Prickly Pair and the Cactus Chorale

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Prickly Pair is old school.

Les and Locke Hamilton run a ranch up the East Fork valley of the Wind River near Dubois. The husband and wife team dress and talk like punchers circa 1857, which is when Locke’s great-great grandfather, ‘Judge’ W.A. Carter, came to the Cowboy State to run cattle in the Big Horn Basin. Les traces back to Scottish fur traders on the Upper Missouri in the 1830s.

So when Les or Locke tell you they play “cutting-edge Western music,” it’s hard not to laugh.

Les Hamilton is an avid study of fiddlin’ music and its development from the Celtic strains heard in his mother country Scotland to the mountain stompin’ style most associated with the Rocky Mountain region. He says fiddlin’ around here is like no fiddle playing anywhere.

“This was owed to folks’ isolation from modern conveniences, such as radio, and that gave rise to the necessity of creating their own versions of tunes learned and passed down by ear,” he said.

Prickly Pair never fall far from the tree … or the campfire. Authenticity when singing songs like “Where the Ponies Come to Drink” and “Cowdog” is always evident. Locke Hamilton’s voice is as clear as a spring rill, bringing comparisons of Emmy Lou Harris. Les Hamilton, a fourth-generation fiddler, saws out everything from swing to bluegrass to old-timey cowboy western.

Prickly Pair’s 1997 debut album Saddle Up and Ride was well-received by fans and critics alike. It continues to garner radio play on western music radio stations like The Range. With singles like “Color Coordinated Cowboy” and “Real Cowboys Don’t Line Dance,” it is easy to see where the Wyoming duo’s allegiances lie.

The husband-wife pair released their finest effort in 2005 with Pony Tracks. Recorded at Ben Winship’s famous Henhouse Studio in Victor, Idaho, the CD features Winship on mandolin, Don Christensen on piano, and Jalan Crosland on guitar and banjo. Prickly Pair’s latest CD is Romance on the Range which dropped last spring.

Expect cutup Norman Winter on the doghouse bass, affectionately known as the “Cactus Chorale,” to join Les and Locke for all Jackson performances. PJH

Don’t miss Prickly Pair’s old-timey sound during this weekend’s Old West Days celebration. They will be performing on the Town Square throughout the weekend and nightly at the Silver Dollar Bar from 5 to 7 p.m.

COURTESY PHOTO
Old time western tunes ensue throughout Town when Les and Locke Hamilton of Prickly Pair and Norman Winter of Cactus Chorale take the stage, this weekend.

PERMALINK:
Prickly Pair and the Cactus Chorale | Planet JH News Article: Music Box

Leave a Comment