Kings of Western Swing

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s really more to Western swing than Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (and, if you’re very hip to the contemporary cowboy jive, Asleep at the Wheel), your answer is right here on this 18-track compilation. OK, yes, it does open with a pretty obvious selection: Will and his boys doing “Take Me Back to Tulsa.” But it quickly dives into the deep cuts: the Crystal Springs Ramblers doing a saxophone-heavy “Fort Worth Stomp,” the Saddle Tramps with “Hot As I Am,” Jerry Irby and His Texas Ranchers singing the regretful “Nails in My Coffin,” etc. A reasonable person might ask whether all of these artists really qualify as “kings” of Western swing, but this album is a trove of obscure musical treasures.