'The 'Cat Music' within this album is the nucleus of rockabilly and features: Tex Harper aka Rudy Preston and Harry Head with Tommy Scott and his Ramblers. Musically it is an amazing fusion of Hillbilly, Western Swing, a touch of Rhythm 'n' Blues bonded together with strong influences from Bill Haley'. Our musical journey commences in 1954 and the musical world for songs with a rock beat was in it's infancy, and Elvis Presley was still a regional artist and Bill Haley in prominence ruled supreme! The recordings on this album are an amalgamation of country and the big beat of rock 'n' roll, and this new hybrid of music would become known as 'Cat Music'. ' The main point is to clear up the distinction of the artists featured on this 12 track album. Musically the band was under the direction of Tommy Scott and His Ramblers, and Freddie Jean Harper to give him his full name was employed as the vocalist. Harper recorded under several alter-egos: Tex Harper, Rudy Preston and Harry Head and he is the main featured singer on ten of the songs and is the rhythm guitarist, pianist, or drummer on eight tracks. The two side closing bonus songs feature vocals by Sam 'Bo Bo' Baxter and Tommy Scott. Harper musically is something exceptional and each and every performance has 'hit' written all over them! Perhaps due to him being one of the ground breaking artists with the new 'Cat Music', being signed to the notorious Four Star label or the use of other performing names, something prevented his musical accreditation. This 10 inch album although hillbilly rooted transcends hillbilly music, engulfs rockabilly and moves into the rock 'n' roll genre, and as Rudy Preston you hear the Presley influence albeit from the next decade. Mark Armstrong Bühl, Germany read more on: www. Bear-family. #de
