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This is page 2; see more recent columns on page 1, here 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. 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. We're pleased to carry her monthly Cowboy Jam Session column, which is posted below. From the official press release at the launch of the column:
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December
November
October
SeptemberSee more recent columns on page 1, here.
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
December 2005
Books for Christmas Gift Giving
Last month I promised gift ideas for the reader. These are titles I came across during the course of the year and saved especially for this. They are worthy of the season’s fanciest wrappings.
Let’s set the mood with Christmas in the Old West: A Historical Scrapbook by Sam Travers. Owner of North Pole West, a Cody, Wyoming Christmas shop, Travers assembled an incredible collection of stories, reminiscences, recipes, photographs, clippings and advertisements about Christmas on the American frontier. Read it cover to cover or jump in anywhere and read what tickles your fancy. The design of the 252-page paperback is especially attractive; it would be great for a teacher.
The scrapbook begins with Lewis and Clark and spans all aspects of Western life. There are menus, recipes and instructions for old-fashioned ornaments. The book sells for $31 postpaid and is available from Mountain Press Publishing Co., PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806; (800) 234-5308; www.mountain-press.com.
I am excited that L .A. Huffman: Photographer of the American West by Larry Len Peterson is available in paperback! Originally released in 2003 (in a run of just 2000 hardback copies), it quickly sold out. In a phone conversation with the publisher, I asked if there would be a second printing. He assured me that they would not reprint. Thankfully, Mountain Press Publishing saw the potential and released it in paperback in September 2005.This handsome book contains 520 sepia-and-hand-tinted color photos in 308 oversized pages. Text and images chronicle Huffman’s career as a frontier photographer. A friend of Charlie Russell, Huffman is known for his images of plains Indians and working cowboys. Huffman served as post photographer at Fort Keogh, Montana Territory, and also maintained a studio in Miles City.
Send $48 (postpaid) to Mountain Press Publishing Co., PO Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806; (800) 234-5308; www.mountain-press.com. Order a copy for yourself, because once you see it, you won’t want to part with it.
My reading preference tends toward nonfiction, but when Western author Eugene C. Vories asked if I’d like to read one of his novels, I agreed. Vories, a frequent contributor to Cowboy Magazine, sent me a copy of Monte. Monte is a modern day rancher with strong feelings about what is right and does his best to defend a new neighbor against an unscrupulous banker. Vories spins a good yarn and keeps you guessing about what’s going to happen next. It’s obvious that Vories knows ranching, which I found refreshing.
The 123-page book (with regrettably small type) sells for $11.50 postpaid. Order from Vories at PO Box 214, La Veta, CO 81055-0214; (719) 742-5426; gvories@webcoast2coast.net. Other titles by Vories include Monte’s Revenge, Mr. Grant's Cowboy and Ride for the Brand.
If you’re searching for a gift for someone who appreciates quality poetry and fine Western art, consider Where Sagebrush Grows. Winner of the Will Rogers Medallion Award, "Sagebrush" is a collection of poetry by Darin Brookman with illustrations by Brian Asher. Either could have produced a book by themselves – together – the result is amazing.
Brookman works a fifth-generation farm and ranch straddling the Oklahoma/Texas state line. He is no wannabe. Same for Asher, whose eye for realism and detail is nothing short of astounding. You can read Brookman's poetry at www.CowboyPoetry.com/darinbrookman.htm. Visit Asher's web site at www.brianasherart.com. He sells prints at this site, and there’s one to suit most any horseman.
The 75-page, paperback is available for $23 from Pair'a Spurs Press; Rt. 2 Box 20, Hollis, OK 73550 or www.SilverCreekBooks.com. It is a small book, but one that you’ll find yourself picking up over and over again, thumbing through to gaze at the drawings.
Trixie, My Shetland Pony by Dr. Edward Keller is for the little cowpoke on your list. The third in Keller’s series of history picture books, "Trixie" tells of the adventures Keller shared with his pony while growing up near Stausburg, N.D. It will rekindle memories for older folks and enlighten today’s youngsters.
Other books in the series are My Mother’s Apron and My First Grade, 1932. All of the Early Dakota Prairie Series are illustrated by North Dakota artist, David Christy. The 56-page hardbacks sell for $19.95 each (include $2 per order for s/h) from Keller at 529 2nd Ave W, Dickinson, ND 58601; (701) 225-5302. You may also order online from http://www.lasercrafts.com/edkeller2.asp.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
November 2005
The Christmas Itch
Confession is supposed to be good for the soul, so here goes: I shop for Christmas gifts all year long. The upside is that I’m seldom wondering at the last minute what to get for someone. The downside is that sometimes I stash a gift and forget where I put it or forget I even bought it.
For those of you who might just be starting to think about the cowboys on your list, may I suggest an audio gift of music or poetry? (Suggestions for the readers in your bunkhouse next month.)
For those needing to get into the Christmas mood, let’s start with Christmas in Ol’ San Antone by Dicky Overby and Bobby Flores. A Western instrumental, there’s fiddle, guitar, mandolin, steel and piano. It sounds like the Christmases of my childhood. The 10 tracks, including "Away in a Manger," "Silver Bells" and "In Excelsis Deo" sell for $16.99 from www.yellowroserecords.com; P.O. Box 1526, Blanco, TX, 78606; 866-264-2400.
While you’re at Yellow Rose Records, check out Flores’ Too Many Rivers and Amber Digby’s Music from the Honky Tonks. This is Country/Western music the way it used to be, back in the 60s and early 70s, (Flores throws in a little Western swing). Some of the songs are classics, some just sound like the old standards. Either way, they’re a hit.
Songs of San Antonio: Western Swing by County Music Hall of Famer Billy Cate was brought to my attention by a music promoter. The steel guitar, drums, fiddle, bass and piano had my toes tappin’ from the start. Leading off with "Across the Alley from the Alamo" and ending with "Waltzing in Old San Antonio" every track salutes San Antonio. In between you’ll hear "Rose, My Rose of San Antone," "Rose of San Antone" and "San Antonio Rose." Send $15 to Texas Chisholm Trail Music, 100 Chisholm Trail, Cleburne, TX 76033; 817-641-7418; www.billycate.com.
