 Webster's
New World Dictionary defines heritage as
"something handed down from one's ancestors, as a culture, tradition, or
birthright." As we approach a new millenium, a renewed interest in
America's Western heritage is having an undeniable impact on our society. From
our arts and literature to architecture and advertising, the food we eat, even
some of the clothes we wear seem to reflect a desire to get back to those days
of yesteryear. Easy to understand, then, is the current revival of traditional
Western music in all it's forms, as this ever-present part of our culture
begins to regain its identity, especially as mainstream Country Music veers
farther from its roots.
Riding calmly all this time has been a "posse" of
traditionalists such as Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Michael Martin
Murphy and several others. Somewhere near the top of this list of
talented artisans is Craig Chambers, a Texan known for his smooth
baritone voice and "easy to get to know" stage presence. Craig's
Western musical legacy runs deep. As a youngster cowboying through the
Southwest, Chambers aquired, early on, a knowledge and appreciation of
the music from the older hands with whom he worked. His guitar was never
farther away than his favorite saddle, and quite often, after the day's work
was done, Craig was called upon to "do the singin' ", and he
warmly obliged. the popularity of his music soon spread, and he began
entertaining at ranch dances, local gatherings, and rodeos. On many occasions,
he would play for the rodeo dance after competing in two or more ewvents!
"Whew...!" recalls Chambers with an easy grin. "I always
had to pack an extra shirt!"
The day inevitably came when Craig hung up his spurs to pursue
music professionally. The career that followed allowed him to hone his talents
in the trademark dancehalls of his native state, then led him to Nashville for
several years, and on to New York City.
New York City!!??
Yep, the big Apple is a long way from a ranch dance in south Texas,
but for more than four years Craig appeared on stage as the bandleader
and narrator of the hit Broadway play, "The Best Little Whorehouse in
Texas." "The New York audiences and the press were fascinated by the
music." Craig remembers. "I'd get stopped on the street, in a
restaurant, wherever, who would say, 'your music - it sounds like Jazz, it
sounds like Country...We don;t know what it is, but we love it!" Chambers'
voice and his music lent itself to the success of "Whorehouse", and
to many radio and TV commercials as well.
Craig Chambers is feature in the book, "Saddle
Serenaders", along with other entertainers, past and present, who
are dedicated to keeping the spirit of the West alive in their music.
Influenced by Marty Robbins, The Sons of the Pioneers, and Bob Wills (to name a
few), Craig's music is genuine and authentic by afficionados of the
genre. A CD released in 19995, Where the Pavement Ends, was cited by one critic
as "the best recording of Cowboy Music in thirty years.." Craig's
latest disk, The Cowboy's Conscience, spent twelve weeks on the Americana Music
charts - a part of the Gavin report, an important music industry trade
publication.
Innovative and versatile, Craig Chambers is as well known for
his performance of Western Swing as he is for the Cowboy music. WESTERN SWING!
This musical hybrid, called Texas' only original music, has elements of Swing,
Western music, Country Jazz, and the Blues. Pioneered by groups like Bob Wills
and his Texas Playboys, Western Swing endures today due to the musical efforts
of bands like Asleep at the Wheel, The Original Texas Playboys, and Tom Morrell
and the Timewarp Tophands. Through his association with Morrell and
theTophands, Craig is known for his uncompromising approah to this wonderful
dance music, both on their CD's and he shows and dances they play together. In
1996, Chambers was named "Western Swing Vocalist of the Year,"
and was honored with the Will Rogers Award for his contribution to the
music. His ideal is to continue playing this music of the past with today's
punch and inventiveness. In both kinds of Western music that he performs, Craig
continues to tastefully mix new and original songs with the familiar standards,
bringing a new energy to the music while remaining true to its roots.
From the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the East to
the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in the West, Chambers has
entertained at campfires and barbecues, conventions and trade shows, concerts,
fairs, rodeos, and lots of dances! Performing solo, or with his acoustic Cowboy
band, or with the hot Western Swing aggregation, Craig Chambers keeps on
earning fans the World over, wherever people enjoy real Western entertainment.
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