Willie and the Wheel (Bonus Track Version)

Willie Nelson has become an American icon — the pony-tailed elder statesman — but it took him decades of perseverance to get there. His musical acumen was there from the beginning but his unorthodox delivery that has since become a natural part of the American musical vernacular was once considered far out of the mainstream. This collaboration with fellow Western Swing aficionados Asleep At the Wheel, initially suggested back in the ‘70s by legendary producer Jerry Wexler, is a well-balanced, unpretentious collection of easy-flowing tunes that emphasize the backing group's expert musicianship and Nelson's always recognizable vocal delivery. Singing behind the beat, Nelson brings a soothing, simmering tension to the traditional "Hesitation Blues," a lazy saloon feel to the horn-driven "Fan It," and his usual sense of play with "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This Jelly Roll." Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, who virtually defined the Western Swing genre, are well served with "Corrine Corrina," "Bring It Down to My House" and "Right or Wrong." It's the sound of two veteran acts doing what comes naturally.