Trick Pony (CD - 2001)

Trick Pony includes: Heidi Newfield (vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica); Keith Burns (vocals, acoustic guitar); Ira Dean (12-string electric guitar, baritone guitar, acoustic & electric bass, percussion, background vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings (vocals); Michael Spriggs (acoustic guitar); Pat Buchanan, John Jorgenson, Brad Ruthven, Russ Paul (electric guitar); Larry Franklin, Aubrey Haynie, Daniel Blank (fiddle); Jimmy Nichols, John Hobbs, Steve Nathan (keyboards); Shannon Forrest, Kenny Aronoff (drums); Tom Roady, Brian Nelson (percussion).

Engineers: Bob Campbell-Smith, Jeff Watkins, Daniel Marjorie.

"Just What I Do" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.

Personnel: Michael Spriggs (acoustic guitar); Ira Dean (electric guitar, baritone guitar, percussion); John Jorgenson, Pat Buchanan (electric guitar); Larry Franklin, Aubrey Haynie (fiddle); Heidi Newfield (harmonica); John Hobbs, Steve Nathan, Jimmy Nichols (keyboards); Kenny Aronoff, Shannon Forrest (drums); Tom Roady, Brian Nelson (percussion).

Audio Mixer: Bob Campbell-Smith.

Photographer: Robert Ascroft.

Elvis-style rock meets contemporary country music on Trick Pony's rollicking first single release, "Pour Me," from the band's self-titled debut. The song explodes right out of the starting gate and sets the stage for the rest of the 13-track disc, which is raucous country-rock music. Heidi Newfield, the trio's sassy lead singer, offers a powerhouse of a vocal delivery on Trick Pony, and her sound is reminiscent of Dolly Parton and Bonnie Raitt. Such songs as "Party of One" and "One in a Row," with its calypso-type flavor, offer up good old-fashioned bar fare. Elsewhere, anyone who has ever been broke before will truly appreciate the tongue in cheek "Spent," which genuinely describes the state of only having nickels and dimes as collateral. Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings guest on the band's redo of Cash's "Big River." And the mid-tempo "Just What I Do," sung by bassist Ira Dean, and "Can't Say That on the Radio," sung by guitarist Keith Burns, have great pop-adult contemporary crossover potential, like many country artists have enjoyed in the early 21st century. While there a few ballads on the album, the most moving is the swaying "Stay in This Moment," which effectively captures the essence of wanting to stop time during a perfect instance shared between lovers. Trick Pony is an ideal listen for those who go to a bar to drink, dance, and forget about their problems. It's also a good pick for people who enjoy music that is real, carefree, sometimes melancholy, as well as rousing. What an impressive first effort by a group that promises to have more shots of whiskey and good songs up their sleeve. ~ Liana Jonas

Though one of this trio's number sports a cowboy hat, and the group is marketed towards a country audience, Trick Pony's music owes as much to rockabilly and pop-rock as it does to anything coming out of Nashville. Big, twangy guitar riffs abound, as do honky-tonk rhythms that split the difference between vintage Bakersfield and Sun Records.

And if the Wanda Jackson-influenced vocals of Heidi Newfield aren't enough to convince you of Trick Pony's old-school credentials, the group is joined on their version of Johnny Cash's Sun-era classic "Big River" by none other than Waylon Jennings and the Man in Black himself. That said, this is no retro outfit; there's plenty of modern-sounding country-pop that wouldn't sound out of place on the radio next to Alan Jackson or Travis Tritt. Still, it's Trick Pony's sense of history that helps set them apart from the pack. minimize