That
Don Edwards is the foremost contemporary purveyor of western cowboy songs is a particularly American story. Lest we forget, cowboys were not always born in the west; in fact a good percentage of them came from elsewhere, drawn to the sense of freedom, anonymity, and solitude the cowboy way of life provided.
Edwards was born and raised in New Jersey, the son of a vaudeville magician, and fell early under the spell of Hollywood westerns and dime-store cowboy novels, and in true American fashion, headed west to see for himself, working rodeos to earn his keep. Somewhere along the way he became a respected interpreter of traditional cowboy songs, and just to take the journey full circle, he landed a prominent part in Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer. Not bad for a cowboy from New Jersey.
Moonlight and Skies follows the general course of his previous albums, offering a mix of traditional cowboy pieces with more modern ones, all done in a simple, sparse style that allows his pleasant, expressive voice to bring fresh nuance to his material. There is a scattering of other musicians on this album (
Nancy Blake adds cello and harmony vocals while
Norman Blake offers fiddle and mandolin), but the arrangements are largely unadorned, allowing the songs themselves an impressive dignity and grace. Standout tracks include the opener, "My Blue Heaven," which restores the song to its geographical space, an elegant take on the title tune,
Jimmie Rodgers' "Moonlight and Skies," a poignant version of
Gene Autry's "Can't Shake the Sands of Texas from My Shoes," and
Edwards' rendition of Bob McDill's poetic "Coyotes," which was featured at the conclusion of Warner Herzog's 2005 Grizzly Man documentary. ~ Steve Leggett