The line-up has changed, but the rambling country-rock hasn't: Jasper Stone.   Jasper Stone Sat at the Wreck Room, 3208 W 7th St, FW. 817-348-8303.

On the surface, the release of Jasper Stone's Back 40 Star might not seem a particularly momentous event -- just the third c.d. from a band of Cowtown country rockers who've been pounding the boards since 1997. But after a year marked by mishap and tragedy, the disc is a testament to the tenacity and determination of Jasper Stone's diminutive frontman and leader Ed Voyles. That the band still exists at all is an achievement.

For the product of such a tempestuous year, Back 40 Star radiates optimism. "There's a world just out the window," sings Voyles on the opening "Out the Window," "and I swear it keeps calling on me." The spirit of the road infuses songs like "Back on the Road" (with drummer Henry Meyer pounding out a Bo Diddley beat), "Raised to Ramble," and "Trust Fund Drifter." Voyles' storytelling has never been better than on the murder ballad "Ashes and Grounds" or the poor man's rumination "Morning Bus." Guitarist Ron Geida makes an auspicious debut on disc with the band, filling every hole in the songs with agile, inventive fretwork. Meyer and bassist Dan Stewart both turn in sterling performances -- their farewell to Jasper Stone, for different reasons.

When the band returned from a successful European tour in May 2002, the plan was to record a new c.d. quickly, then tour the continent again. But recording was delayed while Voyles -- a self-employed cabinetmaker who financed the sessions out of his own pocket -- struggled to scrape together the funds to complete the recording, mixing, and mastering.

Work on Back 40 Star had to be halted last January when the album's original engineer, Echolab Studios' David Willingham, left town to mix sound on the road for Polyphonic Spree. One week before Jasper Stone had planned to put the finishing touches on the recording, Willingham had to bow out of the project when Polyphonic extended its tour. The sessions were rescheduled for early May, with Matt Barnhart at the controls.

Then on April 22, a bizarre mishap occurred that would knock Jasper Stone out of action for months. While working in his shop, Voyles tripped and fell, driving his hand into the blades of an industrial fan. His left finger was sliced off and crushed by the rotating blades. "It looked like it had been hit with a ballpeen hammer," he said. The finger was detached for six and a half hours. The first doctor who saw Voyles assured him that the digit couldn't be saved and wanted the injured musician to sign papers authorizing its complete removal. Voyles' brother Treg, a CareFlight employee, sought out a second opinion and found a visiting doctor who was able to reattach the finger.

Voyles spent the next six weeks with a metal rod in his finger, then underwent two months of physical therapy. He'd suffered extensive tendon damage and scarring and was unable to flex the finger above the third joint. He could still play barre chords on the guitar, but had to learn new fingerings to accommodate his handicap. "People kept asking me, 'Why don't you just play slide guitar?' " he recounted with a laugh.

Lost income from missed work and cancelled shows made the c.d.'s financing even more tenuous. But Voyles was dead set on returning to the boards and finishing the record, so when he received an offer to play an outdoor party in Royse City -- a grueling four-hour ordeal in the midsummer heat -- he called his bandmates and said, "Let's go."

The band was set to return to the studio in late July when Voyles received a Sunday morning phone call from Meyer's parents. The news was terrible: His long-time friend had been killed in a car accident on I-35E, while on his way back from his brother's home in Plano. "They say he must have fallen asleep at the wheel," said Voyles. "There was construction, and the road was like an obstacle course. He had his cruise control on, and he hit a tow truck. He could have slept at his brother's house, but he was worried about his dog." Meyer and his wife Heather, asleep in the seat next to him, both died instantly.

Meyer's death left his bandmates reeling with shock. "I was just kind of numb," said Voyles. "I knew Henry for 15 years." A few days after the drummer's death, bassist Stewart told Voyles that he was quitting Jasper Stone, and guitarist Geida told the bandleader he was unsure he'd be able to continue. But Meyer's parents urged Voyles not to dissolve the band. "I'm amazed at how supportive Henry's folks have been," he said.

Voyles started jamming with friends, trying to find prospective replacements for the departing musicians. Finally, he met with Stewart and Geida and asked them to stay on board long enough to finish the recording. They agreed. Back 40 Star was completed with help from outside musicians Bruce Alford (Speedtrucker) on drums and Rob Stave on fiddle and mandolin. "Those guys are pros," said Voyles. "They did their homework and came in to save the day." For now, Voyles, who's currently beating the bushes for a full-time drummer, plans to tap Alford for any upcoming roadwork.

After the sessions, Stewart left the band. He returned, however, to play harmonica on "Always Blue," a song he'd written with Voyles as a tribute to Meyer, at a recent Wreck Room show with Meyer's parents and brother in attendance. That show was the debut performance of a new Jasper Stone lineup that includes brother Treg Voyles on bass. It was Treg who originally recruited Geida for the band. "I was taking guitar lessons from Ron," Treg said. "We figured he could play until I got good enough to replace him. I never figured I'd wind up playing bass."

With a new disc and a new lineup to show off, Voyles is anxious to return to Europe, where Jasper Stone remains in demand. "We've got high hopes," said Voyles. "This is the best record we've ever made -- lyrically and musically. We used the same studio and producer, but we got a better sound. I think it's because this time we knew what we wanted." He paused before adding, "I miss being able to talk to Henry about it. When we finished our other records, he and I would call each other up and pat ourselves on the back. Now, I feel like I'm all alone."