Willie And The Wheel

Description

Willie And The Wheel is the culmination of a project that has been in the conceptual stage for over thirty years. When the Atlantic label in the 70s housed both Willie Nelson and the band Asleep At The Wheel, the legend of producer Jerry Wexler suggested they collaborate on an album filled with western swing classics. Shortly after, Willie signed with another company, just like the band. In 2007, Asleep At The Wheel, who had been playing western swing for nearly four decades, was the opening act for one of Nelson's tours. Wexler took the opportunity to reiterate his idea. The result was Willie And The Wheel, a tribute album to the genre that blends Dixieland with folk and blues, which was at its peak in the years leading up to World War II. Through twelve classic songs from the height of the swing era, originally written by greats like Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Cliff Bruner, and Spade Cooley, Nelson and the band prove that this is a genre they know intimately - and that they master to perfection. Jerry Wexler passed away in August 2008, but he was able to hear the finished album.