(Behemouth Records) Following up last year's live album, Live At Jovita's, Austin's favorite sons (and daughters) The Cornell Hurd Band returns with a new studio effort showcasing their raucous and often irreverent brand of honky tonk, swing and blues, Cen-Tex Serenade.   

Since the band has an ever evolving roster, for Cen-Tex The Cornell Hurd Band's line-up is: Cornell Hurd (vocals, guitar), Paul Skelton (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar), Blackie White (vocals, guitar, vibraphone), Cody Nicholas (vocals, trumpet, piano, organ), Scott Walls (steel guitar); Howard Kalish (fiddle), Richard "Bad Dog" Power (baritone saxophone), Randy Glines (bass guitar), Terry Kirkendall (drums), Danny Roy Young (bongos, rub-board). Additional 'guest' appearances are provided this time out by: Justin Trevino (vocals, guitar), Dee Lannon, Conni Hancock (vocals), Del Puschert (tenor saxophone), Debra Hurd (piano) and Uncle Raoul Hurd.

The CHB dusts off some classics and mixes them with another generous dose of originals- both heartfelt and twisted. On the honky tonk front they deliver shuffles and two-steppers with "Smokey Shadows," "From A Jack To A King," "Loving You Was Never Enough," "I've Watched You Fall In Love Before" (with Justin Trevino on lead vocals), "Loose Diamonds," "A Face In The Crowd," "What You Threw Away" and "Heartache For A Heartache." Their nod to Western music is represented with "Forever In The Texas Sky," "Please Save A Little For Me" and the completely irreverent novelty ditty, "Brother It's All Lunchmeat." They do up swing with the bluesy "Cold Kisses," "I Play With Girls My Own Age," "It Gets Like This Every Christmas," "Tall Drink Of Water" that features Dee Lannon on lead vocals, and the instrumental "Black Nylons."

The band moves it on over to blues territory with the grinding "Let's Flirt" that has Connie Hancock on lead vocals, two smoking jump blues instrumentals "Barbwire" and "Big Damn State," the latter featuring Debra Hurd pounding out some red hot piano. A third instrumental is the sultry, sweaty "The Raging Bull." For good measure, they toss in a bit of the expected unexpected, an off-kilter rendition of "Spanish Harlem," a righteous and raucous take on a song titled "Slow Burn" (why the title change I'm not sure- but they lie. It's really a cover of Herb Alpert's 60s classic, "The Lonely Bull") and a goofy, over the top but somehow endearing (in an odd sort of way) cover of "Groovy Kind Of Love." Cen-Tex's last five bonus tracks feature Uncle Raoul reciting his charmingly offbeat 'cowboy-beat' poetry, accompanied by musical backing from the band.

As always, the band smoothly makes the transition between musical styles, whether playing it straight or playing for laughs. No matter which way they play it, the CHB is made up of top notch musicians and that fact particulary shines through on their instrumental numbers which are all first rate and beyond reproach. Once again The Cornell Hurd Band gives the listener more than their money's worth on Cen-Tex Serenade as they bounce around through a brand of Texas music that's uniquely their own.     

Standout Tracks: "Smokey Shadows," "I Play With Girls My Own Age," "Barbwire," "I've Watched You Fall In Love Before," "Damn Big State, Long Hard Road Boogie," "Slow Burn," "Loose Diamond," "The Raging Bull," "Heartache For A Heartache," "Black Nylons" 

On The Net: www.cornellhurdband.com

AnnMarie Harrington TakeCountryBack July 2004