S3, Ep. 4: Violation Podcast, Bob Wills Makes Us Holler

On this, our third violation podcast, we finally get around to talking about the late, great King of Western Swing: Bob Wills.  

While wills didn’t invent Western Swing, he was most certainly the most recognizable face of the genre. Wills was a musical melting pot of sorts, combining traditional string music with the horns and phrasing of jazz ad big band music, and tossing in a good dose of Tejano, gospel, and anything else he could find. The result was a truly unique and utterly danceable music.  On top of that, he arranged or wrote some of the most  memorable and often-covered songs in 20th century popular music.

Wills’ secret was surrounding himself with some pretty hot musicians: Tiny Moore on mandolin, Leon McAauliffe on peddle steel, and the Great Tommy Duncan on vocals (just to name a few). The players, known as the Texas Playboys, delighted  audiences throughout the South and West, and influenced a whole slew on up and coming musicians.  

On this episode we each pick three of our favorite Bob Wills performances and discuss why Bob Wills’ music is as vital today as it was almost 100 years ago.