Smoke from Distant Campfires: Classic Texas Tales Retold by Charles Williams takes you north on a mythical cattle drive. You’ll hear stories as cowboys might have while camped at night. A professional Santa, Williams is an effective storyteller. Accordion and guitar accompaniment blend nicely with the narratives. Ten tracks feature the works of historian/storytellers Andy Adams, Jack Thorpe, Caleb Pirtle and Williams. You’ll hear "Roping a Bear," "Night in Dodge City" and "Jim Red." Send $18 to Charles Williams, 6245 Chelsey Lane, Dallas, TX 75214; 214-750-1362; www.cowboypoetry.com/charleswilliams.htm.
If you have a baby-faced or grizzled cowboy in your bunkhouse, consider Writin’ for the Brand by Colen H. Sweeten Jr. A child of the Depression, Sweeten has a solid-gold personality that delights most who meet him. He recorded 60 poems on this two-disk CD where history, family and humor abound. Don’t tell him, but my dad is getting a copy of this in his stocking. "A Barnyard Ballet," "Goodbye Pard," "Livin’ in Town," "Memories of Christmas," "My Old Hat," "Reverence on the Range" and "Windmill " will delight and touch the heart of the listener. Send $17 to Colen Sweeten, 286 S. 1700 East, Springville UT 84663.
Heavens to Betsy is Betsy Bell Hagar’s debut album. An insightful songwriter in her own right, she set six Paul Zarzyski poems to music. The 12-track CD, produced by Rich O’Brien, alternates between the two. You’ll hear Zarzyski on "Star Light Star Bright." Beyond that, the vocals are all Hagar’s. Set aside time for serious listening, but be prepared for serious enjoyment. Zarzyski’s "The Christmas Saguaro Soiree" and "True Cowboy Love" and Hager’s "Santa Ann Nights" and "October Moon" stand out on this collaboration. Guitar, mandolin, piano, fiddle, viola, cello, steel, dobro, accordion and tenor sax take this project beyond ordinary. Send $20 to Side B Music, P.O. Box 1749, Monterey, CA 93942; www.paulzarzyski.com.
An upbeat "Payday" by the Flying J Wranglers opens Cowboy Dreamin. A six-piece house band that plays at the Flying J Ranch near Ruidoso, N.M., these folks are talented musicians! You’ll hear "Roly Poly," along with smokin’ fiddle tunes, including "Wild Fiddlers Rag." "Cowboy Blues," "Dakota Wind," "Mountain Railway" and a "Danny Boy/America the Beautiful" medley are highlights on the 13-track collection. Send $18 to Flying J Ranch, Box 2505, Ruidoso, NM 88355; http://www.flyingjranch.com; 888-458-3595.
Note: Christmas in Ol’ San Antone by Dicky Overby and Bobby Flores; Too Many Rivers by Bobby Flores; Music from the Honky Tonks by Amber Digby; Songs of San Antonio: Western Swing by Billy Cate; Heavens to Betsy by Betsy Bell Hagar; and Cowboy Dreamin by the Flying J Wranglers may be ordered for $13 each from Joe Baker, Backforty Bunkhouse Promotions, 106 Roswell St., Ruidoso, NM 88345; (505) 257-3955; www.BackfortyBunkhouse.com.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
October 2005
Talking Books
Shelter belts and wooded draws are announcing winter’s impending arrival. The autumnal color show reminds us that summer’s robust daylight will soon give way to evening’s lingering darkness. I welcome the shorter days. They provide the opportunity to revisit books previously set aside in haste – awaiting a less hectic season.
Unfortunately, not everyone is able to enjoy a book. Diminishing eyesight can steal the joy of reading. If you have a family member or friend who finds even large print text difficult or impossible to read, consider books on tape. The name and lending policies vary from state to state, but most libraries call them talking books.
Congress established library services for blind adults in 1931. In 1952, the needs of children were addressed; in 1962, the program added instructional music and scores; in 1966, services to individuals with physical impairments who are unable to read standard print were included, and in 1981, individuals with a reading disability based on a physical dysfunction.
In addition to commercially-produced tapes and those recorded by volunteers, the program provides tape players and headphones. Before receiving materials, individuals need to register with their state library. For the program specifics in your state, contact The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20542; 888-657-7323; http://www.loc.gov/nls/.
North Dakota has a readily assessable 83-page, on-line catalog of titles available – not all states do. Among them are several favorites of mine. The Checkered Years by Mary Dodge Woodward contains excerpts from Woodward’s 1884-1889 diary, written while living on a Bonanza Farm in Dakota Territory. If you think your life has challenges, give this first-hand account a-listen! Up Sims Creek: The First 100 Trips by Rodney Nelson is as lighthearted as Woodward’s is stark. For cowboy tales, consider They Were Good Men and Salty Cusses and Both Feet in the Stirrups by Bill Huntington. These are Old West stories at their best.
North Dakotans should contact the North Dakota State Library, 604 E Blvd Ave - Dept 250, Bismarck ND 58505-0800; 701-328-2492; 800-472-2104; http://ndsl.lib.state.nd.us/.
South Dakota offers not only talking books but Braille materials. The South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library has been in existence since 1969. Of particular interest in their collection is the autobiographical We Pointed Them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher by Edward Charles "Teddy" Abbott. Fiction fans will find an abundance of Zane Grey works.
Contact the South Dakota Braille and Talking Book Library at State Library Building, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501-2294; 605-773-3131; 800-423-6665, http://www.sdstatelibrary.com/talkbook/. Daniel Boyd is the librarian. Reach him at dan.boyd@state.sd.us.
Nebraska has quite a nice selection of Western and pioneer titles for their residents. Their selection includes cowboys, pioneers, frontiersmen, settlers, emigrants and Native Americans. Books described in this catalog may be fiction or nonfiction. Many are about Nebraska, the Great Plains and the Midwest. Others tell the tales of the California Gold Rush, frontier towns of the Southwest or fur trade in the Pacific Northwest. They also have radio dramas.
I see they have a recorded version of a book I purchased recently, The Old-time Cowhand, by Ramon Adams. While I haven’t read this particular title, it should be a good one. Adams authored numerous books on cowboys and the Old West and is recognized as an important and engaging historian.
