Album Notes

Recordings are made for a reason, and the reason for WESTERNERS is our desire to celebrate the American West, preserve its history and honor its people. Proud we are to be native westerners many generations strong, with both our families traveling the emigrant trail in the 1850s and 1860s and establishing themselves in the present states of Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Our personal stories in brief:

Bruce (Nevada Slim) grew up helping work the family cattle ranch in northern Nevada; Susan (Cimarron Sue) was born and raised in Washington and has studied the histories and times of the four generations that proceeded her there.

We now make our home in the wheat country of southeastern Washington, less than 30 miles from where Susan’s family homesteaded in 1864 after spending more than a decade in Oregon.

The original songs on this recording reflect our personal heritage (The Ranch That I Can’t See, I Ride The Range) and explore possible histories of early western pioneers (Home To You, Cowboy’s Farewell). Prairie Rose Henderson, a pioneer of women’s rodeo who may have been an amalgam of two or more people, captured our imaginations with dramatic tales of her life and death (Show Me Mister, Common Wisdom). Out of pure sassiness we’ve included an upbeat story of western teenage heartbreak (The Cowboy That Made Me Blue) and Bruce’s first recorded original song, dating from the early 1950s (Buddy and Me). He was four years old.

To whet your listening appetite we’ve added cowboy poet Badger Clark’s “Border Affair” and Silver Screen cowboy favorites (I Got Spurs, Don’t Fence Me In, Happy Trails, They Call the Wind Mariah), plus that good ‘ol Eddie Arnold hit “Cattle Call”. We’re proud to include songs by fine contemporary writers that capture the spirit of an older west (Coyotes, The West, Waiting For Ice Cream) and know you will take as much pleasure in the work of these folks as we do.

So saddle up, pards, and enjoy!

Bruce and Susan Matley
Nevada Slim & Cimarron Sue