Sagebrush Symphony (Warner Western, 1995)

Michael Martin Murphy 's liner notes read, " What I'm trying to do is to get people who normally listen to symphonies, who attend classical music performances, to realize that there are American treasures of folk music that deserve to be elevated to the status of classical music as pieces of Americana." He may just succeed. One cannot listen to just one or two cuts off of this project to appreciate its impact but must listen to the work in its entirety. From the stirring opening "Cowboy Overture" through the emotional "Riders In The Sky" and "Wind Message" on to the uplifting version of "Happy Trails" this is truly a masterpiece. "Sagebrush Symphony" is performed with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra along with help from western music regulars such as Sons Of The San Joaquin, Herb Jeffries, and Native American performer Robert Mirabal. If a fan of the American West you may want to set aside an hour, turn the lights down and the CD player up and give this a listen.