quote:

---

Album: Footprints
Artist: Roy Ayres


Roy Ayres is a wonderful steel guitar player who was sitting behind the steel in that incredible band of Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This was when they were the number one Western Swing band east of the Mississippi and out in Hollywood at Columbia pictures with Charles Starrett. Now, Roy is back behind the steel guitar and has recorded this brand new album with studio coordination by steel guitar smoothie Bill Stafford.

Hal Higgins is heard on piano and keyboard throughout the album as well as being the featured vocalist on three of the tunes. He is heard on vocal on From This Moment On, You'll Never Walk Alone and The Lord's Prayer.

The album opens with the tune that Roy probably played more on with the King band than any other, Pee Wee's huge composition and hit Tennessee Waltz. Who can forget what Patti Page did with that gem? Roy goes to the popular music world for Somewhere My Love from Dr. Zhivago, the very pretty Rainbow Medley and The Rose, Bette Midler tribute to Janis Joplin. Traditional country is remembered with That's The Way Love Goes from Merle Haggard, Roger Miller's Husbands And Wives and Mom And Dad Waltz from Lefty Frizzell. Another country classic reprised by Roy is Jan Crutchfield's Statue Of A Fool from both Brian Collins and Jack Greene. This was also a Texas dance hall classic by former River Road Boys vocalist Dick Allen. Also included is Roy's version of the Leon McAuliffe classic from the Bob Wills hit parade, Steel Guitar Rag. The final tune is a dandy from Bob Nolan's pen and the Sons of the Pioneers, Tumbling Tumbleweeds.

The album can be obtained for $15, plus $2 S&H from Roy Ayres, 7800 S.E. 11th Avenue, Starke, Florida 32091. It can also be obtained through Pay Pal at leayres@earthlink.net

Mike Gross, WVOF-FM, Fairfield, CT
May 30, 2004

---