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| Saddle up for Wylie's West-fest Pub. Date: 1/12/07 By KIM NOWACKI YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC |
It was nearly 10 years ago when Wylie Gustafson met Paul Zarzyski at the renowned National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nev. It was a meeting—as Zarzyski would likely say—right out of the cowpoke cosmos. As frontman for Wylie and the Wild West—which plays the Yakima Valley Museum tonight—Gustafson is the tall, lanky cowboy musician who recorded the signature "Ya-hoo-oo" yodel for the Internet search engine Yahoo!. Zarzyski is the former bareback bronc rider known for his trademark loud ties and Wild Western wordsmithing, which earned him the 2005 Governor's Arts Award for Literature in Montana. The two collaborated on the song "Saddle Broncs and Sagebrush" for the 2004 Wylie and the Wild West album "Hooves of the Horses." And they teamed up again for the 12th Wylie and the Wild West release, "Bucking Horse Moon," which came out in November. "There's not many contemporary people I would consider writing with," says the 45-year-old Gustafson, who operates a cow horse training facility with his wife, Kimberley, at their Cross Three Ranch in Dusty, Wash. "I don't like anybody who works on a commercial line of thought. Paul is the antithesis of that. He writes for the love of the art form." "Bucking Horse Moon" is dedicated to Zarzyski, who is lovingly referred to as "Zarzo" in the liner notes. The 14-track disc—which is produced by Grammy-winner John Carter Cash—features primarily Gustafson originals, including a couple of yodeling tunes. The title track, however, is written by Zarzyski and fellow cowboy poet Tom Russell. And through a "fax-a-thon of words and ideas," Gustafson and Zarzyski penned the raucous "Rodeo to the Bone." The album also includes the Johnny Cash classic "Don't Take Your Guns to Town," a cover Gustafson had decided to record even before working with John Carter Cash, the only son of June Carter and Johnny Cash. "I had already picked that out," Gustafson says of the song, citing the Man in Black as a major influence. The biggest influence for his music, though, may be Gustafson's lifestyle. A national cutting horse competitor, Gustafson was born into a ranching family in Montana and, after paying his dues in Los Angeles, continues to ride the trails of a real cowpoke out on his ranch in rural Dusty, rumored to have a population of 11, including dogs. "It gets a little intense at times having two full-time jobs," says Gustafson, who rises before the dawn. "But that is what creates the inspiration behind my music. "I can't do one without the other." And when he's on the road with his band—Ray Doyle (harmony vocals, baritone and electric guitar), T. Scot Wilburn (steel guitar and fiddle) and Dave Reynolds (drums)—the nights are filled with fancy-footed honky-tonking, lonesome prairie ballads and yipikaye yodeling. At a Wild West show, you'd swear Gustafson is channeling the spirit of Buck Owens and the dance moves of Mick Jagger. (In fact, performances most always include a short cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction.") A consummate showman, Gustafson's more than 15-year music career boasts appearances at the Grand Ole Opry (more than 50 times), the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, public radio's "A Prairie Home Companion"—he was one of the guests when the show aired live from Washington State University in October—and Seattle's Bumbershoot festival. Most recently, the band played concerts in Brazil and Argentina through a cultural cowboy exchange. While critically acclaimed, Wylie and the Wild West's blend of western swing, classic country, cowboy and folk music is far from a mainstream commercial success. "Our type of music, the industry has ignored us," says Gustafson. "But we can still have a career with a crowd we can generate ourselves." That's thanks in part to what brought Gustafson his 15 minutes in the first place—the Internet. You can order a Wylie and the Wild West CD from the band's Web site, be their "friend" on MySpace or watch a live performance from Seattle's Tractor Tavern on YouTube. The Internet has changed the way people find the band and it's allowed Wylie and the Wild West to become more connected to their fans, says Gustafson, whose e-mail newsletter includes both concert dates and the latest stats on his cutting horse competitions. For Gustafson, the World Wide Web is just another way to extend a little Western hospitality. It's—with our apologies to Zarzyski—cyberspace meets the cowpoke cosmos. On the Net: |