Java.June.2016

player’s website, www.outlawcowjazz.com, as
“the world’s premier Waylon tribute.” Bold words,
for sure, but here at JAVA, we’re pretty convinced
it’s completely accurate. More important, these
are not the easiest boots to fill.
When it comes to Jennings himself, few musicians
have had careers as varied and, let’s be candid,
as legendary as the man who once played bass
with Buddy Holly and who wrote the theme song
for “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV show, as well
as serving as the iconic show’s narrator. While
Jennings’ importance in the entertainment world
is not news to anyone who has followed music
over the last five or six decades, it is important
that, even 14 years after his death, we remember
the legacy of a man who loved this Valley.
In 2005, Manley first did a set of Jennings’ music
at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, Washington, and
the reaction was so good, he decided to keep
doing it. “I was making my living in Seattle
playing a lot of jazz and rock and roll. I had a
birthday coming up, so I asked some buddies if
they wanted to play Waylon’s music one night.
We were just expecting to have some beers and
some fun, but it ended up being a pretty good
crowd, and we started getting calls about once a
month to keep doing it,” Manley shares via phone
while driving through Austin, Texas, between
Highwaymen Live shows.
The draw of playing Jennings’ music, for Manley,
stems from growing up on his grandfather’s farm
outside of Tacoma, Washington, and listening to
many of the “classic” country greats, including
Jennings. “I grew up on all that—listened to
a lot of country music—so that’s where my
heart’s always been,” Manley says. “Growing up
watching ‘Dukes of Hazzard,’ I think [Jennings] is
the pinnacle of country recording artists. Where he
really shined was in the studio. I always thought
he was the best when he recorded a song, even
if it wasn’t one he wrote. He always made any
song his own.”
A fairly recent Valley transplant, Manley has
been learning the ropes of the local music scene
after spending time in Washington, Florida and
elsewhere, playing music since he was a teenager.
During his initial visits to town with his Jennings
tribute act, he was booked by Dana Armstrong, a
local music promoter and super fan whose Valley
Fever shows have been a Phoenix-area mainstay
since 2005. Armstrong says she was immediately
drawn to Manley.
“I was impressed right away with his dedication
and talent as a Waylon tribute artist. I love to
escape to other eras, so this is my kind of band.
His current [version of The Outlaw] featuring Tod
T. Bur, Chris Orf and Jim Bachmann is a top-notch
tribute to Jennings, and it’s a crowd pleaser for
sure,” says Armstrong, who went on to share her
love for Jennings’ music.
“Waylon played whatever he felt like playing,
and it wasn’t always country. His covers of
Steely Dan’s ‘Do It Again’ and Fleetwood Mac’s
‘Rhiannon’ come to mind. But his sound was
distinctly his own, and I think it’s very hard to
replicate. The driving simplicity and the unique
quality of his voice separated his sound from his
peers. To me it is linked synesthetically to the
desert. He does mention in his autobiography that
Arizona was his favorite place.”
There is clearly a small mutual admiration society
between Manley and Armstrong rooted deeply in
the music they both love. “[Dana and I] have real
similar tastes in music, and because of what she
does with Valley Fever, she was extremely helpful
with me getting my legs down in Phoenix. If it
wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have moved
down here, but it was on the radar because
Waylon spent a lot of his life there,” adds Manley.
Armstrong also says, “[Manley] does a great job of
maintaining the aura of Waylon, who has a huge
presence here in Arizona. Not only his music, but
his independent spirit resonates with a lot of the
musicians here who have roots in punk rock or
other non-country genres.”
For Manley, there is a little regret that he did not
make the move sooner. “I probably should have
moved to Phoenix a long time ago. I really love it
here. It just kind of immediately felt like home. I’ve
met a lot of people who’ve become really close
and good friends, playing this music, because
Waylon was here and was so influential. Every
time I do a show, I meet people who share Waylon
stories with me,” says Manley.
When Manley is not playing Jennings’ music, he
follows an even more personal mission by writing,
recording and performing his original songs. He is
looking to release as many as four albums during
the remainder of 2016, which will be available
on his website. He has two albums (one recorded
in Nashville, the other locally) ready for release
on June 14, the day before Jennings’ birthday.
“I’m really excited about the [newest] record. I’m
happy with the songs and with the production on
it,” shares Manley. “I recorded it in the Coronado
district at Sonic Piranha. It’s a fantastic little place.
Darren Baum [who owns and operates the studio]
co-produced it with me. When I first moved out
here, I wrote a lot of material,” adds Manley,
who played every instrument on the album except
drums and pedal steel guitar (which was done by
Valley legend John Rickard).
From the two (early in the process) tracks he
shared with JAVA, it’s clear that Manley is one
supremely talented individual. Fans of Jennings
(and Manley’s tributes to Jennings) will definitely
respond to the original material, but this is not to
say it sounds exactly like Jennings. Manley has his
own style, which is firmly rooted in a more classic,
pre-1980 country sound. This is the sound that
brings a certain level of honesty or truthfulness
that Manley loves.
“I think that the stuff they are calling new country
today is, honestly, pop music. The thing that draws
me to the [outlaw country] sound and will allow
that music to live on forever, unlike a lot of what
is coming out today, is that there’s an honesty to
it that you just don’t find anymore. This is what
inspires me. I want to make records that I like to
listen to. There’s no fluff to it,” assures Manley.
Tracks like “Arizona Nights” and “Forty Years,”
which will be featured on Manley’s upcoming
album, are clearly reflective of his “no fluff” policy,
making it a must-have for any country (and honest)
music fan.
Manley and friends play Rooster’s Country in Mesa
on June 11.
www.outlawcowjazz.com
JAVA 11
MAGAZINE