Music - September 2011
Country
West of the Pecos
Doug Jeffords
Play "Southern Cowgirl"
from West of the Pecos
Story by Emily Drabanski
For Doug Jeffords, life has come full circle, bringing him back to his childhood stomping grounds and to his greatest love—music.
“I spent my childhood summers until age 8 playing in the Pecos Canyon and I never forgot those wonderful years,” Jeffords says. After growing up, going to school, and working in Nashville, he retired from his engineering and business career 10 years ago and moved from Tennessee to Santa Fe; he now spends summers in a Pecos Canyon cabin, near Terrero.
In his teen years, he began performing on guitar with Willo Collins. The duo was offered a recording contract with DOT Records, but both opted instead for scholarships at Vanderbilt University, where Jeffords fell in love with bluegrass music. While serving in the U.S. Navy, he was stationed in California where he played with the legendary bluegrass band, The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers. Two bandmates soared into the folk/rock stratosphere—Chris Hillman of The Byrds, and Bernie Leadon of The Eagles.
“I’ve always opted for the safe, steady job,” he sighs, “but now I can play again.” Here he recruited the region’s best musicians and says recording West of the Pecos at Jono Manson’s Kitchen Sink Studio in Chupadero (north of Santa Fe) was a dream come true. His year-long project paid off by garnering the Best Country CD from the New Mexico Music Awards earlier this year.
Throughout the disc, Jeffords sings strong lead vocals and plays rhythm guitar. The CD features tight harmonies provided by area favorites Cathy Faber, Sharon Gilchrist, Laurianne Fiorentino, Lydia Clark, Margaret Burke, D.J. Parker Harris, and Katie Gill.
On Jeffords’ exceptional rendition of Townes Van Zandt’s “Snowin’ on Ratón,” he croons in a style reminiscent of Gene Autry as Kurt Storey backs him up on a mournful fiddle and Sharon Gilchrist sets the pace on mandolin. Another strong song is “Spanish Johnny,” with lyrics adapted from a Willa Cather poem.
Jeffords penned “Southern Cowgirl” an endearing and lively tribute to his favorite Southern belle who now wears cowboy boots, his wife, Jane.
Discover more Southwest music in our archives.
