When Willie Nelson took the unexpected step of releasing Stardust in 1978, many predicted that the album of popular standards would severely derail the outlaw country singer's career. Confounding the critics, the disc became Nelson's best-selling effort, and spawned a whole subgenre of modern singers covering the classics. Nelson revisited the format with 1994's orchestral Healing Hands of Time and to varying degrees on several other records, but it wasn't until 2009's American Classic that the red-headed stranger delivered an album billed as the true follow-up to Stardust. Released on the venerable Blue Note label, the disc features guest appearances by superstar jazz singers Norah Jones and Diana Krall, but the focus is always placed squarely on Nelson's famously idiosyncratic vocals. American Classic does not feature Nelson's veteran band, but rather a core group of first-call studio jazz cats including Christian McBride on bass, Joe Sample on piano, and Lewis Nash on drums. The resultant sound is smooth, classy, and subtle -- a sonic horse of a different color from the exquisitely ramshackle earthiness that made Stardust so appealing and unusual. On tunes such as the jaunty, gently swinging "On the Street Where You Live" and "Since I Fell for You," which features longtime Nelson cohort Mickey Raphael on bluesy harmonica, Nelson sounds comfortable and in command, gliding effortlessly and soulfully over a great set of tunes played by top-notch pros.
Willie Nelson's supposed followup to Stardust falls a little flat.Willie Nelson can do no wrong for most country (and pop) fans, but his latest offering of pop-jazz renderings falls fairly flat. A kind of sequel to the well-acclaimed Stardust, American Classic revisits some old favorite standards, covered previously by Nelson and otherwise. Elevator jazz mixes with a classical shadow of strings...
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MUSIC NEWS - Willie Nelson continues to show us he's a musical treasure. And with AMERICAN CLASSIC, his new release on Blue Note, he's again been able to successfully cross musical genres. He's a valued "American Classic", as he's aptly named new album says. It's his second CD of 2009 (the first one with Asleep at the Wheel), with two out in 2008 ! With all this Willie music to listen t
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Canada.com posts a feature on the upcoming album of classics by Willie Nelson, American Classic – Willie Nelson returns to ‘the good songs’ (release 8/25)The New York Times also features a piece on Willie Nelson’s American Classic.The Boston Herald posts a feature on honky-tonk neo-traditionalist Paul Burch- Looking for authentic country soul? Burch is ‘Still [...]Related posts:New Relea
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Willie Nelson will join TheBoot.com for a live “Twitterview” next Tuesday, Aug. 25, the same day as the release of his newest album American Classic. You can watch the live chat with Willie, starting at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, if you follow Willie Nelson and theBoot.com on Twitter.Speaking of the Texas Yoda, The L.A. [...]Related posts:Willie Nelson Premieres New Video for Shoeshine ManWillie
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Willie Nelson's supposed followup to Stardust falls a little flat.Willie Nelson can do no wrong for most country (and pop) fans, but his latest offering of pop-jazz renderings falls fairly flat. A kind of sequel to the well-acclaimed Stardust, American Classic revisits some old favorite standards, covered previously by Nelson and otherwise. Elevator jazz mixes with a classical shadow of strings...
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There’s no mistaking Willie Nelson’s voice. It’s an old friend, and it’s a wonderful thing to hear that voice taking on pop standards like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “On the Street Where You Live,” among others. It was brilliant when he did it on “Stardust,” and the hope must have been to create something similar to [...]
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That infamous purveyor of information, the unnamed source, has said that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are ready to head into the studio. "It has been a long time since Ringo played drums on any of Paul's songs but they've decided they can work together again. They had a fantastic time in New York, and realize they still work well together. They're now getting together later in the year to w...
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Willie Nelson has revealed a few details about his new forthcoming album.The album, ‘American Classic‘, will feature classic American songs and is set for a U.S. release August 25.Among the tracks on the 12-track album are ‘Fly Me To The Moon‘, ‘Always On My Mind‘, and ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside‘ which features a guest appearance by singer Norah Jones.Willie Nelson Tracklisting:‘T
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Along with recording his own songs, Willie Nelson is also known as a great interpreter of other people's work. Past works have included albums with the music of Kris Kristofferson, Lefty Frizzell, Bob Wills, Cindy Walker and Hank Williams, among others.In 1978, right in the middle of the height of his career as one of the Outlaws of country, Nelson made the risky move of releasing an album of...
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illed as a properif long overduefollow-up to Stardust, his 1978 collection of pop standards that remains his biggest selling album, Willie Nelson's American Classic is one of the icon's better recent efforts. On such familiar songs as "The Nearness of You" and "Fly Me to the Moon," Nelson is in...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 The Nearness of You |
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| 2 Fly Me to the Moon |
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| 3 Come Rain or Shine |
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| 4 If I Had You |
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| 5 Ain't Misbehavin' |
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| 6 I Miss You So |
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| 7 Because of You |
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| 8 Baby, It's Cold Outside |
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| 9 Angel Eyes |
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| 10 On the Street Where You Live |
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| 11 Since I Fell for You |
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| 12 Always on My Mind |
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Click to purchase…
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 "American Classic")