Contact the Nebraska Library Commission, Talking Book and Braille Service at 1200 N St. Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023 or http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/tbbs/. David Oertli is the librarian. Reach him at 402-471-4038; 800-742-7691; doertli@nlc.state.ne.us
Among Montana’s 48,000-title collection are fiction and nonfiction for all ages, including magazines. There’s folklore, biographies, family sagas, Montana authors, Native American, pioneer, frontier life and Westerns. I spotted three sure-fire winners among their offering: the 1956 classic about frontier photographer L.A. Huffman, Before Barbed Wire by Mark Brown and W.R. Felton; The Range by Sherm Ewing; Recollections of Charlie Russell by Frank Linderman.
To find out more about their lending policy and available titles, contact the Montana Talking Book Library, PO Box 201800, Helena, MT 59620-1800; 406-444-2064; 800-332-3400; http://msl.mt.gov/tbl.
If your state isn’t included among those mentioned here, contact your local or state library for more information or go to http://www.loc.gov/nls/.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
September 2005
Academy of Western Artists Winners
Members of the Academy of Western Artists met in July for their annual convention and awards ceremony. Singers, poets and craftsmen from the Northern Great Plains have done well through the years at the Texas gathering – taking home awards in their respective categories. Space prohibits listing all 37 winners, but I’ll bring you up to speed on regional names you’ll recognize:
A Billings, Montana saddle maker, Chas Weldon, received the Will Rogers statuette for 30 years spent building gear for working cowboys, recreational riders and collectors. In recent years he has concentrated his efforts on building saddles, though in the early years he made a variety of items. To date, he’s made 500 saddles. Some were built at Connolly's in Billings, others in Sheridan, Wyo., at King’s. Two were purchased by singing cowboy, actor and businessman, Gene Autry. One of those was a gift to Nolan Ryan when the California Angels retired his number. A photo gallery of Weldon’s saddles may be seen at www.cowboysaddlery.com.
Wyoming’s hitcher/braider, Sara Hegel was recognized for her talents in converting horsehair to rope. According to Hegel’s website, it takes 3-to-4 people to put a mecate – Spanish for horsehair rope – together using hand-operated equipment. The ropes are used as reins, lead ropes and for decorations. Mane hair, unlike synthetic materials, is not broken down by UV radiation, and because it’s slick, it stays cleaner longer than cotton. The Douglas cowgirl and her husband own Hagel's Cowboy Gear, where they make patterned mane-hair ropes and cinches, plain and fancy leather headstalls, chinks, hobbles, spur straps, slobber straps and curb straps. View Hegel’s craftsmanship at www.mecates.com.
Yvonne Hollenbeck, Clearfield, S.D., was named outstanding cowgirl poet. Playing gatherings and festivals from California to Arizona, Texas to Colorado, Hollenbeck brings authenticity and creativity to the stage. She and her husband, Glen, raise cattle and horses north of Valentine, Neb. Because of her close ties to production agriculture, her poetry is as honest as it is entertaining. Although known predominantly for her quick wit and rhymes, Hollenbeck is also an accomplished quilter. She offers a traveling trunk show filled with quilts spanning 130 years. Her narrative, seasoned with poetry, illustrates the evolution of quilting within her own family as she unfolds and displays 30 cherished coverlets.
Hollenbeck’s schedule and merchandise are posted at www.yvonnehollenbeck.com. Among items offered for sale are her award-winning book, Where Prairie Flowers Bloom, and Dakota Cowboy Poetry, a CD recorded live at the Boss Cowman Conference Center in Lemmon, S.D. The CD includes Hollenbeck’s poetry, along with performances by Elizabeth Ebert, Rodney Nelson and Jess Howard.
Ebert, from Lemmon, S.D., and Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns, Newcastle, Wyo., were previously selected as outstanding female poet by the AWA membership.
Montana’s native son, Wylie Gustafson, gathered the most votes as Western music yodeler of the year, giving him back-to-back wins. In addition, Wylie & The Wild West was named outstanding Western music group. Merchandise and tour dates can be found at www.wyliewebsite.com.
AWA Western Region Disc Jockey honors went to brothers, Andy and James Nelson, Pinedale, Wyo. The duo hosts the always lighthearted, routinely wacky and occasionally informative Clear Out West (C.O.W.) Radio Show. I’ve mentioned them before, and they’re worth mentioning again. You can tune into C.O.W. Radio anytime, anywhere, thanks to the magic of the internet. Shows are archived, so you can catch up on ones you’ve missed: www.clearoutwest.com.
Of timely, regional interest is outstanding Western female vocalist, Juni Fisher. While she makes her home in Tennessee, she will be featured on Jim Thompson’s September 21 edition of Heritage of the American West, Spearfish, S.D. Call or email now to get your tickets, as this show should and could easily sell out: 605-722-2511; www.livewithjt.com.
I have both of Fisher’s recordings which are available at www.junifisher.net. Tumbleweed Letters is filled with historically-based ballads from the immigration and settlement of the American West. Several compositions contain reoccurring characters, helping to advance the story line further along the trail. You’ll meet Irish immigrants, a Jersey cow, a Cavalry mule and the "wicked Felina" from Marty Robbin’s "El Paso." Her "Sierry Boots," an epilogue to "The Sierry Petes," is exceptionally clever and playful.
For a complete listing of this year’s Academy of Western Artists’ award winners, go to www.awa-awards.org/index.htm.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
August 2005
Gunsmoke and the Western Legends Roundup
Marshal Dillon, Miss Kitty, Doc and Festus will be there – in spirit. Newly will be there in person. So will I.
Gunsmoke is being remembered on the 50th anniversary of its 1955 debut. Television’s longest running dramatic series, it is being honored at the Western Legends Roundup, August 23-28, in Kanab, Utah. It’s only fitting that the town on the Utah-Arizona border should make a fuss. Known as Utah’s Little Hollywood, Kanab served as a backdrop for several Gunsmoke episodes, in addition to 200 Western films.
The film industry got a foothold there in 1924 when Tom Mix starred in Deadwood Coach. Hard-working volunteers from the community of 3500 now pay homage to the movies and television series that followed: Stagecoach, Fort Apache, The Outlaw Josey Wales and The Lone Ranger. It is one of the finest events I’ve attended anywhere. I’m heading back for my third helping.
What makes the Roundup special? Naturally, there’s the spectacular vistas and rugged, red-rock mountains. The event offers free stage entertainment, a film festival, single-action shooters, art show, fiddle contest, quilt show, antique farm equipment display, cowboy parade, Western vendors, food booths, fashion show, working displays by blacksmiths and Navajo weavers, movie stars, movie location tours, a wagon train and Western heritage workshops. Many events are free; major shows require a $20-$25 ticket.
