Ask a range of casual country music observers to name an elder statesman of recent times and few would come up with the name of James Hand. With the help of one of his greatest advocates, the chance of this recently passed Texan being recognised will be greatly increased on the back of this carefully curated tribute album. Fans of Ags Connolly will be aware of his locked-in appreciation via the 2014 track 'I Saw James Hand', which became a staple of his live performances. Now that awareness and reach for the UK's premier purveyor of traditional country music is considerably growing, the same will occur for Hand via a neatly curated twelve-song collection on the merch table at shows. YOUR PAL SLIM: SONGS OF JAMES HAND is a labour of love; a feeling overflowing in mutual appreciation upon sampling the fruits of this project.
There is a dusty timeless feel to the production. Oodles of fiddle and steel are a given, but you can never have too much of these blissful sounds. The process began in the UK with bass and drums laid down on a personal selection of Hand's numerous cuts. A Stateside search then began to get some players close to the real thing to add the most authentic of touches. The magic of the aforementioned country beacon sounds appeared alongside guitar and mandolin to create a worthy reconstruction ready to shine a fresh light. The most familiar recruit to UK fans would be Brennen Leigh, who has a significant profile over here alongside a legendary Texas status.
The upshot of this record is the unmistakeable stamp of Ags Connolly's vocals. It's highly likely that Hand, who passed away in 2020, would approve. They are pleasingly absent of pretence possessing an authenticity doing justice to the compositions. The finished product is heaven sent for country fans seeking a conduit from the past to the future. A role, by intent or not, Ags Connolly perfectly fulfils.
The twist is the dozen concludes with an Age Connolly original 'Corner of My Street' that was intended to be a James Hand co-write. Sadly, an event curtailed by his passing. The eleven other tracks reflect a near-thirty year recording career amounting to half a dozen studio albums suggesting content wasn't rushed. The songs have the double edged appeal of working whether you want to listen intently to the lyrics or just wish to idly wallow in a sound feeding a craving for moments of dreamy nostalgia. Great country music satisfies both.
It probably won't be long before Ags Connolly gets back on the original recording train. His four acclaimed albums are a testament to this. For now, space created to expand his recording repertoire has been fruitfully filled. God rest James Hand and may his music power on. God bless Ags Connolly for sharing an inner passion so effectively. YOUR PAL SLIM: SONGS OF JAMES HAND is not getting filed away for a long time and may well just be the tonic when you want a fix of Texas country music created from both outsiders and insiders who care.