Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 72

By David Steinberg JOURNAL STAFF WRITER A las, Walon Mickey and his band Sons of the Rio Grande will only get to perform two songs at next Western Music Award Show and Festival. The Albuquerque band will be doing the song River at the Thursday, Nov. 16, tribute to the Sons of the Pioneers. The Cindy Walker song was in Bob movie Lone Mickey said. Then on Nov.

17, the Sons of the Rio Grande will be back playing a single tune at the 18th annual Dance show. do the famous ballad I Told You Lately That I Love Mickey is familiar with this format for some festival concerts. the kind of event that each performer takes the stage for one number and yields to the he said. But Mickey said really important about the festival is that the contribution to keeping Western music alive. One can hardly hear this style of music Western swing, songs based on Western folktales, cowboy songs on the radio anymore, he said.

As a result, serious fans from all over the country flock to the festival because it draws great talent nationally, even internationally, Mickey said. The Sons of the Rio Grande, now in its 10th year, are one of a number of New Mexico bands performing at the festival. Singer-guitarist Earl Gleason of Belen will perform at several WMA concerts. Gleason, 69, sings old cowboy songs and has also written many of his own, some based on his ranching experience. His newest CD is Jim Jones of Corrales also sings and plays the guitar.

Jones said some of his original songs talk about care of the environment, the future of the West and experience in the His latest CD, West Then, Now, reflects his interest in the past, present and future of the region. The 56-year-old Jones said be performing a handful of songs at WMA morning showcases on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 and a few tunes at the Nov. 17 Barn Dance Broadcast.

Another local group playing the festival is the Curio Cowboys, led by John Feldman. The Western swing band will provide the music for the Nov. 18 evening dance. Feldman said the band will unveil its third CD at the festival, titled to the result of efforts by Tulsa recording studio owner Hayden Burlingame and the soundman, Eric Burris, to capture the sound of the band in their natural environment, the Town House on Central and he said. The CD, Feldman said, has three songs about the Duke City.

They are Down the Trail to which Tex Ritter recorded in the 1930s, which was first recorded by Rex Allen, and Herb One original on the CD is Spells Prairie He said the WMA event is back in Albuquerque this year part because local music promoter Rick Huff made the WMA conference a success here last Huff, a member of the board of directors, said that some classic country music radio stations are now including Western and Western swing music freshen their programming and return to the true country Huff is working on his second recording, a compilation of Western and Western swing artists. The first, the double-CD set Best of New Mexico contained 48 tracks. Among the other New Mexicans performing at the WMA Festival are Kip Calahan of Animas and R.W. Hampton of Cimarron. Michael Martin Murphey, a former Taos resident now living in Wisconsin, will perform at the Nov.

17 Lone Cowboy Campfire Concert. MUSIC 20 venue Friday, November 10, 2006 Sons of the Rio Grande will pay tribute to Sons of the Pioneers on Thursday. Sons of the Rio Grande, other N.M. performers celebrate Western music Earl Gleason sings old cowboy songs and has composed some of his own. We stern Music Award Show and estival WHEN: Thursday, Nov.

16-Nov. 19 WHERE: Hotel Albuquerque, 810 Rio Grande NW HOW MUCH: The public may attend all festival events. For ticket prices and events schedule go to the Web site www.westernmusic.org or for information call 232-3184 OPEN STARS.