Palo Duro is Spanish for "hard wood," something Coronado and his boys were mighty glad to see when they stumbled into the Canyon that now bears the name. But Palo Duro is also the name of a Western Music trio that has been spreading in popularity like the great canyon they are named after. The group is dedicated to the creation of authentic western entertainment, like you might have heard in a cow camp 100 years ago. Just like those old-time performers, they do material written by people they've heard or know personally, along with things they wrote themselves and a sprinkling of great old classic cowboy songs. The group researches the material and shares the "story behind the story" with the audience when they perform.

The "elder statesman" of Palo Duro is Jim Anderson, singer, songwriter, poet, and storyteller. He was raised on a family-owned farming and ranching operation in west Texas and Colorado, and having run the operation for fifteen years, his songs and poetry reflect his feeling for the land and its heritage that can only come from first-hand experience. To Jim, cowboying and music go hand in hand. As far back as the age of six, when he was given his first guitar, any time people gathered at the house, the barn, or behind the chutes, there was music - and Jim was there to join in.

The lead singer and new Bass player is Jim's son, Cody Anderson. Cody was a musician in his own right as far back as junior high school, when he played clarinet and sang in the chorus. That's the advantage of a country school: Kids did everything - they had to - and his graduating class of 14 students was the biggest one in years. So he participated in both sports and the arts, winning awards in both football and band. Even though Jim had a band traveling across West Texas and New Mexico at the time, he could never get Cody over his shyness to sing with the band. Finally, a couple of years ago, Cody said "yes" to a talent show before he had time to think about it, and Cody had to save face and perform! That broke the ice, and he's been growing in confidence ever since. Now he brings his own style to the music and poetry, and has the ability to make his audience feel what the lyrics are saying.

Last (and least by stature only) is the 14-year-old daughter of Pat and La Rhonda Swindell, Erica Swindell. She may be small in size, especially compared to the two she works with, bit she more than makes up for it in personality and talent. She started studying the violin at the age of three, performs as the youngest member of the Amarillo Youth Symphony, and has won numerous citations of excellence. Whether it's a rousing rendition of "Bilin' Cabbage" or the melancholy David Waddle tune, "How Could I Have Known," when the audience breaks into applause, her reaction always seems to say, "Did I do that?" With sparkling eyes and a captivating smile, Erica and her fiddle add the finishing touch to the experience that is Palo Duro.

Palo Duro's new album, "Comanche Moon," contains fifteen tracks that tell the story of the Texas panhandle in song and poetry. The album recently received West Quest’s Historians Award for preserving and promoting the history, heritage, tradition, and spirit of the American West.