Texas has never had a deficit of country crooners among its ranks, and with the Sept. 15, 2009, release of newcomer Aaron Watson’s new CD/DVD offering, the Lone Star State has officially produced one more honky-tonk offspring to claim as its own.
Recorded live at the Hog Creek Icehouse's backyard amphitheater in Waco, Texas, before a crowd of a few thousand country-loving fans, the 22-tune Deep In The Heart Of Texas: Aaron Watson Live demonstrates that not everyone on today’s country scene has abandoned the genre’s traditional sound in favor of pop-country.
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In fact, the straw-hatted singer-songwriter comes more from the school of Chris LeDoux and Garth Brooks, with his clear penchant for making his live show the centerpiece of his music. Moreover, there’s no shortage of heartfelt cowboy numbers, such as Hearts Are Breaking Across Texas, San Angelo, Barb Wire Halo and Lonely Lubbock Nights, as well as a cover of an ode to the King of Western-swing, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys.
Additionally, Watson and his The Orphans of the Brazos Band—bassist Jondan McBride, drummer Calib Bruce, guitarist Jason Lerma, fiddler Damien Green and steel player David Kurrasch—also offer up a “tip of the hat” musical salute to the U.S. military, with their live rendition of Merle Haggard’s Fightin' Side of Me.
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Deep In The Heart Of Texas: Aaron Watson Live was recorded in high-definition by the Abilene-based country crooner, who dedicates the project to his fans in bold print, with a big “thanks for putting diesel in the bus and diapers on my babies!”
"I'm really proud of this record and very excited that now everyone gets to see what we have been working so hard on for the past few months,” reported Watson in a Sept. 9, 2009, e-mail interview. “I made this record for my fans everywhere so that they would be able to take home my live show.”
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The music featured on the CD/DVD project was recorded June 27, 2009, during a two-hour performance that was high energy from start to close. Nevertheless, preparing to undertake the dual-disc recording was no added work for Watson and his lineup, thanks to their nonstop live-show schedule that has made them an in-demand favorite on the dance-hall circuit of their home state.
“We're a touring band; we're consistently on the road playing for tons of people and it was awesome to be able to capture this night on DVD so my fans can watch it anytime they want," observed the self-professed “family man” in the September e-mail interview.
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Although Deep In The Heart Of Texas is still a squeaky-new offering, Watson and his band already have begun work on their next project, a studio album that is set for release in early 2010.
To learn more about the classic country-sounding Watson and his latest live CD/DVD, which is now available for digital download and in stores, please access the Official Aaron Watson Web site. To view a promotional video about his Deep In The Heart of Texas, please click here.
Lisa L. Rollins - Texas native Lisa L. Rollins, Ph.D., is an award-winning feature writer, interviewer and journalism educator.
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