I know nothing about “Western swing,” a once-popular fusion of country music, old-time jazz and blues. But Willie Nelson has a new CD coming out as a tribute to the style.Willie teamed up with the modern-day Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Their album (“Willie and the Wheel”) drops on February 3.
One track is available now as a FREE MP3.
Click here to hear “Hesitation Blues” on my Vox blog. To download it, click the song title below.
“Hesitation Blues” is a traditional tune that’s been recorded by Louis Armstrong, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Lead Belly, Rev. Gary Davis, Lena Horne, Hot Tuna and many others over the past century.
“Hesitation Blues” (MP3) 
More on this album
Willie also recently (last year) did an amazing blues/jazz collalo with Wynton Marsailis under the title of "Two Men With The Blues."
ReplyDelete^ Dang... I did not know. Thanks, Kenn.
ReplyDeleteLong been waiting for this record. I'm glad you mentioned it, UBM.
ReplyDeleteThe God of Western Swing is a guy named Bob Wills. He fronted the Texas Playboys and is even the subject of a Waylon Jennings song (also covered by Willie Nelson) called, appropriately I guess, "Bob Willis is Still the King." The style evolved out of jazz music, blending an eclectic mix of "immigrant music" -- like polka and traditional gypsy music -- which was brought over by early Americans from Germany, Ireland, England and other places, with cowboy music and folk songs. Beginning in rural dance halls of the west -- mostly the Lower Great Plains -- it was similar to the big bands of the same era but was built musically around the fiddle as opposed to the horn section. Later versions of Western Swing incorporated Be-Bop, you might be interested to know.
When I worked at the Ashgrove on the Pier in the late-1990s, we had one of our largest crowds when the latest incarnation of the Texas Playboys appeared there. It's still immensely popular and will bring out the cowboy-booted, gallon-hatted crowd, yessir.
^ Thanks for that, S.O.L. I'm gonna check out more.
ReplyDeleteNot really my kind of music and while Willie is something of a songwriter, I've never cared for his voice. However, there was a great Western swing CD out a couple years ago by a group called the Little Willies (Norah Jones and friends). Got some Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson and a fun little piece about Lou Reed rolling cows.
ReplyDeleteWillie also recently (last year) did an amazing blues/jazz collalo with Wynton Marsailis under the title of "Two Men With The Blues."
ReplyDeleteyeah, I need to check that out in more detail. heard a few clips and it sounded pretty good
I loved when he and Brother Ray sang Busted. My guy from Kansas said that Willie would be 10 times as big if not for the Weed thing.
ReplyDelete