Willie Nelson’s Bluegrass album is here.
For the legendary artist’s 1ooth album (his 74th solo studio album to go along with his 26 collaborative studio albums), he took to a whole new genre of music. Bluegrass.
And at 90 years old, I am questioning why Willie didn’t dabble in bluegrass sooner.
The outlaw pioneer reimagined a handful of his songs along with some covers with bluegrass flare, creating a soft yet tried and true bluegrass sound that is unique to Willie.
“New studio album, ‘Bluegrass,’ is releasing on Friday, September 15th!
This album will feature performances of 12 personal and fan favorites over the years.”
He said when he announced the album back in June.
With the help of Buddy Cannon, longtime friend and producer of the album, the 12-track list is filled with classics that fans know and love, along with a few incredible covers.
“He’d mention maybe doing a bluegrass project. But then we’d find some other songs we wanted to do, and it’d unconsciously get put on the back burner. I can’t even remember who said, ‘Okay, let’s do it now.’
There’s a lot of harmony in bluegrass, but there aren’t a lot of duets. And the more I looked at his catalog, the more that felt like a gimmick. These songs deserve better than that.”
Buddy Cannon told Texas Monthly, who has been Nelson’s primary producer since 2012.
Once the duo honed in on creating an authentic-sounding bluegrass album, work in the studio commenced.
Last week, Willie Nelson released the third single from the album, a cover of Waylon Jennings’ “Good Hearted Woman,” receiving high praises from fans; prior to that release, he dropped “You Left Me, A Long Time Ago,” and “Still, Is Still Moving To Me” as singles.
One of the standout tracks is the bluegrass version of Nelson’s hit “On The Road Again.” The upbeat tempo and banjo solo highlight the classic song, bringing it new life. Simply put, it’s a damn good reimagination of the track.
The album is filled with authentic picking, giving a nod to Appalachian country and it’s sound while highlighting Nelson’s famed vocals in a new light.
At 90 years old, Willie Nelson is still a visionary in the music space.
Check out a few tracks.
“On The Road Again”
“Sad Songs and Waltzes”
“No Love Around”
“Yesterday’s Wine”
