Have a Little Fun

Personnel: Betty Smith, Roy Lear, Arthur Smith Trio (vocals).Liner Note Author: Paul Pelletier.Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith's attraction to hillbilly novelty songs obscures to some degree his world-class guitar playing, which is really as much jazz as it is traditional country. This guy can absolutely smoke on guitar (he's a fair fiddler, too), and when one strips away the Hee Haw sensibilities, an extremely versatile musician is revealed, a man who could pen "Red Headed Stranger" on the one hand and, with Don Reno, craft "Duelin' Banjos" on the other. This set, the third from Jasmine Records to dive into his prolific recorded output, features more vocal pieces than the previous two releases, but luckily also spotlights several instrumental sides like "Blue Boogie" and "Chicken Strut" that truly allow Smith's amazing guitar playing to shine. ~ Steve Leggett