Margo Metagrano, Cowboypoetry.com
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Who better than Juni Fisher to tell the stories?
From Cowboypoetry.com, Margo Metagrano
Top singer and songwriter Juni Fisher's Let 'er Go 'Let 'er Buck' Let 'er Fly celebrates the men, women, and horses of the Pendleton Round-up—marking its 100th anniversary in 2010. There are eight original songs along with others written by Ian Tyson ("The Amber Saddle"); Wylie Gustafson and Paul Zarzyski ("A Pony Called Love"); and Hal Ketchum and Danny O'Keefe ("Jackson Sundown").
She introduces three legendary Pendleton riders in her original songs: Bonnie McCarroll, Prairie Rose Clayton, and Yakima Canutt. Her audio commentaries and liner notes reflect the depth of research that went into this project, including interviews with participants, family, and experts, and hours in archives and museums poring over photographs and films, listening to tapes, and studying books.
A pioneer in her own world, who better than Juni Fisher to tell the stories of other women who fought for their place in a mostly-male world. In 2008, Juni Fisher was the first female to receive the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Traditional Western Album from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (for Gone to Colorado) and the first female to receive the Songwriter of the Year Award in the history of the Western Music Association.
The title song is introduced and the names of the saddle bronc-riding women are proudly stated. Juni Fisher states, "This song is for every one of them." "Cowgirlfriends," a fun, cheeky duet with Patty Clayton has already received wide radio play. Juni Fisher writes about its inspiration, "After studying 900-plus archived photos of early rodeo performers, it became evident which cowgirls were friends and which were not."
But the women's stories are just one part of this project. Rodeo greats Jackson Sundown and Jerry Ambler have their places. And others are mentioned in other songs, particularly in the inventive "Snubbin' Horse (Not for Me)," a hats off to the forebears of pickup horses, told from a snubbing horse's perspective. Other tracks include "A Horse Like You," a swing-style song to a favorite horse and "Round-up to Remember," a rousing, catchy tune for the Pendleton Rodeo itself.
Few can set a mood and bring characters to life as well as Juni Fisher. Songs from past acclaimed albums, including Gone to Colorado, Tumbleweed Letters, Sideshow Romance, and Cowgirlography are recognized as important and lasting contributions to the Western music canon. Her songwriting magic creates worlds. Andy Nelson (who plays the part of a rodeo announcer on the cleverly-written introduction to "A Pony Called Love") says it well in his vivid description of Let 'er Go 'Let 'er Buck' Let 'er Fly: "In an instant I was a century younger, I tasted the dust in the Pendleton arena, I smelled the lathered bucking stock, I rode with Jackson Sundown, and I witnessed Bonnie McCarroll's fateful ride."
Top musicians with great fiddles, mandolins, piano, Irish banjo and more add to the mix and to the uncompromising quality of the production. The snappy package design by Jeri Dobrowski with cover art background by Janene Grende (www.janenegrende.com) captures the spirit of the lively tales inside.
Find the complete track list, the song "Bonnie McCarroll," and more about Juni Fisher in our feature here.
Top singer and songwriter Juni Fisher's Let 'er Go 'Let 'er Buck' Let 'er Fly celebrates the men, women, and horses of the Pendleton Round-up—marking its 100th anniversary in 2010. There are eight original songs along with others written by Ian Tyson ("The Amber Saddle"); Wylie Gustafson and Paul Zarzyski ("A Pony Called Love"); and Hal Ketchum and Danny O'Keefe ("Jackson Sundown").
She introduces three legendary Pendleton riders in her original songs: Bonnie McCarroll, Prairie Rose Clayton, and Yakima Canutt. Her audio commentaries and liner notes reflect the depth of research that went into this project, including interviews with participants, family, and experts, and hours in archives and museums poring over photographs and films, listening to tapes, and studying books.
A pioneer in her own world, who better than Juni Fisher to tell the stories of other women who fought for their place in a mostly-male world. In 2008, Juni Fisher was the first female to receive the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Traditional Western Album from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum (for Gone to Colorado) and the first female to receive the Songwriter of the Year Award in the history of the Western Music Association.
The title song is introduced and the names of the saddle bronc-riding women are proudly stated. Juni Fisher states, "This song is for every one of them." "Cowgirlfriends," a fun, cheeky duet with Patty Clayton has already received wide radio play. Juni Fisher writes about its inspiration, "After studying 900-plus archived photos of early rodeo performers, it became evident which cowgirls were friends and which were not."
But the women's stories are just one part of this project. Rodeo greats Jackson Sundown and Jerry Ambler have their places. And others are mentioned in other songs, particularly in the inventive "Snubbin' Horse (Not for Me)," a hats off to the forebears of pickup horses, told from a snubbing horse's perspective. Other tracks include "A Horse Like You," a swing-style song to a favorite horse and "Round-up to Remember," a rousing, catchy tune for the Pendleton Rodeo itself.
Few can set a mood and bring characters to life as well as Juni Fisher. Songs from past acclaimed albums, including Gone to Colorado, Tumbleweed Letters, Sideshow Romance, and Cowgirlography are recognized as important and lasting contributions to the Western music canon. Her songwriting magic creates worlds. Andy Nelson (who plays the part of a rodeo announcer on the cleverly-written introduction to "A Pony Called Love") says it well in his vivid description of Let 'er Go 'Let 'er Buck' Let 'er Fly: "In an instant I was a century younger, I tasted the dust in the Pendleton arena, I smelled the lathered bucking stock, I rode with Jackson Sundown, and I witnessed Bonnie McCarroll's fateful ride."
Top musicians with great fiddles, mandolins, piano, Irish banjo and more add to the mix and to the uncompromising quality of the production. The snappy package design by Jeri Dobrowski with cover art background by Janene Grende (www.janenegrende.com) captures the spirit of the lively tales inside.
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