This album closely follows previous releases by Nelson, known for his wide range of musical influences, which he is never afraid to explore and produce great albums from. Just recently, Nelson released a solo album called “American Classic,” in which he explores the jazzified sound of standards with artists such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones. Prior to this, Nelson has also done collaborations with country singers such as Ryan Adams, Kenny Chesney, Wynton Marsalis, and even Toots Hibbert.

This time, Nelson has done it again, releasing a collaborative project with the best Western swing band in the US, none other than Asleep on The Wheel. Already, this album has been hailed by critics and fans as one of the best to have come out in 2009. It consists of twelve tracks handpicked by legendary producer Jerry Wexler consisting of songs that represent the history of Western swing—right from its Dixieland and blues roots. The tracks included are “Hesitation Blues,” “Sweet Jennie Lee,” “Fan It,”  “I Ain’t Gonna Give Nobody None o’ This Jelly Roll,”  “Oh! You Pretty Woman,” “Bring it on Down to My House,” “Right or Wrong,” “Corrine Corrina,” “I’m Sittin’ on Top of the World,” “Shame on You,” “Won’t You Ride in My Little Red Wagon,” and  “South,” which features Paul Shaffer and Vince Gill.

As for Asleep at the Wheel, “Willie and the Wheel” is a long overdue project whose early beginnings could be traced back almost two decades back when legendary producer Jerry Wexler first met the members of the band. It is quite ironic that Wexler had been initially reluctant to sign the band. Says Asleep at the Wheel band leader Ray Benson with a chuckle, “He said the guitar player needed to practice — me — and he was right!”

Nevertheless Benson and Wexler eventually became friends and when Benson learned of how Wexler had once hand-picked tunes that he thought would suit Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, he approached Nelson about the project, and the rest is history. Fortunately, even though Wexler died in 2008. Willie and the Wheel were already able to complete the album, culminating in its release this year as a tribute to the great producer at the same time.

This collaboration though is not a flash in the pan because Benson’s band has already played with Nelson over the years on country love songs and more. Says Benson of Nelson’s quirky musical style, “It’s idiosyncratic and unusual and totally original and unique. That’s the appeal: You do things the Willie way, or you fall flat on your face.” He adds, however, that “He’s a joy to play with. My drummer said he treats time like an avant-garde jazz musician. I love it. It’s amusing, it’s stimulating, it’s great fun!”

Aaron Watson, Angels & Outlaws

Country singer Aaron Watson has recently released his new single “The Road,” the first single from his forthcoming studio album scheduled for release in early 2010. The song, written by Elliot Park, features an infectious chorus that will surely make “The Road” a driver’s seat soundtrack. Different from the countless other “road songs” sang from the perspective of the traveler, this one actually is told from the point of view of road we tread on. A sample lyric goes, “I offer many choices and places you can go/But you must choose/I’m just the road” and it’s “paved with memories, glory and regrets…lined with broken dreams and cigarettes.”

Watson states, “I write a lot of my own songs, but from the first time I heard ‘The Road,’ I knew I wanted to cut it. It’s just a great song that grabs you from the first line and doesn’t let you go through the entire song. I also really liked the message of the song…don’t blame the road of life, you’re in control of your own destiny for the choices that you make and the road just provides the pavement.”

Counting Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Merle Haggard as his musical influences, the Amarillo, Texas-born Watson begun learning guitar at an early age and began writing and singing his own songs while he was a college student at Abilene Christian University. He became a regular fixture on the Texas honky-tonk circuit before releasing his debut album “A Texas Café” which contains 15 songs.

In 2002, he released his second album, Shut Up and Dance, which was a regional sales success, producing the hit single “Off the Record.” The album also gained him airplay and media attention nationwide. In 2004, he released “A Honky Tonk Kid” and featured guest vocals from his hero, Willie Nelson. Live at the Texas Hall of Fame was released in 2005. His 2006 album, San Angelo hit No. 60 on the US Billboard country charts and No. 50 on its Heatseekers chart. On April 2008, Watson’s Angels & Outlaws, his 8th album reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Heatseekers chart, No. 28 on its Country Albums chart, and landed in The Billboard Top 200.

The album’s debut single, “Hearts Are Breaking Across Texas,” reached the No. 1 spot on the Texas Music Chart. Watson also released on September 2009 a CD/DVD live album, Deep in the Heart of Texas: Aaron Watson Live. It reached No. 47 on the US Chart and No. 24 on the US Heat.

Having already released 10 albums, the 31-year-old Watson is constantly writing and recording his own style of country music that his ever expanding fan base longs for. The long and taxing road of his career has led him to this new single, appropriately titled, “The Road.”

“The Road” can appeal to a variety of listeners. Loyal fans of Watson will certainly appreciate this newest offering from him. And for those who still don’t know who Watson is, “The Road” may just be the song that will get you hooked on the honky-tonk star.

Kenny Chesney, Photo Courtesy of East Tennessee State University

Kenny Chesney’s single I’m Alive from his latest album, Lucky Old Sun, peaked at No.8 on Billboards Hot Country Song Chart as of November 14, 2009. Prior to this, the single spent a week at No.55 on the chart. It also peaked at No.48 at US Billboard Hot 100 and No.6 in the Canadian Radio and Records Country Singles.

The album Lucky Old Sun debuted at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200. It was Chesney’s fifth consecutive album to top the U.S. Top Country Albums charts. At the same time, it is the thirteenth studio album released by the country music artist. The album has produced two singles in Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, that reached No.1 on the Billboard country charts and Down the Road, through collaborations with The Wailers and Mac McAnally, respectively.

Chesney co-wrote the song with Dean Dillon and Mark Tamburino. However, it was Willie Nelson who first recorded the song on his album Moment of Forever, which Chesney also produced. The song was later recorded by Chesney with Dave Matthews on his 2008 album Lucky Old Sun but did not release it as a single from that album. This version later appeared on Greatest Hits II album which was released to radio in August 2009.

“I had already written ‘I’m Alive,’ and Dave told me he loved that ‘I’m Alive’ song and that he felt like that would be something that would fit on one of his records to stand alone,” Kenny recalls. “I said ‘Well, why don’t we try doin’ it?’ And then it was just magic in the studio when we did it. I didn’t realize how natural my voice and his voice would sound together, you know, ’cause it’s completely two different styles. We come from completely two different worlds. I mean he was born in South Africa. I was born in East Tennessee. So it just goes to show you how universal music can really be.”

In an interview, Chesney said, “It was never meant to be some kind of a message except to maybe myself. It’s one thing when Willie Nelson at seventy sings it, and something totally different when Dave and I do. One is from a place of really knowing; for us, it was more just the fact that we realize it.”

So far, I’m Alive has been met by mixed critical reception. J. Freedom Du Lac of the Washington Post said, “The song is supposed to be an anthem about strength and survival and soldiering, yet it sounds more like a weary wish than a declaration.” Meanwhile, “A genuine reflection about the way they choose to live their lives” is how Matt Bjorke of Roughstock described the song. A more negative feedback was given by CM Wilcox of The 9513.

He conferred a thumbs-down review saying the song has “somewhat ambitious” lyrics and made note of Matthews’ vocal performance. However, he also said that Chesney sounded like a “workaday singer” and that the duet did not have a sense of interplay between the two vocalists.