Although Northern-born (he tips his hand with a song called "Cruisin' Through Ohio"), Jim Colegrove epitomizes the eclectic spirit of Texas musicians from Bob Wills to Doug Sahm to James Hinkle. He's been soaking up country, blues, R&B, and rock 'n' roll influences since the late 1950s, and he's played with artists as diverse as Cowtown blues godfather Robert Ealey, '60s weirdo the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, and rockabilly legend Mac Curtis.

His work with Lost Country is really a continuation of what he started in the '70s with the Juke Jumpers, playing gems from his extensive record collection alongside rootsy originals with style, wit, and humor. In this almost disturbingly wholesome looking band, he shares vocal duties with his wife, Susan Colegrove, and his Fort Worth buddy from old, old Woodstock, keyboardist Jeff Gutcheon.

Their third c.d., Turn Your Radio Around, features the usual mix of covers, ranging from the handiwork of honkytonk heroes Hank Locklin, Red Foley, and the Wilburn Brothers to blues eminences Tampa Red and Big Mama Thornton. But the real story here is the originals -- four each by Colegrove and Gutcheon -- and some surprisingly modern touches (like the synth string parts that make Gutcheon's ragtimey instrumental "Cotillion" sound cinematic).

The two most memorable songs here are also the least roots-referential. Colegrove's "Henry, Was That You in the Mirror?" is a wistful reflection on aging, a topic that probably precludes the song's achieving radio-hit status. And, lyrical allusions to Texana aside, Gutcheon's "Pecos River Trail," is the kind of ballad that, in a just universe, Ray Charles or Willie Nelson would transform into a smash.