Hot Club of Cowtown

by Jason AnkenyWestern swing revivalists Hot Club of Cowtown formed in San Diego in 1996; originally a duo pairing singer/violinist Elana Fremerman and singer/guitarist Whit Smith, a subsequent move to Austin, TX made room for the addition of bassist Billy Horton. Signing to HighTone, the trio issued their debut album Swingin' Stampede! in the fall of 1998; the follow-up, Tall Tales, appeared a year later. New bassist Matt Weiner joined Smith and Fremerman for 2000's Dev'lish Mary. 2002's Ghost Train came two years later, and it showed the group focusing more on original material and cutting back on the amount of covers.