"With his latest solo outing, his first for the revered Smithsonian Folkways Recordings label, Flemons brings to light the underappreciated music and cultural contributions of African Americans as the country expanded to the west. With the 18-song collection "Black Cowboys," Flemons, a music scholar and historian, delves into the topic from many different perspectives. Instead of merely presenting songs associated with black pioneers, Flemons uses period-appropriate instrumentation and unique arrangements to create a collection of traditional tunes, original songs and spoken word compositions that convey the life and times of African American cowboys in the Wild West".