LAWRENCE HARMS
Country Songs
The
Town Alive on 65 – Judy – Juke Box Play – Is It Wrong – Pride -May You
Never Be Alone Like Me – Lonesome Times – Search For Me – Where there’s A
Will There’s A Way – Grandma’s Country Kitchen – Hold Fast To The Right
Lawrence
Harms is a long-time traditional country singer from Missouri that has
been ‘keeping the music alive’ for a very long time. He worked for
Silver Dollar City in Branson way way back when the music was old-time
fiddling and old-time mountain-country Ozark style music. It’s fun to
listen to that again, and brings back fabulous memories of where ‘real’
country music originally came from in our part of the world. The
Ozarks, like the Appalachians, is a mountain life-style that
incorporates into their local and regional music ‘truths’ that stand
out, not only in feelings, but in historical happenings. Lawrence
(better known in local circles as Larry) Harms is also a tremendous
writer of these kind of ‘truth’ songs. He’s a strong traditionalist and
keeps that ‘spirit’ alive. Unknown where this was recorded at, but his
voice is strong and clear, and stands out just as it should. The
old-time methods used for recordings sometimes overlooks the obvious,
but even this is not a critique for Larry’s voice is loud and clear. Not
one to ‘chase fame’ he has always been a participant rather than a
competitor, and keeps good old-time gospel music at the forefront of his
repertoire as well. A well liked local and regional country singer,
Larry has been in the forefront of Missouri Ozark Mountain traditional
country music for something like fifty years. I certainly welcome the
opportunity to listen to, and review favorably, this recapture of a
great musical genre that is rapidly disappearing from the American music
scene. Still, as long as there is a Lawrence Harms, there will be the
very focus of what ‘rural’ music is all about, whether it be on a huge
grain farm or a small Ozark mountain garden. Thank you Larry for all
the great music, send us some more.
www.music-savers.com – RECORD REVIEW BY Bob Everhart., Pres., National Traditional Country Music Association for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show