Nation neo-traditionalist singer/songwriter Josh Hedley is trustworthy about his guitar expertise.

“I’m extra a guitar proprietor than a guitar participant, however it’s quite a bit simpler to steer a band with a guitar,” he says.

Even so, guitars determine prominently on All Hat, his third album, a Western-swing departure from his two earlier retro-country releases, Mr. Jukebox, on Jack White’s Third Man label, and 2022’s Neon Blue.

It’s a wide-ranging swing sampler recorded in Austin and co-produced by Hedley and longtime hero, Asleep on the Wheel co-founder Ray Benson. The musicians have been a mix of present and former Wheel members together with authentic pianist Floyd Domino.

Benson (utilizing his Epiphone Emperor and Collings SoCo) and his son, Sam Siefert, dealt with rhythm. Dave Biller performed lead guitar and non-pedal metal. On lap was Flavio Pasquetto, together with electrical mandolinist-steel guitarist Jason Roberts. All added fireplace to the music, with Pasquetto bringing exuberant thrives within the type of ’50s Playboy metal man Billy Bowman.

Hedley, born in Naples, Florida, beloved nation fiddling when he started classes at age eight and later found Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. 2000 was a pivotal yr; at 15, he recorded a CD of Wills tunes produced by Nashville fiddler Buddy Spicher, and found Asleep on the Wheel by their just-released Wills tribute album. “I actually obtained into jazz in highschool,” he remembers.

Settling in Nashville at 19, he started acting at Robert’s Western Put on, the previous Sho-Bud store that has since grow to be a clothes retailer and haven for conventional nation.

As a Western-swing connoisseur, he developed an ear for the best guitarists, notably Playboy rhythm-guitarist extraordinaire Eldon Shamblin.

”Eldon’s rhythm… the way in which he comps rhythm is simply so cool – that crawling rhythm with the jazz chords and bass notes. His hand’s movin’ the entire time, playin’ inversions. That’s the bridge between nation and jazz, with bass and the drums playin’ more-traditional stuff.”

Hedley’s retro country-jazz guitar passions aren’t restricted to Western swing. He loves the blazing ’50s guitar-pedal metal interaction of Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West and the rapid-fire work Leon Rhodes and Buddy Charleton did with Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours within the ’60s.

Benson was already a Hedley fan, having met him after the discharge of Mr. Jukebox.

“The man’s unbelievable. Unbelievable songwriter, nice singer!” When the Wheel performed a Florida on line casino, “I dragged him onstage and boy, he may actually play.”

Hedley had a transparent purpose for the brand new album. “I needed to showcase the completely different sounds inside Western swing. Hittin’ these blues songs, and the fiddle breakdowns and 1-6-2-5 jazz stuff, I did my finest to embody all that Western swing is. It’s dance music. I attempted to hit it proper right down to a polka.”

Hedley’s originals revisit swing eras from the ’30s (“Imply Mama Blues”) by the ’50s with the album’s sole cowl, Ricky Riddle’s obscure, easygoing 1950 recording of “Boogie Woogie Tennessee.” On that monitor, Benson used Pasquetto, Biller and Roberts taking part in steels in ensemble, a daring however not unprecedented thought.

“I mentioned ‘Nicely, let’s attempt it. Can’t go flawed – they’re all nice gamers.’ At one time (singer/bandleader) Hank Thompson had two metal gamers. It labored out nice. All eight-string non-pedal gamers.”

All used the Fender Stringmasters Benson has in his Bismeaux studio, outdoors Austin.

The recording course of impressed Hedley.

“A lot simply occurred organically. It’s produced by me and Ray, however simply as simply may have had Jason’s identify or Floyd’s identify on it.”

A fan of the well-known Texas Playboy “electrical string ensemble” mixing metal guitar, guitar, and amplified mandolin, Hedley marveled as Roberts and Biller labored out their prolonged mandolin-guitar break for the Hedley-Benson duet “Caught in Texas.”

“That has a fairly lengthy half – mandolin and guitar. Watching them, we sat within the management sales space and the 2 of them labored it out. It took 20 minutes then they went in and recorded it.”

Onstage along with his band, The Hedliners, Hedley strums a custom-made Fender Paramount.

“I obtained them to darken the highest a bit and put my moniker (“Mr. Jukebox”) on the fretboard for me. It will get a great tone. It’s fitted with an L.R. Baggs pickup and a Baggs DI. It will get a fairly good sound.”

Benson is equally glad with the outcomes, viewing Hedley’s youth as a means of preserving this older type. “He’s a Western-swing practitioner, which is unbelievable as a result of that claims ‘Okay, he’s gonna be round some time doing this.’ It helps to have younger folks onstage.”

Hedley, too, is glad.

“Western swing is jazz, actually, however falls beneath that nation umbrella. I simply wish to discover and present those who nation can imply a whole lot of issues.” – Wealthy Kienzle

This text initially appeared in VG’s February 2026 situation. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.