Live at the Cimarron Ballroom

In 1961 Patsy Cline performed at the Cimarron Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, backed by a hot Western-swing band led by steel guitar great Leon McAuliffe. Although Cline had just come out of the hospital following a serious automobile accident, you wouldn't know that from listening to her voice on this tape of the performance, unearthed in 1997. Although the tape has a few glitches, both Cline and the band come through loud and clear on a program that ranges from her hits to Western-swing standards and even a couple of rock & roll covers. The between-tunes banter offers an intriguing insight into Cline's brassy, big-hearted personality. --Rick Mitchell