COUNTRY MUSIC

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33383, 15 November 1973, Page 4

COUNTRY MUSIC

As the name implies,; "Country Road” is a country i music show, but as producer Bryan H. Easte takes pains to point out, that is not country and western. The aim of “Country Road”,, is to encompass all kinds of!; country music, and as rural ; people listen to city radio ; stations it is difficult to label; 1 music as belonging solely to , country people. "For too long,” says Easte, j, “country music has laboured , under the misnomer, country , and western, which tends toi] suggest a sort of hillbilly!' music. That’s just not so. - There is traditional country

music, but there is also com-’ mercial country and commercial folk.” Guest artists Perhaps it is partly toj overcome the “compart-1 mentalisation” of music he] so dislikes, that Easte has; such an impressive list of! guest artists lined up for the , show. From America there is Kenny Rodgers and the First! Edition and singer and songwriter Mike Settle (who! wrote “But You Know I] Love You”); from Britain, ; Malcolm Price, leader of the now-defunct Malcolm Price Trio, while from Australia, ; there will be a visit from Tex Morton, who hosted the show’s predecessor, “Country Touch.” The residents on the show are the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, Sammy Dee, Christine Smith, a 30-strong ichorale under Brian Hurst and musical director Garth Young, who also doubles as “piano player extraordinaire.” Mark Westmoreland is the director. “Country Road” begins on I Friday evening.