Album Notes

There's a new group "hubbin' it" in the music realm, Back At The Ranch. An amazing group sure to demand your attention, BATR delivers a swinging blend of original and roots-based music with Clover Carroll on guitar and resophonic guitar, Rachel Carroll on upright bass and Matthew Menke playing fiddle. The effortless ease with which the combo performs their classic selections will, as Red Steagall says, "...knock your hat in the creek!" Their upbeat stage presence and hilarious antics blend seamlessly together with pure harmonies and professional musicianship for a top-notch performance. The music of Back At The Ranch is a polished repertoire of Western Swing and Cowboy tunes.

All three members of the band are from small towns in Texas and bear the influences of the tradition of music the state is steeped in. Rachel has always been at home in front of an audience. Raised with no television in their country home, she and her siblings entertained one another by re-enacting Marty Robbins, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline tunes on the record player. Her self-possession and confidence on stage reflect that love of performance. Clover's earliest memories are of the dance floors and polka bands at his Czech family reunions. Even summer camp in the hill country was a musical experience, where he was encouraged to bring along his guitar and fell in love with Texas songwriting. Clover's unique fingerstyle guitar playing is the culmination of the influences of Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. Matthew Menke, hailed "Ace Fiddle Player" by the Austin Chronicle, has a history of music in his German roots. The antique fiddle he currently performs with was found beneath the floorboards of his great-grandfather's barn, "...along with a pearl-handled pistol," he adds. Matthew wields his fiddle in a style unmistakably flavored by Johnny Gimble, Tiny Moore and Kenny Baker.