Willie Nelson – American Classic 2009
It was Bruce Lundval who encouraged Nelson to record “Stardust, now President of Blue Note Records, who also had prevision to sign Nelson to Columbia in the ’70s and, thirty years later, offered him a home at Blue Note. The formula of 1978 hit “Stardust”, pop classics and standards, has been cleverly re-thought, re-formatted and resumed on Willie Nelson’s solo debut album for the jazz label Blue Note – American Classic.
Willie Nelson is first and foremost a great songwriter: he wrote “Crazy” – immortalized by Patsy Cline – and “Ain’t Funny How Time Slips Away”. American Classic is Nelson’s return to the Great American Songbook, a crossover standards album by the man who invented the genre with his landmark, best-selling 1978 album Stardust, which has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA. The album went on to become the most successful album of his career thus far. It reached No 1 on the Billboard’s Country Album’s chart; racked up more than five million in sales; earned Nelson a Country Male Vocal Performance Grammy; and, most significantly, helped to transform a colorful, middle-aged cult figure into a mainstream star.
Produced by Tommy LiPuma, American Classic features special guest appearances by Norah Jones on the classic tale of seduction ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ and Diana Krall on ‘If I Had You’, string arrangements by Johnny Mandel, and a top shelf backing band that includes Nelson’s longtime sidekick Mickey Raphael on harmonica, and such notable jazzmen as pianist Joe Sample, guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Lewis Nash.
Certainly it is not an album which will impact your world, nor will hand Willie Nelson over to the American Song Book’s History but for a good and very pleasant easy listening this certainly gives you that.
My highlights: “The Nearness of You”, “On the Street Where You Live” and “Angel Eyes”.
American Classic
Format : CD / Vinyl Release Date : August 25, 2009 Number of Discs : 1 Label : Blue Note Track List: 1. The Nearness of You 2. Fly Me to the Moon 3. Come Rain or Come Shine 4. If I Had You (Feat. Diana Krall) 5. Ain't Misbehavin' 6. I Miss You So 7. Because of You 8. Baby It's Cold Outside (Feat. Norah Jones) 9. Angel Eyes 10.On The Street Where You Live 11.Since I Fell For You 12.Always On My Mind Personnel: Willie Nelson - Guitar/Vocals Anthony Wilson - Guitar Mickey Raphael - Harmonica Joe Sample - Piano Christian McBride - Bass Lewis Nash - Drums String Arrangements by Johnny Mandel Produced by Tommy LiPuma
Willie_Nelson-American_Classic_2009_mp3_Samplers
"If you liked this post, your subscription will be highly appreciated."
Broken or deleted links can be requested by posting it in comments. Thanks...