Of added interest this year is the release of Gunsmoke: An American Institution by Ben Costello. Published by Five Star Publications, the hardback promises biographies, photographs, episode logs and updates on cast members: www.fivestarpublications.com/book_detail.php?recordid=69. Watch for my report!
Actors honored include Buck Taylor – Newly O'Brien for eight seasons on Gunsmoke; Morgan Woodward of Dallas, with the record for most guest appearances on Gunsmoke; The Virginian, James Drury; Death Valley Days" star Penny Edwards; John Have Gun Will Travel Western and L.Q. Jones from The Wild Bunch and Gunsmoke. Don’t be surprised if you spot other familiar faces in the crowd. Clint Walker and Joe "Hoppy" Sullivan are regulars.
Unique to Kanab is the world’s only cowboy poetry rodeo. Sam Jackson serves as chute boss for the rodeo which encourages excellence through competition. Thirty or so cowboy poets enter to "ride" in four events: poet serious and poet humorous (original material by the rider); humorous recitation and serious recitation (works by another author).
Contestants pay an entry fee and are scored by five judges. The top half of the riders from the first day advance to the second go. A $5000 purse is split among the top five finishers in each event. First place winners also take home trophies and perform in Saturday’s always-a-sell-out night show. The Sons of the San Joaquin perform Saturday; Baxter Black is on tap Friday.
Contact Jackson at 4675 E. Vermillion Ave., Kanab, UT 84741; (435) 544-5459; lastcamp@kanab.net. Read a report on the 2004 event at CowboyPoetry.com, www.cowboypoetry.com/kanab2004.htm.
Another event in Kanab awarding serious prize money is the Dutch oven cook-off. The victorious team in the 3-pot contest (main dish, bread and dessert) advances to the World Championship Dutch Oven Cook-off. All dishes are prepared from scratch and cooked over a charcoal fire. Onlookers watch as teams rustle up a meal, the likes of which some fancy restaurants have never prepared
Last year I watched as C.O.W. boy Andy Nelson (www.clearoutwest.com) put fork to mouth and pencil to paper in his role as judge. The first dish presented for review was dessert. I had to find out how I could get in on the action. After asking around, organizers signed me up as a member of the 2005 Western Legends Roundup Dutch Oven Judging Team. I am looking forward to my assignment with zeal!
Kanab is as far south in Utah as you can get. Snuggled between Zion National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park, it is only an hour’s drive to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. The north rim is open May through October and far less crowded than the south rim. If you go to Kanab, set aside half a day for a drive to Grand Canyon Lodge and visitor center.
For detailed information on the Roundup, including advanced ticket sales, go to www.westernlegendsroundup.com. Call (435) 644-3444; email kane@westernlegendsroundup.com.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
July 2005
Road-Trip Tunes and Titles
Between trips to the dentist and photographing weddings, I am on the road more than usual. Besides packing a suitcase and my camera, I take a few CDs and books. The CDs keep me company while I travel. Books give me something to read in the evening or if I’m delayed by road construction or a doctor who is running late. Whatever I have with me is profoundly more interesting than the outdated potluck found in most waiting rooms.
It’s the rare trip that I don’t pack at least a couple Wylie Gustafson recordings. Of the ten in my collection, those most often in my car are "Paradise," "Hooves of the Horses" and "Ridin’ the Hi-Line." I bet I’ve traveled 10,000 miles listening to Wylie. His retro, old-school Western sound makes the miles fly. Known by millions as the voice behind the Yahoo yodel, Gustafson and his band navigate swing and traditional cowboy tunes with ease. If you aren’t already a fan, it’s because you haven’t heard them.
To order these and other titles ($15 plus shipping), go to www.wyliewebsite.com or call 509-549-3364. The web site includes the band’s itinerary should you want to catch a live performance.
Also entertaining me for many a mile is "Tales from West River" by DW Groethe. Of Groethe’s four recordings, this is my personal favorite and Baxter Black’s too. Black recently included the CD among those that he keeps in his pickup, singling out "When True Love Runs Thin." I am fond of "I Go Ridin" and "One for the Workin’ Cowboys." Acoustic guitar and bass are the only accompaniment you’ll hear behind the original Western songs and poems.
To get a feel for Groethe’s wide-ranging style, check out his honored guest page at CowboyPoetry.com: www.cowboypoetry.com/dwgroethe.htm. It contains the words to three of the offerings on this CD: "The Fence," " Fifty a Day" and "One for the Workin' Cowboys." It sells for $17 postpaid. Order directly from DW Groethe, PO Box 144 (Attn: CJS), Bainville, MT 59212.
A book that has been tucked in my saddle bag of late is "Bertie and Me and Miles Too: Growing up on a Sandhills Ranch" by Billie Lee Snyder Thornburg. A sister to famed Western biographer, Nellie Snyder Yost, Thornburg captures the essence of homestead life of the early 1900s in this delightful book. Appropriate for all ages, the stories are about the Snyder children’s youth lived in McPherson County Nebraska. While the stories themselves are entertaining and insightful, well-chosen family photographs are every bit as appealing. Really, the photos are excellent and add to adventuresome feel of the book. It is a sequel to "Birdie and Me: Kids on a Ranch."
Published by The Old 101 Press, the 144-page paperback sells for $16.95 plus $6.95 shipping. You may order directly from Old 101 Press at www.theold101press.com. Write them at 2220 Leota, North Platte NE 69101 or call 308-532-1748. Thornburg founded Old 101 Press at the tender age of 90 with the specific intent of publishing folks’ life stories.
Keith Norman’s "Great People of the Great Plains Vol. 1: 25 Biographies of People Who Shaped the Dakotas" is also in my car. Akin to stories that Norman produces for his daily radio show, "Great Stores of the Great Plains," these contained in the book were too lengthy for air play. Still, most are brief enough for a quick read before turning in for the night. They range from a short two pages on Calamity Jane to a more in depth 16 pages about Sitting Bull. Also included are bios of political leaders, soldiers, traders and ministers. While the editing could have been tighter, the stories are nonetheless interesting and varied.
The 134-page paperback sells for $14.95 + $3.95 shipping. Send check or money order to Tumbleweed Studios, 8255 37th St. SE, Jamestown, ND 58401. An order form can be printed at www.tumbleweednetwork.com. The site also lists the radio stations that carry Norman’s radio show.
