Marshall and the Shooting Stars – Air mail Special
Vinyl Japan {1994}
In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town – Hey Mr. Cotton Picker – Frankie & Johnny – Fat Gal – I Love You So Much It Hurts – Well Now Dig This – Them There Eyes – Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue – I’m Getting Sentimental Over You – Airmail Special – Honestly – Rattle Shakin’ Daddy
In 1991, Marshall Lytle (former bassist of Bill Haley with the Saddlemen and the Comets) teamed friend and Stargazers drummer Ricky Lee Brawn to record a western swing influenced album.
Brawn gathered a stellar line-up featuring John Wallace (Stargazers) on sax, Patrice Chevalier (Chevalier Brothers) on guitar, BJ Cole on steel guitar, James Compton on piano and Paul Diffin (Blue Cats, Sugar Ray Ford) on double bass. Together they produced a fine album with a sound reminiscent of Merle Travis and of course Bill Haley’s early years.
Marshall’s voice has aged very well and is not very different from his 50’s recordings. He’s equally at ease with uptempo numbers (Five foot two) like he is with the ballads (I’m getting sentimental Over You or I Love You So Much It Hurts). Behind him the band swings like hell and the musicians trade hot solo one after another especially on the jazziest stuff (Honestly, Air Mail Special). This album is rounded with two Jodimars covers, one real Rock’n’Roll (Well Now Dig This) and Rattleshakin’ Daddy played in a similar vein than Ray Charles with a nice organ intro.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis