Joshua Hedley vs. Ricky Riddle

Joshua Hedley knocked out a fine version of Ricky Riddle's western swing gem "Boogie Woogie Tennessee" for his new album All Hat. 

Joshua Hedley releases All Hat on October 24

Joshua Hedley will release All Hat on October 24th via New West Records. The 11-song set was produced by Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel & Joshua Hedley, and was the first album recorded at Benson’s new studio, The Bismeaux Barn in Austin, TX. 

All Hat is a lively collection of Western Swing tunes that brims with excitement, wit, and verve, as Hedley expertly navigates the tricky dance rhythms of this jazzy style of twang. It’s a sharp left turn in a career defined by sharp left turns, following his 2018 debut Mr. Jukebox, which explored ‘60s countrypolitan and established him as one of the finest old-school country crooners in all of Nashville. Its acclaimed 2022 follow up, Neon Blue, jumped ahead a few decades as Hedley turned his attention to the much-maligned period in country music: the early ‘90s, when a new wave of singing cowboy took their twang into rock arenas. 

Rather than his trusty touring band the Hedliners, for All Hat, Hedley worked with members of Asleep at the Wheel, including veteran fiddle player Jason Roberts. “This album is my pièce de resistance,” he says. “It’s all been building up to this moment. I feel like I’m making music I love more than any other style.”

About his choice to cover the largely overlooked western swing gem "Boogie Woogie Tennessee," Hedley recently told American Songwriter “This is a song released in 1950 by a guy named Ricky Riddle. My friend Dave Tanner bought a used Dodge Durango on Craigslist and found a burned CD under the seat and this song was on it. I learned it from playing it with him. I personally think it’s about a retirement community that likes to party.” Have a listen to Ricky Riddle's original version followed by Joshua Hedley's take below.