If you have trouble locating any of the above items, check with Doug and Mary Ellison at Western Edge Books, Artwork and Music, PO Box 466, Medora, ND 58645; (701) 623-4345; ellison@midstate.net. They stock a dandy inventory of Western-theme items and carry several of this month’s picks.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
June 2005
It’s the Cowboy Life for Me
Mention the West and some folks think of mountains and cowboys. The two highest elevations we have in these parts are 2700-ft Blue Mountain, north of Wibaux, Mont., and 3400-ft Sentinel Butte, east of Beach, N.D. But, we do have cow-calf operations and the people who run them. Those residing and working on ranches may not be comfortable with the cowboy label, preferring rancher, cattleman, cowman, stockman or simply, hand. Whatever you call them, they are the ones putting meat on your plate.
Publisher Darrell Arnold calls ‘em cowboys. Debuting in 1990, he named his upstart publication in honor of them. He previously spent five years as an associate editor at "Western Horseman" and did a one-year stint with "Texas Longhorn Journal." Written by, for and about real working hands, "Cowboy Magazine" is a favorite among those who know which end of a cow eats hay. I have a few rancher friends who have let other subscriptions expire but wouldn’t think of being without "Cowboy Magazine." Featuring around 15 stories per issue, Arnold, his writers and illustrators, turn out a publication that’s a hit with those accustomed to the not-so-glamorous side of cowboy life. Even the advertisements are good!
To get a feel for what the quarterly offers, go to www.cowboymagazine.com. Arnold posts at least one story and a poem from each issue. A one-year subscription (4 issues) is $20.00; $35.00 will cover you for two years and eight issues. Contact Arnold at (719) 742-5250; P.O. Box 126, La Veta CO 81055; info@cowboymagazine.com.
In 15 years of publishing "Cowboy Magazine," Arnold has printed a variety of contemporary, historic, heroic, animal-tribute and humorous tales. "Good Medicine" is a collection of humorous offerings that have appeared between the covers since 1990. Believing that laughter is good for the soul, Arnold titled this, the first anthology he plans to release, "Good Medicine."
It is quite possible that among the 28 stories and seven poems contained within the 144-page softcover book that you’ll find one that sounds strangely similar to something you survived. Whether it’s a pickup-cow-roping mishap during calving season or working with snaky bulls, Arnold covered a good many reasons why the cowboy is an endangered species. A few of the talented contributors include Baxter Black, Robert Dennis, Etienne Etcheverry, Rolf Flake, DW Groethe, Jack Hanks, Willard Hollopeter, Walt La Rue, Mike Logan, Larry McWhorter, Bonnie Shields, Colen Sweeten and Eugene C. Vories. It sells for $12 plus $3 shipping. Order from the La Veta address above.
Duane Dickinson, Scobey, Mont., is one of the keepers of the music of the first cowboys – those working as trail hands in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In many instances, the songs started out as poems recited by trail-weary hands, eventually being set to music. Known for his extensive repertoire of classic cowboy songs, Dickinson learned many of them the old-fashioned way – from his father. A Montana native and retired rancher, he has performed at festivals and gatherings across the West.
"When the Work’s All Done This Fall" is Dickinson’s most recent recording. It contains 17 old-time cowboy songs, among them "When the Work’s All Done This Fall," "Texas in the Spring," "My Home’s in Montana," "‘Longside the Santa Fe Trail," "Little Joe the Wrangler," "Git Along Little Dogies," and one of Dickinson’s own compositions, "The Long, Long Texas Trail." The latter title will make northern Great Plains inhabitants feel right at home. With just the right amount of acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle accompaniment, you’ll like Dickinson’s easy-going style. The CD sells for $15 plus $2 shipping. Order from Liz Masterson, PO Box 12699, Denver, CO 80212; (303) 433-4949; www.westernserenade.com.
Cowboy life has long captivated the imagination of outsiders, who see it as romantic and adventuresome. "Music, Saddles & Flapjacks: Dudes at the OTO Ranch" tells the history of Montana’s first dude ranch, the OTO. Written by Roberta Cheney and Clyde Erskine, the duo explains how Dick Randall homesteaded on the northern edge of Yellowstone Park in 1898 and almost immediately began welcoming guests. The mountain ranch ran cattle and accommodated guests – offering trail rides and big game hunts.
Included within the 115 pages are stories of daily life with the dudes – as well as the off season – which was spent marketing the enterprise. Located near Chico Hot Springs, the ranch flourished in the 1920s, the heyday of guest ranching. Cabins ran at full capacity until the stock market crash and subsequent demise of the dude ranch industry. Originally published in 1978, a second printing from Mountain Press Publishing Company, Missoula, Mont., has put the title back in bookstores. It is generously illustrated with high-quality, vintage black-and-white photos. The cover price is $16.
If you have trouble locating any of the above items, check with Doug and Mary Ellison at Western Edge Books, Artwork and Music, PO Box 466, Medora, ND 58645; (701) 623-4345; ellison@midstate.net. They stock a dandy inventory of Western-theme items.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
May 2005
Attention horse trainers, sheepherders and cowboys
How many times have you heard the lament, "I wish somebody would reprint that book?" Saddle maker Rex Cook, Dickinson, N.D., and horse trainer Gary Gabrielson, Cottonwood, Minn., felt that way about Charles O. Williamson’s "Breaking and Training the Stock Horse." First copyrighted in 1950, Williamson’s method was a far cry from the techniques employed by old-time cowboys. He was an early advocate of rewarding a horse after it responded to pressure.
Cook used the book to start and train colts. He liked it because it told exactly what needed to be done – in the fewest words possible. Before tapes and classes, he could hold the book in one hand and the horse in the other, and get the job done. Cook recommended the book to lots of folks, including Gabrielson. Then, it went out of print. It sold on the secondary market for upwards of $40. Gabrielson suggested they reprint the title.
The 2005 soft-cover edition sells for a modest $15.95, plus $2 postage and handling. To order, contact Doug and Mary Ellison at Western Edge Books, Artwork and Music, PO Box 466, Medora, ND 58645; (701) 623-4345; ellison@midstate.net. The Ellisons not only stock the book, they are handling distribution. Pass this along to your local Western shop. They’ll want to add it to their inventory.
