A dizzyingly talented instrumentalist, Dunn pioneered the use of electric amplification in Western swing, while his brash, jazz-inflected leads defined the way that lap and pedal steel players would treat their instruments for decades to come. In the early ‘30s, Dunn signed on as a member of Milton Brown’s crack touring outfit, The Musical Brownies. In 1935, he slapped a homemade pickup onto his instrument, bought a cheap amplifier, and began stepping out as a soloist. He drew inspiration from the slippery cadences of his musical idol, hot trombonist Jack Teagarden. Dunn’s playing had a transformative effect on Western swing, and the records he cut with The Musical Brownies stand as some of the genre's finest examples. This intelligently assembled compilation of Dunn’s work draws from recordings he made with the Brownies, as well as sessions he cut with his own group, The Vagabonds. It’s a great introduction to Dunn, though truly committed steel guitar fans may also be inspired to track down the sides he cut playing backup for acts like Floyd Tillman, Cliff Bruner & His Texas Wanderers, and The Sons of Dixie.