DALE WILLIAMS “The Eighth Wonder”

DALE WILLIAMS “The Eighth Wonder”

 
Here I Go Again – I’ll Try To Smile – I Like
You A Little – Mardis Gras – I Will Survive – Words Unspoken – Right On
The Money – The Eighth Wonder – A Woman’s Touch – Wouldn’t Have It Any
Other Way – Best Man – Mama’s Prayer – A Little Torn – Hangin’ High –
Livin’ Proof – Somewhere Between Tequila And Mexico
 
     My taste in country music usually finds its way back to a
traditional and/or rural sound.  Kind of hard to find that these days,
but sometimes a young artist will pop up with some of the most important
of those ingredients.  And, Dale Williams used two of my favorite upper
Midwest musicians on his recording session; Curt Shoemaker from Kansas
on steel.  This guy has what I call a very ‘sweet’ sound on the pedal
steel, fits very well with the love, lost love, love again, style of
writing that Dale Williams does.  All of these songs are his originals. 
Shoemaker adds just the right touch to make it a little ‘more’
country.  The other musician I’ve known since he was just a small boy
beginning to play fiddle.  Jason Shaw is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and has
taken just about every ‘win’ possible from the Winfield, Kansas,
competitions.  His ‘touch’ as they say in fiddle circles, is
unsurpassable.  Add to this a fine combination of various electric
guitar stylists, a good infusion of ‘honky-tonk’ some sincere country
lyrics, along with a poetic singer with a voice that means what it
says.  Whew, in one short sentence I have spoken what is so lacking in
what we hear in country music these days. Not sure where Dale did the
session, but the engineer also has a ‘sweet’ touch.  Nothing is over
done (so prevalent today), and nothing is buried in the mix.  I was
totally enthralled to listen to a young guy from Columbus, Nebraska, as
he sings songs he wrote, and found the way to have it recorded as good,
and in some cases certainly better, than anything we hear on country
radio these days.
     A little bit about Dale Williams.  He’s a country boy, grew up
in Columbus, Nebraska, at the edge of the famous sand hills, home to
dinosaurs and hidden bones. The great upper Midwest home of hidden
talented beauty. The words of a poet who grew up reading Carl Sandburg
and Laura Ingells Wilder.  Living life on the edge of ‘real’ country,
but spending a major portion of his time traveling and singing in
Germany and other points north and south in Europe.  He’s been on tour
to Germany twice, spending a lot of time in Bavaria, headquartering out
of Lauter.  Austria has also taken a liking to his songs, his music, his
persona, and his wonderful ability to keep his head on his shoulders
and face the world with an honest face and heart.  I would put this
particular recording up against any major label product coming out
today.  It’s only a matter of time before Dale Williams surfaces in
major radio air play.  He’s too good for even the most jaded disc jockey
(if such a creature exists) to not listen.
     I have a couple of favorites, “I Like You A Little” because it
includes the Dobro and banjo of Mike McCraken.  Well, yes, that’s the
‘base’ of good country music, and Dale includes it with some incredibly
good honky-tonk.  Actually I didn’t hear a ‘bad’ song on this
recording.  They’re all good, well spaced, adequately changed to keep
interest, and certainly full of love, lost love, and love again.  Good
going Dale Williams, come be with us on the Rural Music Gathering in
Fremont, Nebraska, again, October 5-6-7, 2013, and bring some of those
great musicians with you.
 
 Bob Everhart

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