Folklorist Hal Cannon, credited with founding the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering held annually in Elko, Nev., is scouring the countryside in search of sheepherdering poems, songs and stories. He’s looking for real-life experiences of people who lived and worked in the sheep ranching sector of the American West. He’s already recorded cowboy poems about sheepherders, poems about sheep dogs, Peruvian sheepherding songs, New Zealand shearing songs, Basque sayings and Navajo prayers to the sheep.
If you know anyone who should be included in this CD project, or know of existing sheep-related recordings, contact Hal Cannon, Western Folklife Center Media, 101 Wasatch Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. Reach him at (801) 582-9576 or online at hcannon@westernfolklife.org.
Montana’s cowboy cartoonist, Wally Badgett, has released the latest in his long-running series of "Earl" books. "Cowboyin’ with Earl #14" is now available
Badgett signs each misadventure of the all-too-autobiographical strip with the alias, M.C. Tin Star, a throw back to his days with the Rosebud and Custer County Sheriffs’ Departments. (He was one of the good guys.) Having followed Earl’s missteps and blunders through the years, it’s an absolute joy to see how Badgett continues to improve his craft. Artistically, his work just keeps getting better.
Besides Earl #14, previous titles are available. If you act now, you could have one or two in time for Father’s Day. When ordering, specify the title number from among Earl #2 through #8, Earl #10 through #14 and "Cowboy Spirit," co-produced with Rick Haines. Books are $12 each. Shipping is $4.50 for 1-5 books; $6.50 for 5-10 books. Send checks to Big Dry LLC, PO Box 906, Miles City, MT 59301. Order online at www.earlshot.com. You may reach Badgett at (406) 396-1132.
A person’s friends and associates speak volumes without uttering a word. Take cowboy singer Fletcher Jowers, for example. His "Sing Me a Cowboy Song" CD had me hooked from the first listen. When I read the names of his song-writing buddies and back-up musicians, I was even more impressed.
Jowers shares musical credits with the likes of Red Steagall, with whom he coauthored "Sleepin' in My Leggins Tonight," and Cowboy Magazine Editor Darrell Arnold. Richard O’Brien, master producer of the recorded project, rode herd on "Sing Me a Cowboy Song" and contributed banjo and guitar tracks. These are names that bespeak quality and respect – which pours out through the speakers as Jowers warbles.
A mix of 12 original and traditional cowboy tunes, there’s enough of Jowers’ material to keep the CD from being just another collection of tired cowboy music. I especially like "A Cowboy Lullaby," "Ol’ Diamond," "When the Roses Bloom Next Spring" and "Trail Drive."
Baxter Black and Robert Keen penned "Young Lovers’ Waltz." "Annie Laurie," another fine waltz, wraps the collection. In fact, the CD is loaded with waltzes. If there’s someone in your outfit who adores a waltz, this is the perfect gift! Send $14.95 (postpaid) to Fletcher Jowers, 150 Alesha Rd., Red Oak, TX 75154. You may order online at www.fletcherjowers.com. Phone Jowers at (214) 317-0835 or (888) 876-6038.
Suggesting you part with $30 for a catalog might seem outrageous – unless the catalog showcases the items consigned to Brian Lebel’s annual Cody Old West Auction. Lebel’s 16th annual auction and cowboy show are set for June 23-25, 2005, in Cody, Wyo.
My knowledge of the catalogs goes back several years, when a friend and I took in our first Cody Cowboy Auction. There simply isn’t a more readily available, current research tool than these 50-60 page, full-color catalogs. An approved appraiser, Lebel does his homework, providing provenance for many items, as well as an estimated selling price. Offerings typically include cowboy gear, artwork, furniture, photographs, Western movie memorabilia and firearms. Following the sale, catalog purchasers receive a list of realized prices.
At press time, auction items were being professionally photographed. The catalog will be ready first week in June. To reserve your copy, send $30 to Cody Old West Auction, Cowboy Legacy Gallery, P.O. Box 2038, Carefree, AZ 85377. You may order online at www.codyoldwest.com or at (480) 595-8999.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
April 2005
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
Cowboy Poetry Week
April is celebrated as National Poetry Month. Of significance to ranch folks, let me add, April 17-23 is Cowboy Poetry Week. Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) sponsored a resolution recognizing the celebration in 2003.
The driving force behind the observance was, and continues to be, Margo Metegrano, boss at the Bar-D Ranch and editor of www.CowboyPoetry.com. Going on line January 1, 2000, the site is billed as the world’s largest, ongoing cowboy poetry gathering.
Visitors – one million annually – can subscribe to a free, quarterly e-mail newsletter. I prefer an on-line bookmark that takes me straight to "What’s New." A daily visit usually results in something new: features, newly posted poems, Western music news, events, award, "In Our Thoughts," and gathering reports – from the U.S. and Canada.
Then, there’s the archived poetry. Nowhere else can you access such an immense collection of classic and contemporary cowboy poetry in one location – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free. In January 2005, postings at CowboyPoetry.com exceeded 3200 works by 731 poets. Among the tally are Classic Cowboy Poetry by Service, O'Malley, Paterson and Kiskaddon
You’ll find contemporary and regional writers too: Darrell Arnold, T.J. Casey, Robert Dennis, Elizabeth Ebert, DW Groethe, Linda Hasselstrom, Jean Mathisen Haugen, Lynn Hendrickson, Yvonne Hollenbeck, Willard Hollopeter, Jess Howard, Chuck Larsen, Wallace McRae, Jane Morton, Andy Nelson, Rodney Nelson, Howard Parker, Gwen Petersen, Rick Pitt, Verlin Pitt, Sherri Ross, Earl Sampson, Georgie Sicking, R. G. Sowers, Rhonda Segwick Stearns. Biographical information and photographs are included for most, along with contact information, published or recorded works and where to order.
If that’s not enough, Metegrano and her sidekick, Bucky, camp out at the newsstand, keeping tabs on what’s hot off the presses. You’ll find that under Pards with New Books and Recordings. Bar-D Ranch wranglers have indexed more than 20 collections of cowboy poetry. The Cowboy Poetry Anthologies Index currently identifies works of more than 370 poets and songwriters.
