Jimmy Newman - Collection 1948-62 (2019)

Jimmy Newman was a country artist from Louisiana who enjoyed a career in the mainstream of the genre as a long-time member of the Grand Ole Opry, but who very much had his roots in Cajun music and was able to integrate Cajun style into his performances and recordings, eventually calling himself Jimmy C. Newman, with the “C.” representing ‘Cajun’. That slightly unusual characteristic of his music did not stop him having more than thirty hits in a chart career that lasted through to 1970. This great value 58-track 2-CD set comprises selected A and B sides from his releases on the Modern, Fais Do Do, Feature, Crown, Dot, Mgmg and Decca labels from his 1948 debut with Chuck Guillory and His Rhythm Boys, through recordings leading his own Rhythm Boys line-up, and his subsequent solo recordings. It naturally features his eighteen hits in the US country and pop charts from this era, including his No. 4 debut hit “Cry, Cry Darling” and his No. 2 hits “Fallen Star” and “You're Making A Fool Out Of Me” along with six more Top 10 entries. Also featured is the Cajun-influenced 1962 hit “Alligator Man”, which became his theme song in later years as he focused on bayou music after his primary country career was over. It was Newman who famously, in 1959, gave up one of his Grand Ole Opry slots to allow a 13-year-old Dolly Parton to perform an impromptu debut. This collection is a varied and entertaining insight into the music of one of country’s more individual performers, and a worthy showcase of his distinctive talent.