Meet Al Brumley, one of America's bright, new entertainers. Being the son of the famous gospel songwriter, Albert E. Brumley, Al was raised with music. After performing on local radio stations in his native Missouri, he did a hitch in the Navy, and then California beckoned for television and club work. Four years later, he returned to Music City, U.S.A., Nashville, Tenn. to concentrate on songwriting, personal appearances and recordings. 'The Al Brumley Showcase' is a collection of tunes, some written by Al himself, with a country, pop and folk styling. There are new songs and old favourites, but all are representative of the Nashville Sound – especially with the skilful backing of The Anita Kerr Singers and the orchestra conducted by Harold Bradley. Side A is devoted to a typical lament of most country singers – heartbreak in love. In Leaving This Old Town, an original by Al, he vows never to return to the scene of his broken romance. I'll Just Wait Around holds out hope that his gal will return to his waiting arms. Pictures On The Wall, written by country and western singer, Sterling Blythe, tells about the particular fascination a photograph can hold, while Little Scraps Of Paper recalls the memories of once-prized love letters. I Still Beg Of You, is another Al Brumley tune, with a love-never-dies flavour, and the side closes with the upbeat tempis, of not in subject matter, of A Heartache And Two Empty Arms. Side two is mainly uptempo, as the hand-clapping opener Pretty Women refreshingly demonstrates. Two country favourites follow – Burning Bridges a standard of recent vintage, and Take An Old Cold Tater popularized by Jimmie Dickens, and an old reliable of many C&W singers through the years. Call Of The Whippoorwill, up next, reminisces about happy times gone by, and then we hear about Abraham Lincoln, his life and times, in a folk hero ballad setting. The concluding entry is a swinging version of the renowned I'll Fly Away, which was written by Al's father, Albert E. Brumley.