Anyone interested in the roots of Rock'n'Roll, Western Swing or modern Country needs to get some Milton Brown. He actaully invented Texas (=Western) Swing by playing 1920s-based Jazz with more of a string band sensibility, rather than the brass-based music from which his style was derived.

Proper has a set of 4 CDs for about $22.50 US (Proper Box 59). Is is almost an essential part of the history of US popular music. Milton Brown died is a car wreck in 1938 and was almost forgotten due to the success of his friend Bob Wills.

One of Brown's numbers called "Talking About You" seem to take the old song "Chicken Reel" and mutate it into proto-Rock'n'Roll. It was recorded in 1934! Brown also had the most amazing electric giutar player who used a lap steel to produce lead guitar chops. This is 40 years before "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow. Even did "fuzz tone". Fun stuff.