toe tapper. Allow yourself time to truly listen to the words. Put your feet up and watch the sun set from the deck.

Order A Cowboy’s Prayer directly from Hertz, 132 Bracebridge Cres. SW, Calgary, Alberta Canada T2W 0Y7; b.hertz@telus.net (U.S. order, $17.50; in Canada, $20). CD Baby at www.cdbaby.com/cd/barryhertz2 carries the title and offers sample tracks of Barry’s folksy style with acoustic musical arrangements.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

May 2007

Vaqueros, Buckaroos and Cowboys
On the West Coast in centuries past, they were vaqueros. Today, in the Great Basin region, they’re buckaroos. On the Plains and in popular culture, they’re cowboys.

Confused?

A series of documentaries by Susan Jensen and Paul Singer, J&S Productions, explain the evolution—and distinction—of America’s horseman. Tapadero and The Remuda trace the origins of the continent’s earliest cowboys through film footage, photos and illustrations.

It’s a story that began in Mexico in 1775 when an expedition of 240 people and 1,000 head of cattle headed north toward what is today California. Franciscan friars and three vaqueros accompanied 20 families on the 1,200 mile trek. Funded by the Spanish government, the company was instructed to populate the land, convert the Natives to Catholicism and advance the Spanish Empire. To that end, they built a series of missions along the coast.

Vaqueros are considered among the world's greatest horsemen. Tapadero examines their role in establishing the missions and America’s cattle ranching sector. Ironically, beef wasn’t the focus of these pioneering ranchos. The cattle industry was driven by the hide and tallow trade. The bulk of a carcass was left to rot—which spawned a prolific bear population.

Filmed in California, Tapadero runs 82-minute in length. Besides providing a view of coastal ranching, there’s a detailed look at the vaquero way: the use of the hackamore, the spade bit and reata roping; his dress and gear.

Picking up where Tapadero leaves off, The Remuda was filmed in Nevada, Oregon, Arizona and California. Running a generous 92-minutes, it chronicles how the Great Basin buckaroo evolved from the vaquero. Figuring prominently in the transformation were large cattle operations like Miller & Lux, who moved cattle up the Great Basin of Nevada and Oregon when California’s open range was fenced following the Gold Rush. California vaqueros moved with these operations and became known as buckaroos.

Included in The Remuda are scenes from historic and modern ranches. For added entertainment, there’s footage from Jordan Valley, Oregon’s Big Loop Rodeo—known for its wild horse roping competition where competitors use 20-ft. loops. It also touches on riata braiding and educating children who reside on remote ranches.

The film makers wanted to put the history of buckaroo traditions in perspective. Such a discussion would not be complete without a demonstration of the hackamore, two-rein and straight-up-in-the-bridle process of horse training—a process that can take from eight to nine years. Isolated as they were from the rest of the world, early vaqueros had an abundance of time to devote to such training. To test their horses, they would attach a string from a Bull Durham tobacco bag between the reins and head stall. If they could ride all day without breaking the string, the horse was considered a well-trained bridle horse.

My favorite segment in The Remuda shows how horses are roped out of a Nevada cavvy. The mounts are trained to stand around the perimeter of the corral, facing outward. I had heard about this but had never seen it. It’s an everyday occurrence for these cowboys.
That’s what I like about the series. The films tell the stories of historic working ranches, families, long-time employees, day hands, and skilled gear artisans within each region. It’s good stuff.

And, they’re filled with good music too—cowboy music. You’ll hear Mike Beck, Christina Ortega, Dave Stamey and Ian Tyson on Tapadero. Beck, Stamey and Tyson are joined by Pedro Marquez on The Remuda. If you're not already familiar with these folks' music, you're in for a treat.

Two other films in the series are in production: Paniolos and Roughstring Rider.

Paniolos are Hawaiian cowboys, which is native for Espanol. Vaqueros from Alta, California, taught the Hawaiians how to handle cattle. They also introduced the guitar to the islanders. These cowboys ride and rope across a landscape of volcanic lava beds, tropical rain forests, deserts and wide-open grasslands.

