Tim Ryan - Tried, True And Tested (1997)

Country & western singer/songwriter Tim Ryan was born in 1964. He spent his childhood on a ranch in St. Ignatius, Montana, not far from the Flathead Indian Reservation. Ryan's family is proof of the "great American melting pot." His bloodline is a diverse mixture of German, Flathead, French, Sioux, and French-Canadian.

Politics, in one form or another, seemed a family calling. Ryan's father was the town mayor, but he was also a musician. He was the one who started teaching Ryan about music when he was only four years old, eventually learning to play the drums, fiddle, and guitar. He has offered up his talents on a number of albums released by other artists, including Chris Isaak and Bruce Cockburn.

In 1984 Ryan completed his very own solo debut album, On Purpose, under the Epic Records label. His next full-length recording, Seasons of the Heart, didn't show up until 1991. In 1993 Ryan moved to the Warner Brother label for his third album, Idle Hands. A few years later he went back to Epic for Tried, True & Tested. Ryan brought in some very talented musicians for that recording, including guitarist Dan Dugmore, drummer Harry Stinson, bassist Glenn Worf, and Larry Franklin on the fiddle and mandolin. There is also a memorable duet number on the album with well-known country singer Dan Seals.

"Love on the Rocks," "Ease My Troubled Mind," "The Old Cowboy," and "Horse Thief Row" are some of the tracks fans will find on Ryan's albums. Most of his songs are reflections of the West; a lot of them might be called cowboy type songs; and all of them are filled with strong lyrics that take you back, offering you a spot beside the old campfire to rest awhile.