Place is small. No stage. But the Pacifico beer is cold and owner Roberto's margaritas hit the spot.

Some of the bands we prsented were:

• Jimmy Allen and his 6-piece band, a great band, that started off with San Antonio Rose.

• The Twangbusters, a classic country, Webb {Ierce singing band featuring Paula Bradley on vocals and Peter Zarkanas on guitar.

• The Country Jam Band with Cowboy Brian Dean on piano a terrific steel player Tim O'Metz.

• The Roy Sludge Trio featuring Duke Levine, a terrific tasteful player whose Telecaster at times sounds like a pedal steel closer than anyone. Not too many others around here (or anywhere) play Joe Maphis tunes as effortlessly as Maphis himself. And Sludge can sing low like ET himself.

• Coming soon are Stan Martin, Houston Bernard and Drew Townson.

The CD "Goodbye Liza Jane: Hello Western Swing!" continues to sell ... even though I've suspended advertising — (except for this).

Thanks to all who bought a copy. (Plenty left.)

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzV-RXzksQ0

It's a tribute to Herb and Bob Wills, Tommy Duncan and many more western swing all-stars, all against the backdrop of Deep Water featuring Herb from the CD "Goodbye Liza Jane: Hello Western Swing!" I think you'll enjoy it.

Sorry it's been so long since the last bit of news. The CD has been sellign well in Texas mostly, where it's advertised. I received a letter froma  former soundman who handled sound for Bob in the 1960s at an Air Force Base. He said the CD captured Bob's sound, which was gratifying to hear. I'll talk more about that in the very near future.

For now, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzV-RXzksQ0

• Hope you have a terrific swinging Thanksgiving Day.

• Goodbye Liza Jane: Hello Western Swing! is the perfect gift for Christmas and Yankee swaps and will please any western swing fan. Buy several at once and receive one dollar off every CD after the first one.

This special deal takes place between Nov. 20-Dec.25.

And we did!

Today (Sept. 16) we picked up a new shipment of CDs.

For those of you who back-ordered the CD, thanks for your patience.

Your CDs were shipped to you today! We didn't want another minute to go by.

We hope — and believe you will — enjoy the CD.

In the coming weeks, look for our ads in the Texas-Oklahoma papers and TV —

And hear our ad over powerful KZHE in Magnolia Arkansas.

Good news back here in New England. Stretch Dawrson from Scotland will be coming here for a short tour with a small band that will feature the wonderful fiddle player Rich Dubois who's featured on Goodbye Liza Jane.

That's all for now.

Best,

Peter

I've posted a few of the photos I snapped as I drove through beautiful and desolate West Texas to towns such as Floydada, Plainview, Paducah and Matador, where I searched for railroad depots, theaters, downtowns, old railcars on farms and windmills.

At one point, I think around Tell, Texas, I drove 15 miles, then had to turn back because I came upon a "Road Closed" sign. My GPS didn't help me there.

Best of all was the chance to meet local residents who recall seeing Bob Wills perform in or near their town.

•  Musical highlights were hearing Leon Rausch sing, Bobby Koefer play swinging steel guitar and Louise Rowe play great bass. All the musicians were stellar.

• Caught Dave Alexander's act at the Gem Theater in Turkey. Excellent trumpet player and quite a showman. He also plays guitar, but I think he said he suffered a hand injury in a roping accident.

He really knows how to rev up a song whether it's with his own band or sitting in on trumpet with the Texas Playboys. I noticed that his trumpet bag was signed by, among others, the legendary drummer Smokey Dacus.

Playing steel in Dave's band, to my surprise and delight, was Maurice Anderson, a Texas Playboy with Bob Wills in the 1960s. If you've ever seen footage of Billy Gray's Dallas-based TV show featuring Bob Wills (with Billy Jack, Luke and Joe Andrews among others) you saw 2 (!) steel players in the band.. Gene Crownover and Maurice Anderson... and wow, both were distinctive and jazzy and great.

I asked Maurice how it came to be — 2 steel players in one band.

It's just what Bob wanted, Anderson told me, adding that those days were a highlight of his life.

I happily gave Maurice a "Goodbye Liza Jane: Hello Western Swing!" CD!!! (Dave got one, too, and said he might play it on his radio show. Thanks.)

Also in Dave's band was a fabulous guitarist who comped chords like Freddie Green, threw in running bass lines a la Eldon Shamblin and was just plain solid as a rock.. flashy by being not flashy, but he was driving the band along with a swinging bass and drums (both excellent).

It was none other than Dick Gimble, son of the great Johnny Gimble. They said Johnny has suffered a stroke.. so I'm sure life isn't easy right now for the family. My best wishes to an ultra-talented and awesome musical family. Thanks, Dick.

Got a chance finally to visit the Church of Western Swing. This is a dream club, though technically it's not a club because they don't sell booze... but it's a terrific place to hear western swing ... it's got sofas and theater seats... and a perfect dance floor and stage.

Everything's just right...

Henry Baker, church co-founder and co-bandleader (with Bob Baker, steel player and unrelated to Henry) was gracious enough to let me sit in.

The band grumbled a bit (rightfully) when I asked them to play  Milk Cow Blues in the key of G when it's almost always done in A.

Don't worry, assured one fiddler, you'll get there in A..

No, it's gotta be G, I pleaded.

My only regret was I was so nervous I didn't give solos all around.

At least I thought I was being funny.... I got on-stage after a well known western swing fan and musician who visits each year from Japan played a Right or Wrong.

If you think that's a foreign country, I said, how 'bout Massachusetts?

So-so reaction.

Anyway, next time maybe I'll sing a more obscure (but not too obscure) song such as Sick Sober and Sorry or Bluebonnet Lane. I hope there's a next time— soon.

All for now!