Who Knows? tracks down the words to a poem or who wrote it. Poets and reciters wanting to improve their craft can learn about meter, slant or near rhymes, editing, copyrights and ethics under Cowboy Poetry Topics: Writing and Reciting Cowboy Poetry. There’s even a spot to weigh in on your Favorite Cowboy and Western Poems.
http://www.cowboypoetry.com/memories.htmUntil CowboyPoetry.com, there was no central repository devoted solely to cowboy poetry. It serves as a place to electronically publish poetry, encouraging writers’ efforts. And, poets say it’s responsible for putting them in touch with others and dispensing information about regional events.
Authors not given to verse can join in the Western Memories Project. Another kind of gathering, it celebrates and documents Western life in all its many facets. Readers are encouraged to share their memories or those of others at http://www.cowboypoetry.com/feats.htm#Writing.
Should you enjoy listening to others’ writings, there’s a schedule of radio shows: http://www.cowboypoetry.com/feats.htm#Radio. You’ll find links to regional favorites such as South Dakota’s Jim Thompson, Montana’s Ken Overcast, and Wyoming’s own Andy and Jim Nelson – all accessible on line.Work around the Bar-D is largely a volunteer effort. They're currently organizing as a non-profit and looking forward to public, private and corporate support.
Whether you’re comfortable around a computer or green-broke to the ways of the electronic world, you’ll get along fine at the Bar-D Ranch. CowboyPoetry.com is as gentle and easy going as a prized kid horse. The only warning that needs be offered is that one ride won’t be enough. The spread is too big to be seen in just one day.
For those computer-shy outfits, and those who prefer a book they can hold in their hands, the Bar-D comes through once again. "The Big Roundup: Classic and Contemporary Poetry from CowboyPoetry.com" is 432 pages of poetry gleaned from the Web site’s early days. Published in 2001 by New West Library, it was edited by Metegrano. Details and order information can be found at http://www.cowboypoetry.com/tbrorder.htm. The paperback sells for $21.95. It is also available at Amazon.com and www.silvercreekmusic.com.
To get in touch with the BAR-D Ranch, give them a holler at hollerin@cowboypoetry.com.
Tell ‘em Jeri sent you.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
March 2005
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
Gearin’ up for Spring Roundup
Spring officially arrives this month. While there’s still ice to chop and the horses are looking pretty shaggy, it won’t be long ‘til there’s a new crop of calves, colts and crocuses.
In open range days, spring meant the big outfits were hiring. Ranches kept a skeleton crew through the winter, letting the bulk of the cowboys go in the fall. The first one rehired was likely the cook, who might draw wages for a couple months before showing up for work. Cowhands were plentiful; cooks were scarce. Tasty food prepared from a well-stocked chuck wagon went a long way toward keeping cowboys with an outfit. A "pot rattler" worth his salt received $10-to-$15 more per month than a cowboy.
Ramon F. Adams chronicles the life of a chuck wagon cook in "Come an’ Get It: the Story of the Old Cowboy Cook." Originally published in 1952 by University of Oklahoma Press, it has been reprinted and is readily available. Illustrations by Nick Eggenhoffer add to this delightful account of the cow-camp chef. But, rustling chow wasn’t the only chore assigned to a cook. He acted as the crew’s seamstress, doctor, barber, banker, cobbler and referee. For all these reasons, it was advisable to stay in the good graces of the man they called Cookie.
The 170-page paperback by University of Oklahoma Press sells for $14.94. It is available from fine bookstores and the University’s extensive American West catalog at 1-800-627-7377 or www.oupress.com/.The Western Music Association’s 2004 Male Performer of the Year has a recording that pairs nicely Adams’ research. R.W. Hampton, New Mexico cowboy, singer and songwriter performs a one-man play entitled "The Last Cowboy." Although not identical to the play, his CD recording of "The Last Cowboy: His Journey" traces the span of the trail drive and open range cowboy. With his rich baritone voice, Hampton weaves his own "Born to be a Cowboy" and "Travelin’ Light" with traditional favorites such as "Night Rider’s Lament" and "Shenandoah."
Twenty-one tracks are contained on the CD which sells for $15. Shipping of $5 covers one title or four, so buy an extra for a gift. For a complete listing of his works, go to www.RWHampton.com or contact Hampton Land & Lyrics, PO Box 150, Cimarron NM 87714, 1-800-392-0822. You may also reach them via email at rw@springercoop.com.
On the subject of singing cowboys, I need to mention a film that was playing at the Western Folklife Center, Elko, Nev., during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. "Why the Cowboy Sings" was shot during the winter and captures everyday work and play on ranches in Montana, Nevada and Arkansas.
Produced and directed by Hal Cannon and Taki Telonidis, the film profiles Stephanie Davis, Henry Real Bird, Larry Schutte and Glenn Ohrlin, all of whom have performed at the Elko gathering. Cannon narrates the 57-minute Western Folklife Center production which asks each, "Why do you sing?"
For Shutte, the answer is his family’s love overflows, and they sing. Ohrlin says it chases away loneliness – although he knows solitude, he is not lonely. Real Bird says being a cowboy is as close to being as Indian as can be. He is both and sings the song of a food gatherer. Davis, a Montana native who lived for a time in Nashville, says music is the mainline from her heart. Cannon sums it up saying cowboys sing because it’s a tradition and because it’s natural. He asks why more lifestyles and occupations don’t sing.
Available as a DVD, it sells for $20 plus $5 shipping. To order, go the Folklife Center’s webpage at www.westernfolklife.org/wfcproductions.html or call them at 888-880-5885. If you prefer, write them at Western Folklife Center Store, 501 Railroad St., Elko, NV 89803.
If you can’t find the items mentioned here on-line or at your local cowboy shop, contact Doug and Mary Ellison at Western Edge Books, Artwork and Music, PO Box 466, Medora, ND 58645; 701-623-4345; ellison@midstate.net. They are my one-stop, sure-to-have-it, western book store.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
February 2005
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski\
Long Winter Nights
If your schedule is like mine, things slow down a bit in winter. It’s peak reading and hobby season.
Should you like to listen to something while scrap booking, drawing or tooling leather, let me suggest "Clear Out West." The weekly C.O.W. show is carried on 20 or so stations across Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Oregon. If you don’t live within the coverage range of these stations, not to worry! Through the magic of the Internet, you can listen to brothers Jim and Andy Nelson on your computer.
