New Willie Nelson

[Finch Platte]

Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel will release Willie And The Wheel in stores and digitally on February 3, 2009 via Bismeaux Records. Jerry Wexler's long-overdue concept album takes Willie Nelson back to his musical roots. Teamed up with Ray Benson and the master musicianship of Asleep At The Wheel, this instand classic celebrates the timeless appeal of a most unique and spirited American music genre. Fall in love with Western Swing... again.

Thirty years after the idea was first introduced, Willie Nelson has teamed up with Asleep At The Wheel for a western-swing album, and its February release will coincide with a 10-date joint tour.

The album, titled Willie And The Wheel, features a dozen classic songs from the swing genre, which was most famously represented by Bob Wills, a fiddler and band leader who influenced both Willie and Wheel founder Ray Benson. The duet album was originally suggested by legendary record producer Jerry Wexler during the 1970s, when Willie briefly recorded for Atlantic Records. Wexler, who produced such hits as Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour," died in August, but he produced Willie And The Wheel before his passing.

"I'm glad we got to do it for him," Willie says, "and that he heard it before he passed on."
The album includes remakes of "Corrine Corrina," "Right Or Wrong," "I'm Sittin' On Top Of The World" and Spade Cooley's "Shame On You." The latter song features guest appearances by Vince Gill and David Letterman cohort Paul Shaffer.
Asleep At The Wheel has appeared a number of times at Willie's Fourth Of July Picnics and Farm Aid concerts. The band also enlisted Willie in 1998 to record "Going Away Party" with Manhattan Transfer for the Bob Wills tribute album Ride With Bob. The performance earned a Grammy nomination.

If you want to hear it, PM me.

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[3-LockBox]

I know someone who has it, but thanks anyhoo.

I went through a sort of AatW phase about 15-16 years ago. They have been singularly instrumental in keeping the western-swing flame alive over the last three decades, a genre which enjoyed a revival back in the early to mid '90s, thanks to acts like AatW and then burgeoning artists, like Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn. But they've done the same album over and over (in the fine country tradition). They seem to trot out the same Bob Wills songs over and over - some the songs here have been featured on other AatW's Wills tribute albums. I'd rather hear Merle Haggard do this sort of project anyway (he did a killer Bob Wills' signature call "Ahh-Haaaaw" back in the day). Haggard has done a few Wills covers throughout his career and as much as I like Willie, Haggard would have sounded better on this album.

It is a good sounding CD (what I've heard of it) and AatW does do a good job of keeping the old timey charm of the material, so as not to sound too slick or polished, (which many western-swing dance inspired tributes did just that). They seem to stick to traditional instrumentation and arrangements on this one, including a small horn/woodwinds section, which gives a sort of Benny Goodman feel to it. Not a bad CD to own, if yer curious, and don't already own the obligatory swing tribute album or two.

[bobsticks]

They seem to stick to traditional instrumentation and arrangements on this one, including a small horn/woodwinds section, which gives a sort of Benny Goodman feel to it. Not a bad CD to own, if yer curious, and don't already own the obligatory swing tribute album or two.

I wonder if that's the influence of his recent work with Wynton. Could it possibly surpass "stardust"?

[3-LockBox]

Could it possibly surpass "stardust"?

Don't think so. Stardust was a surprise, and is an idea that's been done over and over. I think this is good project, but its still within Willie's comfort zone. I woulda liked to hear the do some swing interpretations of some of Willie's older material.

You can only dip in the Wills well for so long. AatW needed to shift gears a long time ago - they're like Ricky Skaggs in that regard...if you've heard one Skaggs' Monroe-tribute album, you've heard them all.