Doug Kershaw

Doug Kershaw's self-titled Warner Bros. album, dating from 1971, is a fine account of the man's sound, opening with the autobiographical "Play, Fiddle, Play" (which, as one would expect, offers some great fiddle playing) — from that upbeat, rollicking opening, we get a healthy mix of originals (spiced by one intriguing cover), which showcase not only Kershaw's wonderfully expressive vocals but also the playing of Tommy Allsup and Buddy Harman, among other top musicians. The originals here, of course — including "Son of a Louisiana Man" — belong to Kershaw, of course, but he also manages to turn "The Battle of New Orleans" into a unique exploration of his own sound; the rendition here couldn't possibly be further from Jimmie Driftwood's original or Johnny Horton's hit version, and is done with an arrangement that makes it as much a guitarist's showcase as a fiddler's. There are also a significant number of songs here that were potential hits at the time and still play that way four decades later, most notably "That Don't Make You No Better Than Me" and "Natural Man."