Album Notes

Chicago's traditional and original country & western band the Gin Palace Jesters have released their sophomore CD "Roadhouse Riot...and other songs with words." Not since America’s FIRST country radio show “The WLS National Barn Dance” from Chicago went off the air in 1960 has country and western music this visceral and genuine been created outside of Nashville, Texas or California. With the band members being from Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, Iowa and beyond there are no “city slickers” in these 14 songs as the 12 originals and 2 covers contained on this disc faithfully pay homage to several sub-genres and regional styles from country music's rich past. "You Cry Alone" and “Losing Her Memory” tips the hat to Bakersfield styled Honky Tonk while “Ol’ Webb’s Bullhorn Pontiac” and “Roadhouse Riot” bring the sounds of 1950’s styled King Records Hillbilly music. "Down Beneath the Willows" calls to mind the Appalachian death ballad tradition while “Moonbeam” echoes the hillbilly Shakespeare Hank Williams. “Too Sad To Stay” is straight out of the western swing playbook, "Hit the Bricks" IS later period Sun Records and “Reflections Don’t Lie” is a classic country shuffle. They top it off with a faithful renditions of the Buck Owens weeper "Second Fiddle" and a Louvin Brothers song the Louvin Brothers never recorded “Are You Missing Me.” Playing self proclaimed “4-H music: Hard Hitting Hillbilly Honkytonk” this band delivers on it’s claims. This is the SOLID sound of REAL country straight from America's Heartland. The Gin Palace Jesters have done it again!