The Ageless Willie Nelson Is Back on the Road Again with “Willie & the Wheel”

With a career that has spanned for almost half a century, 76-year old icon Willie Nelson has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, he closes off 2009 with a series of shows with the members of Asleep at The Wheel, the finest Western swing band in the US today, in support of their brilliant collaboration “Willie and the Wheel.”

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!”