LEXINGTON LEADER Thursday, June 23, 2016 Page B5

When Swingin’ in Texas, It’s All About Texas Swing!Well-known area fiddle

player Paul Schlesinger hasteamed up, once again, withLexington’s Bill Dowdy toproduce yet another awardwinning CD that is sure toetch in stone the fact thatwhen you’re swinging inTexas, you’re probablyenjoying some good oldfashioned Texas Swing!

Paul has spent the last tenyears putting together hissecond CD, entitled “PaulSchlesinger and his Knightsof Texas Swing,” whichfeatures his vocals and a fullband, including Bill Dowdy,who plays rhythm guitar onthe majority of the songs.

Paul got his musical startat the Lexington SeniorCitizen’s Center in 1998,where he played almostevery Tuesday night until2006 when he took six weeksoff to attend voice actingclasses held on the samenight.

He plays twice a month at the Lee County Cowboy Church in Giddings with the Second Chance Band, organized by the late Joe Boyd Reynolds. Kevin Mahr of Lexington is pastor of the church. Their float took 1st place in this year’s Lexington Homecoming Parade, with Paul playing the fiddle, even though he was identified as Joe Boyd by the parade announcer. He also plays twice a month at the Milam County Cowboy Church in Rockdale.

Paul’s first CD, “OurWay,” featured fiddle andguitar instrumentals playedby him and Bill Dowdy andwas first released in 2005. Itsold so well, that Pauldecided to make another oneusing the profits made fromthe first.

As stated above, Bill Dowdy plays rhythm guitar on the majority of the songs on the new CD, and arranged the progressive, western swing chord patterns. Paul explains, “In this context, “progressive” is not a political ideology. It refers to chords that change with nearly every beat of the music.”

Bill also plays electric basson one song of the new CD,“Golden Slippers,” the onlyinstrumental on the CD.

Paul explained that manypeople have beeninstrumental in helping himget to this point in hismusical career. Heexplained, “A number of thesongs on the CD are from thecatalog of Jimmy Heap andthe Melody Masters, theband from Taylor who had aBillboard Top 5 hit in 1954on Capitol Records with

“Release Me,” sung byfiddler Perk Williams, fromChriesman, TX. In fact, itwas Perk Williams whotaught me how to play thefiddle in 1993, when he wasdying from mouth cancer.Williams and Dowdy playedtogether in the late 1940s,and even recorded a recordtogether with Jimmy Heap’sband in 1950.”

Paul’s latest CD includesnew, up-to-date versions of“Haunted Hungry Heart,”“This Song Is Just For You,”“Ethyl In My Gas Tank,” and“Cat’n Around,” to name afew. All feature twin fiddles,twin guitars, and BillDowdy’s masterful chordarrangements. All have beenstaples in Paul’s band’s songlist for many years.

Another song on Paul’slatest CD, from the MelodyMaster’s repertoire, is “SayY Me Tib,” an upbeat Cajun-style tune which the Mastersperformed in the early 1970slive, but never recorded.Back in 2008 Paulcollaborated with the lateCecil Harris of Taylor, theMelody Master’s steel guitarplayer and primary lyricist,to update the words of thesong. As a result, Cecil andPaul share the writer’s creditand his new CD marks thefirst commercial recording ofthe song.

Also on the CD is anothersong of interest to Lexingtonarea folks. It is “I Guess I’llJust Say I Don’t Know,”penned by the late JimmyHester and June Quinney,both from Lexington.

Jimmy was a vocalist andplayed rhythm guitar, andspent some years in Houstonplaying with professionalbands. When he retired backto his hometown ofLexington, he continued toperform and sing, mainly atthe Lexington SeniorCitizen’s Center, and otherarea opry-style shows.

He and June co-wrotemany songs together, threeof which they registered withthe Library of Congress. “IGuess I’ll Just Say I Don’tKnow,” is one of those threesongs.

Bill Dowdy, a cousin toHester, arranged the chordpattern, and on Paul’s newCD, plays lead guitar, usinghis vintage EpiphoneOlympic archtop, which hepurchased in Honolulu,Hawaii in 1942 duringWWII.