Roughstring Rider portrays the cowboys of Montana and Wyoming. Adding to the challenges of their work are the hazards and difficulties associated with Northern Plains’ winters. J&S describes this horseman as a cross between the Texas-style cowboy who came north with the cattle drives and the Vaquero-style, Great Basin buckaroo, whose cattle populated the ranges of Wyoming and Montana.

You’ll have to wait until late September 2007 for Paniolo; November for Roughtstring Rider. However, Tapadero and The Remuda are available today. They sell for $20.95 each (postage paid. Canadian orders, please add $1.) Contact Susan Jensen, J&S Productions Dept. CJS, PO Box 91560, Santa Barbara, CA 93190; susanjensen@verizon.net; 805-695-0164; www.tapadero.com. Retailers nationwide also carry the series: www.tapadero.com./html/locations.html.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

April 2007

Celebrating Cowboy Poetry Week: April 15-21
It’s not everyday you hear Badger Clark—named South Dakota's first Poet Laureate in 1937—recite his first published poem. Acknowledged as one of cowboy poetry’s masters, Clark died a half century ago. To hear the classic "Ridin" as delivered by him in a vintage recording sure got my attention! It’s the first track on The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two.

An annual project of the non-profit Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, the CD is the second released in conjunction with Cowboy Poetry Week. The Center’s popular website— CowboyPoetry.com, home of the BAR-D Ranch—inaugurated Cowboy Poetry Week in 2002. The U.S. Senate recognized it by unanimous resolution in 2003. This year it runs April 15-21.

A central resource for Western and cowboy poetry and associated arts, CowboyPoetry.com posts thousands of contemporary and classic poems, classic cowboy songs, and works by current Western songwriters. A vibrant community of readers contribute poetry, news, gathering reports, stories and photos. The CDs archive an audio sampling of what’s posted therein. Not just a retail effort, CDs are distributed to rural libraries across the West, honoring the Center’s mission to promote and preserve Western heritage and serve rural populations.

This year’s selection brings a freshness to the genre, from the seldom-heard "Ridin" to South Dakota radio personality Jim Thompson’s recitation of Arthur Chapman’s classic, "Out Where the West Begins." The 27 tracks cover a lot of country.

Geographically, contributors live throughout the West. There are a few southern drawls and one who has the opposite issue—eh? Most appear on stage at regional and national gatherings: Doris Daley, Elizabeth Ebert, Paul Zarzyski (reciting S. Omar Barker’s "Horses vs. Hosses"), Jay Snider, Smoke Wade, Jo Lynne Kirkwood, Peggy Godfrey, Ken Cook, Darrell Arnold, Pat Richardson, DW Groethe, Don Kennington, Kent Rollins, Virginia Bennett, Janice Gilbertson, Rod Nichols, Diane Tribitt, and Yvonne Hollenbeck.

Along with Clark's, voices of some other respected poets who have passed on are preserved on the CD, including those of Sunny Hancock; J.B. Allen, reciting Gail I. Gardner’s famous "The Sierry Petes"; and Buck Ramsey, known as the "spiritual leader of cowboy poetry."

Noted reciter Randy Rieman delivers Bruce Kiskaddon’s classic, "When They’ve Finished Shipping Cattle in the Fall"; Jerry "Brooksie" Brooks performs Katherine Fall Pettey’s "Morning on the Desert"; and Arizona rancher Gail Steiger recites "Hail and Farewell," by his grandmother, Delia Gist Gardner, wife of Gail Gardner.

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.

Should you have a homebound or ranch-sick cowboy in your life, The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two is worth the price just to hear a horse’s nostrils rattle on Joel Nelson’s "Breaker in the Pen." It will put a smile on your face if you’ve ever worked around horses.

For rural readers, check your library for a Cowboy Poetry Week poster featuring Tim Cox’ artwork, "At His Own Pace." That will tell you they’ve received the CD through the Center's Rural Library Project. A 1920-era Texas cowboy, Orville Bennett, is pictured on the CD, father-in-law of one of the poets. Inside, there's a modern-day picture of South Dakota rancher and poet Ken Cook and his sons. Test drive it at the library; see what you think. I’m betting you’ll want to order a copy of your own.

The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two will be officially released April 15, 2007. It sells for $20, postpaid. (Those making new or renewal donations to the Center at the $100 or higher level will receive The BAR-D Roundup: Volume Two and the 2007 Cowboy Poetry Week poster featuring the Cox painting. The poster is not for sale, but donors at the $40 level can obtain it.)

