The Essential Bob Wills 1935-1947  (Audio CD) 
by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys

The Essential Bob Wills might more accurately be called The Essential Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. While Wills was certainly the charismatic stage presence, talent scout, songwriter, and Western-swing mastermind, the Playboys--one of the best bands to ever grace this earth--most shine on these early sides. From horn-heavy, big-band-inspired recordings such as "Osage Stomp" and "Right or Wrong" to fiddle-driven, closer-to-country classics such as "Take Me Back to Tulsa" and "Stay a Little Longer," it was primarily the incomparable playing of pianist Al Stricklin, steel legend Leon McAuliffe, and the other Playboys, not to mention the smoother-than-smooth vocals of the great Tommy Duncan, that made this band the Southwest's flagship two-steppin' outfit and that make these 20 tracks truly "essential." --David Cantwell