Originating from Pinedale, Wyo., "Clear Out West" is an hour of good-natured nonsense, cowboy music, poetry and hoof trimming pointers called "Farriers File." Past shows have covered such Western-seasoned subjects as cowboying during the great depression, the origins of rodeo, the Oklahoma land rush and country cooking. Jim and Andy do their homework, bringing forth tidbits and trivia that amuse and enlighten their listeners. At the end of each show they thank listeners for inviting them into their homes and feed trucks and remind them "Never stand behind a coughing milk cow." Tune into the Nelsons at www.clearoutwest.com/.
The winter issue of Persimmon Hill arrived in my mailbox recently. Named for the hill where the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Okla., was built, the full-color magazine covers Western history, art, rodeo, ranching and notable personalities.
I have a complete set of the magazine. It is an excellent resource reference. Past articles I’ve savored include the history of the Sons of the Pioneers; Basque sheepherders; Eaton’s Dude Ranch; watering holes of the West; American Indian beadwork; how cowboy songs came to be and the chuckwagon – commissary of the range.
A sampling of what’s covered in the latest issue includes artwork depicting the Lewis & Clark Trail; Arbuckle Coffee; an Army wife’s cooking adventures as she followed her lieutenant-husband to frontier Arizona posts; Justin Boots’ 125-Year Anniversary and Wrangler jeans.
The museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding in 2005. It would be a dandy time to start a subscription. Send $30 for one year to National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73111; 405-478-2250; www.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Dreaming of a midwinter getaway but can’t leave home? Consider the next best thing, a copy of "The Exploits of Ben Arnold: Indian Fighter, Gold Miner, Cowboy, Hunter & Army Scout." Written by Lewis F. Crawford and first published in 1926 as "Rekindling Camp Fires," the true story takes the reader on the Oregon Trail, to Montana for the gold rush and stops at every trading post along the Missouri River.
Ben Arnold (Conner) was a frontiersman with ties to much of the upper Great Plains. His descendants still live in South Dakota and Nebraska. From his mother’s death when he was only three days old, through the Civil War, till his passing in 1922, Arnold said his years spent as a cowboy were the happiest of his life.
The 336-page reprint by University of Oklahoma Press sells for $14.94. It is available from the University’s extensive American West catalog at 1-800-627-7377 or www.oupress.com/..
If you’ve ever longed for a collection from the days of the singing cowboy, this should set your toes-a-tappin’. "Songs of the West, Volume 1" takes you back to the days of Western movies with the first track. There is a total of 18 ballads, selected and remastered by Rhino Records.
"Back In The Saddle Again" by Gene Autry opens the gate; "Happy Trails" by Roy and Dale brings up the rear. In between there are such memorable classics as "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," "Cool Water," "Cattle Call," "Big Iron," "I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart," "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," "Mule Train" and "The Wayward Wind." By and large, the pieces are performed by those who originally made them popular: Walter Brennan, Patsy Montana, Tex Ritter.
If you can’t find any of the titles mentioned locally, contact Doug and Mary Ellison at Western Edge Books, Artwork and Music, PO Box 466, Medora, ND 58645; 701-623-4345; ellison@midstate.net.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
January 2005
Cowboy Jam Session: Western Culture News & Reviews
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski
Elko Bound
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. That’s what this column is all about.
Not just a book review, Cowboy Jam Session rides a slightly wider circle encompassing an expanded media offering. 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.
This month, we’re loading up the rig and heading for Elko, Nevada, and the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Held annually the last week in January, it’s right around the corner.
Fifteen cowboy poets, singers and story tellers from our coverage area are on the program. From Wyoming, there’s Jesse Ballantyne and Echo Roy Klaproth. Montanans Stephanie Davis, Duane Dickinson, DW Groethe, Wallace McRae, Gwen Peterson, Hank Real Bird and Paul Zarzyski are on deck. South Dakotans Linda Hasselstrom and Bill Wood join neighbor-to-the-north, Rodney Nelson. Ray Lashley, Jane Morton and Vess Quinlan represent Colorado.
In its 21st year, the Elko gathering runs January 22-29, 2005. In venues from one end of the hospitable town to the other, stages and auditoriums celebrate the golden age and contemporary face of cowboy poetry and song. Among workshops offered are horsehair hitching, pulled wool saddle blankets and Dutch oven cookery. For a look at what all the gathering offers, go to the Western Folklife Center Website at http://www.westernfolklife.org/site/content/view/36/69/. They also run an on-line store stocked with performers’ wares. Here are a few examples:
An anthology by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, "Cowboy Poetry Classics," covers a lot of ground. Twenty-four tracks, each a guaranteed classic of the genre, are contained on the CD. McRae offers "A Cowboy's Soliloquy" by D. J. O'Malley; Klaproth recites "Our Last Ride;" Wood is paired with S. Omar Barker’s "Rain on the Range" and Lashley gives his rendition of "The Strawberry Roan." An added bonus is Georgie Sicking, Kaycee, Wyoming, reciting Gail Gardner’s "The Moonshine Steer." You may order directly from Smithsonian Recordings at www.folkways.si.edu/search/AlbumDetails.aspx?ID=2964.
"Up Sims Creek: The First 100 Trips" is Rodney Nelson’s collection of rural-life stories. An accomplished poet, performer and senior circuit rodeo hand, Nelson is every bit as accomplished at storytelling. This printed collection of yarns brings you up to speed on what’s happening in and around Sims and Almont – on the North Dakota plains.
Sheridan’s Jesse Ballantyne released "Cowboy Serenade" in 2003. The CD includes several songs I heard Jesse sing in Elko that same year. He’s a repeat performer and for good reason, he knows the cowboy life. Ranch folks will identify with the contemporary lyrics and sentiments contained on this album, especially "Grandfather’s Brand."
Songwriter Stephanie Davis has had her music recorded by the best in the business, including Garth Brooks. "Crocus in the Snow" is a music and poetry CD featuring Davis and joined by heavy-hitters Garrison Keillor, Ranger (Riders in the Sky) Doug and Ray (Asleep at the Wheel) Benson. Expect traditional western acoustic sounds and a bit of western swing.
DW Groethe debuts "What Ever It Takes" this month. The 18 tracks of original music and rhyme take listeners on a sentimental – and sometimes silly – range tour. Carefully selected, the pieces jog right along as Groethe shows us around his beloved world, that of a day work hand. Not yet available on the Folklife Center’s Website, you may order directly from the artist. Send $15 to DW Groethe, PO Box 144, Bainville, MT 59212.
© 2005, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved
This column originally appeared in the Tri-State Livestock News