Volume 1, released in 2006, is also available for $20, postpaid. Order both from CowboyPoetry.com, PO Box 330444, San Francisco, CA 94133 or online at http://www.CowboyPoetry.com/cd.htm. You can pay by a secure, on-line credit card payment (Paypal not required).

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski

March 2007

Classic and Contemporary Women of the Plains

Raised in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Willa Cather (1873-1947) was eight years old when her father moved the family to a homestead near Red Cloud, Webster County, Nebraska. The prairie was just as flat in the 1880s as it is today, but it had a cultural richness lost through subsequent generations.

Cather’s 1913 novel, O Pioneers!, reverses more than 100 years of ethnic homogenization. Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Bohemians and a few English-speaking characters toil throughout the narrative that brought her acclaim as one of America’s foremost novelists.

The Willa Cather Foundation at www.willacather.org hosts an impressive collection of all-things-Willa. "Cather Links" connect to more than 50 information sources including Nebraska National Register Sites, teaching guides and interviews.

An interview that appeared in the Philadelphia Record shortly after the publication of O Pioneers!—and 10 years before she won the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours—is insightful and inspiring. The writer, identified only as F.H., allowed Cather to talk about her work in lengthy, quoted passages. Lamenting the loss of her lush Virginia hills, Cather described how her ethically-diverse neighbors lessened the homesickness:

"I liked them from the first and they made up for what I missed in the country. I particularly liked the old women, they understood my homesickness and were kind to me. I had met "traveled" people in Virginia and in Washington, but these old women on the farms were the first people who ever gave me the real feeling of an older world across the sea. Even when they spoke very little English, the old women somehow managed to tell me a great many stories about the old country. They talk more freely to a child than to grown people, and I always felt as if every word they said to me counted for twenty.

"I have never found any intellectual excitement any more intense than I used to feel when I spent a morning with one of those old women at her baking or butter making. I used to ride home in the most unreasonable state of excitement; I always felt as if they told me so much more than they said—as if I had actually got inside another person’s skin..."

Of F.H.’s sparse commentary, one line succinctly summed up O Pioneers!. He, or she, described the book as "this magnificently grave and simple and poetic picture of early days on the uplands of Nebraska." If you haven’t yet discovered Cather’s powerful narratives (I confess to being a johnny-come-lately), start with O Pioneers!

Works published during Cather’s lifetime are listed chronologically at www.willacather.org/bibliography.htm. Clicking on the title links you to public domain, no cost, e-text editions. In addition to O Pioneers!, other titles available in e-text form include My Ántonia and One of Ours. Contact the Cather Foundation at 402-746-2653; info@willacather.org.

Yvonne Hollenbeck is capturing both contemporary and homestead-era tales of life on the Great Plains. A daughter of Harry and Ruth Hanson, she was raised near Gordon, Nebraska. When she married her rancher/roper husband, Glen, she packed up and moved north—across the state line to Clearfield, South Dakota. The Hollenbecks make their home on an outfit that has been in Glen’s family for several generations.

I mentioned previously that Yvonne was named as the Western Music Association’s first female poet of the year. That’s quite an honor for a ranchwife who divides her time between helping with chores—feeding cows and feeding the men, getting Glen packed and ready for his next big roping, quilting, and traveling to cowboy festivals across the West. It’s the time spent on the ranch that gives her poetry its authentic flavor.

In addition to three previously released CDs and an equal number of books, Yvonne has a dandy new recording out entitled What Would Martha Do?. You’ll find her popular poem by the same name on the collection, along with 13 other tracks (see complete track listing at www.cowboypoetry.com/yh.htm#bks). This isn’t Yvonne’s first recording, but it is easily her best. Her writing keeps getting better, and with the talented Rich O’Brien as producer, you know it’s gonna be good.

What Would Martha Do? is available for $18 postpaid from Hollenbeck at 30549 291st St., Clearfield, SD 57580; 605-557-3559; geetwo@gwtc.net; www.yvonnehollenbeck.com/.

Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle Road, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com.

© 2007, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column also appears in the Tri-State Livestock News

Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews

- by Jeri L. Dobrowski