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Newest Rod Moag & Texas Grass
Bluegrass From the Heart
TexTrax 003. Recorded in Austin, Texas
Rod Moag's story is one of amazing accomplishment. The
gentlemanly and multi-talented "Pickin' Singin' Professor" is still
going strong with the release of Bluegrass From The Heart, Rod's sixth
album release since settling in Texas in 1988. That's pretty impressive
for a guy who has split his time between being a college professor
(recently retired), deejay (currently at KOOP-FM, Austin)
multi-instrumentalist, performer, recording artist, record producer,
author, historian and more!
In 2000, along with his singing partner Shirley Smith and
bassist Randy Rogers, Rod formed his current band, Road Moag & Texas
Grass. On Bluegrass From The Heart, they are joined by Texas bluegrass
pioneer Billy House, who many will remember from the legendary House
Brothers band, on guitar, as well as Rolf Sieker and Mark Stockton on
banjo. Rod contributes mandolin, fiddle and rhythm guitar. The songs are
from sources as diverse as Rod's musical interests and background would
suggest, including classic to contemporary bluegrass, early country,
western swing, folk/Americana, and gospel, all sensitively and
effectively rendered with a bluegrass touch by Texas Grass.
Bluegrass From the Heart is just what its title implies. No
doubt it will swell the ranks of the fans and friends of Rod Moag &
Texas Grass.
To purchase or hear a couple of the songs in mp3, visit the Discography Page.
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Rod's Newest: Remember Me
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Remember Me: Bill Malone and Rod Moag Play the Music of the Bailes Brothers
(Hillbilly Dreams 001). Recorded in Austin, Texas.
This is a collaboration between two retired professors, and
Rod's first duet project. The CD has been in the making for the last
couple of years. Moag and Malone first recorded the songs with mandolin
and guitar in an Austin, Texas studio, but during the last several
months, Rod has added other instruments to the mix and has brought in
several of Austin's finest musicians: Lloyd Maines (father of Natalie),
Cindy Cashdollar, Justin Trevino, and others. He in fact was able to
enlist the services of Tim O'Brien, when O'Brien gave a concert in the
Texas Capitol City. The last remaining Bailes Brother, Homer, an 83 year
old retired Methodist minister, also appears on two songs. The Bailes
Brothers were an immensely popular act both on the Grand Old Opry and
later on the Louisiana Hayride, as well as on recordings, in the 1940s,
but are largely forgotten today. Listening to Homer's singing will give a
sense of the vigor and power that distinguished the singing of the
Bailes Brothers nearly six decades ago.
Rod and Bill met several years ago when Malone was in Austin to
give a talk on country music. They discovered that they not only had
lifelong affection for the music of the Bailes Brothers, but that they
also were part of an Austin-Madison connection. Bill graduated from the
University of Texas in Austin, but wound up in Madison, Wisconsin. Rod
graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, but wound up at
the University of Texas in Austin where he taught Asian Indian
Languages. While at the University of Wisconsin in the 1960s, Rod had
been a member of one of Madison's earliest bluegrass bands, the
Bluegrass Hoppers (see Rod's discography section). On this tribute to
the Bailes Brothers, Moag and Malone strive to recapture the Brother
Duet vocal blend of the 1940s, while also featuring a variety of
instrumental accompaniments--everything from the Texas Shuffle Beat to
bluegrass). The CD packaging, which recalls the hillbilly song folios of
the 1940s, was expertly fashioned by Spencer Walts, a Madison Wisconsin
graphic arts designer.
Bill and Rod hope that these recordings will rekindle an
interest in the music of the Bailes Brothers, and that listeners will
gain a renewed interest in and appreciation for the themes of tragedy,
lost love, and fundamentalist fervor that once characterized country
music.
To purchase or hear a couple of the songs in mp3, visit the Discography Page.
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Also available is the album, Come And Dine, a
recording of bluegrass gospel. Recorded with Matt Menefee (banjo), Earl Garner (fiddle), Randy
Rogers (baritone & vocals & upright bass), Mack Smith (guest vocals), Shirley Smith (harmony vocals),
and of course Rod Moag (everything else), this collection of new and traditional songs is about, as
Rod put it, "country values which have guided and sustained me thoughout life."
To purchase or hear a couple of the songs in mp3, visit the Discography Page. |
