Bill Isbell

Bill Isbell
The Good Woman Waltz (2005)

The Bill Isbell band’s sound has been described as “traditional Texas folk and country music with a Nashville sophistication.” It is classic Americana roots music. Bill released the classic CD “The Good Woman Waltz” in 2005 to some very nice reviews. The hilarious title cut has been #1 in Texas Top 40 & a TAXI Top 10 pick & won the comedy channel at ourstage in February 2009! The CD features 10 original Americana songs ranging from traditional country and Texas folk, cutting-edge folk, and even a Southern down-home gospel track. Bill fronts the band, playing acoustic guitar and performing the lead vocals on all of the tracks, and also wrote all of the songs appearing on the album. Bill’s band features some of Nashville’s finest musicians, including members that have recorded and/or toured with Faith Hill, Rascal Flats, and other major country stars. Jerry Kimbrough (lead guitar), Russ Pahl (steel guitar), and Jenee Keener (fiddle), lay down some very nice performances, including a smokin’ Charlie Daniels style fiddle v. guitar battle on the third track “Train Song.” You can hear the influences of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie in Bill’s songs. Bill’s songwriting is also heavily influenced by Texas legend Townes Van Zandt, who Bill saw perform several times before his untimely death a few years ago, as well as Texas outlaw country stars like Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allen Coe and Ray Wylie Hubbard. The album was produced by Matt Wilder, who also plays keyboards guitar, and even provides some of the background vocals on the CD. Wilder’s production on this CD truly excels and sets this CD apart from the pack of typical releases. Lucky Boyd of My Texas Music says “From acoustic country-field tunes to rock-laden cuts, this is a gem of a disc. … Excellent imagery and quality performance, this is a great project!” The title cut and single “The Good Woman Waltz” went #1 country in the Texas Top 40 in 2006. It’s a hilarious classic country cut about cheating that truly deserves to be on every country dive bar jukebox (and radio station) in the USA and Europe.

Bill Isbell was born in Columbus, Georgia, and as his father was in the military, was raised all over the world, including in Europe (Germany). Bill graduated from college and law school in Oklahoma, before eventually landing in Dallas, Texas, where in the late 90s he first began to play the guitar. The song The Good Woman Waltz was literally the very first country song that Bill ever wrote and the first time it was publicly performed, reportedly several drunk women started dancing on the club’s bar. Bill has performed at folk festivals and nightclubs throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and the Southwest USA.

Electronic Press Kit (EPK): http://www.sonicbids.com/billisbell
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/billisbellfolkband
CD Sales: http://www.mytexasmusic.com/billisbell and http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/billisbell