Derek Hudson

"Before Big Hair" -Derek W. Hudson

By Derek W. Hudson (Jacksonville, FL USA) Before big hair, bare midriffs, and the blast of stage pyrotechnics; Nashville was known to turn out music so pure with production so minimal that artist talent was heavily depended on in order to sell records. While Nashville and its children have gone the way of glitz, glamor, and electronic vocal enhancement; there are artists out there who remember how it's supposed to be done. Enter Laurel Lee and the Escapees with the solidly-grounded "Why Don't We Don't Get Married". Steeped in the traditions of 1920s - 1970s rural American music, the album evokes the feeling an old-school direct-to-disk recording and sets the curve for other Roots Country recordings. Laurel's lyrics are witty and well-sung while her instrumental backing from the Escapees is tight and sounds like skilled, old friends playing together on a mountain stage. Vocal harmonies on this album are provided by Bev Edge and Laurel's sisters Alisa and Elizabeth (who can resist a good, family harmony?). Try it, you'll like it.