Other songs on the CD areTexas swing arrangements oftunes made popular by artistssuch as Bob Wills, Ray Price,Conway Twitty, RonnieDove, and Marty Robbins.

The CD has only been outa few months and has already

received some very niceaccolades and recognition.Here’s what some folks haveto say: Leon Rausch, vocalistand leader of the world-renowned Texas Playboyssaid, “Your CD sure soundsgood! Got some of myheroes on it, too … I’d saywithout a doubt, that you,young man, are a wonderfultalent and we hope to see youdown the trail soon!”

Ray Campi, internationalrockabilly artist and musichistorian said, “Recently Ihad the pleasure to hear thelatest Paul Schlesinger CD,featuring many of CentralTexas’ most seasonedmusicians from the 1940sand 1950s. Paul’s singingand re-creation of the twinfiddle, western swing soundis accurate and fun on everytrack. Jimmy Grabowske onsteel is still great, as areothers.”

Jimmy Heap Jr, son of thelate Jimmy Heap, anddrummer for Ernest Tubb’s

Texas Troubadours and the Drifting Cowboys said, “You have done a great job, not only in honoring Jimmy Heap and the Melody Masters, but also [producing] real country music in general. Keep up the tradition and know that I am proud to say I know you as a friend and fellow musician.”

In early June, Paul wasnotified that someone in the

[Western Swing] fieldsubmitted the CD foran Academy ofWestern Artists Awardin Western Swing[//awaawards.org].

More recently, Paulwas notified that therewill be a write up aboutthe CD in theforthcoming July issueof Country MusicPeople magazine[www.cmpcountry.com],which is published inthe UK. It’s aprofessional, glossypublication that is alsodistributed in the Statesand can be found inBarnes & Noble bookstores.

Western Swing DJ Mike Gross of Manchester, CT published a favorable review of the CD in the April issue of Western Swing Monthly [www.wsmonthly.com], which is published in Austin, and is one of the premiere western swing publications in the nation.

Several songs on the

CD have also received someradio play, particularly onMike Gross’ “Swingin’West” radio show on KSEY-FM in Texas and KTNK inCalifornia.

Past broadcasts can bedownloaded all month longfrom the websitewww.swinginwest.com. Theprogram is one of thepreeminent western swingradio shows.

Paul has also been namedto several Top 10 lists thatdeal with Country Swing,including #5 in the Swingin’West June 2016 Top 10Songs for “This Song is Justfor You”, ahead of “NavajoTrail” by Asleep at theWheel, Willie Nelson andQuebe Sisters (Bismeaux).That was up from #8 themonth before.

Paul’s second CD was alsonamed #4 on the same list forAlbums, ahead of Asleep atthe Wheel’s “Still the King.”This was up from #7 in May.

Many more accoladescould be said about both Pauland Bill Dowdy, but spacejust doesn’t allow! Threegenerations of Texas Swingmusicians are showcased onthe CD! Backing Paul up areofficial Texas Western SwingHall of Fame members BillDowdy of Lexington, JimmyGrabowske of Austin, RayTesmer of Round Rock,George Harrison of Austin,the late Bill Dessens ofHouston (originally fromRockdale), the late ClydeBrewer of Houston.

Other featured musiciansare Jimmy Heap, Jr. ofGoodlettsville, TN, Kim

Cochran, Jr. of Austin, Bud Harger of Belton, and more. The CD can be purchased at The Dowdy House in Lexington, or in Taylor at Friends of the Bride, KRXT in Rockdale, or in

Lexington’s Bill Dowdy

Paul and the late Joe Boyd Reynolds

Paul Schlesinger and Bill Dowdy’s first CD wascalled Our Way and is still available online.

Paul’s ability to entertain goes beyond “playing” thefiddle. He occasionally does some “fiddle tricks: too!

Bartlett at Unique Celebrations. It’s also available through w w w . c d b a b y . c o m / c d /paulschlesinger or at www.paulschlesinger.com.