Of course it is no secret that Willie Nelson’s music has inspired and influenced countless artists over the years, but who has Willie himself drawn inspiration from?
Well one of his heroes is not from the world of country music at all but is in fact the late, great crooner Frank Sinatra. Willie has taken some of the standards and classics made famous by Frank and reinterpreted them for his upcoming album “ My Way” to be released on Legacy Records ( a division of Sony Music entertainment) on September 14th. This is his second album to be released this year ( following April’s “ Last Man Standing” ) and 12th for the label.
Willie and Frank were close friends, musical colleagues and mutual admirers of each other’s work throughout Sinatra’s lifetime. In the 1980s, Sinatra opened for Willie at Golden Nugget in Las Vegas and the two of them appeared together in a public service announcement for NASA’s Space Foundation.
“I learned a lot about phrasing listening to Frank,” Willie said recently in an interview for AARP magazine (June/July 2018). “He didn’t worry about behind the beat or in front of the beat, or whatever—he could sing it either way, and that’s the feel you have to have.”
I’m sure Willie’s fans will remember his 1978 album “ Stardust” on which he covered a selection of songs from The Great American Songbook ( something numerous contemporary artists have since tackled ) and he won a Grammy for his 2016 release “ Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin”, his selection for the album being inspired by Sinatra’s recordings of Gershwin songs. This new release promises to be in the same spirit judging by the first single to be taken from it, his version of “ Summer Wind” , which as well as its beautiful piano and string arrangement also features his long-time band member Micky Raphael on harmonica
Coincidentally, or some may say spookily, as I write this article another incredible country singer/songwriter Erin Enderlin ( cuts include “ Last Call” by Lee Ann Womack and “ Monday Morning Church” by Alan Jackson) has just announced the release of her own new single which is a tribute to Willie, one of her biggest inspirations and someone she has had the honour of touring with in the past. In “World Without Willie” she contemplates the unthinkable, a world without his incredible musical legacy, and the track also features the aforementioned Micky Raphael on harmonica!
My Way is the latest addition to this legacy, and will be available on CD, vinyl LP and digital formats as well as part of exclusive merch bundles on Willie’s web store. Pre-order here:
https://willienelson.lnk.to/MyWay
Willie Nelson – My Way
01. Fly Me To The Moon
02. Summer Wind
03. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
04. A Foggy Day
05. It Was A Very Good Year
06. Blue Moon
07. I’ll Be Around
08. Night And Day
09. What Is This Thing Called Love (with Norah Jones)
10. Young At Heart
11. My Way
Produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings
Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release My Way–Willie Nelson’s new studio album (and 12th for the label)–on Friday, September 14.
My Way will be available on CD, vinyl LP and digital formats as well as part of exclusive merch bundles on Willie’s web store. Pre-order here:
https://willienelson.lnk.to/MyWay
In addition, the first single from the album, Willie’s take on the classic “Summer Wind” was released today and a music video for the song can be viewed at:
http://www.vevo.com/watch/willie-nelson/Summer-Wind-(Official-Music-Video)/USSM21800782
My Way is Willie’s second new studio album this year, following the release of his critically-acclaimed Last Man Standing in April.
An album of standards and classics made famous by Frank Sinatra, My Way finds Willie (who’s written a few standards himself) swinging his way through some of the most beloved songs in the Great American Songbook. The album–which features lush string and horn arrangements–was produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings.
Two iconic avatars on the American pop culture landscape, Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson express the range of romantic emotion–from the intoxicating thrill of falling in love to the crushing hangover of heartbreak–in songs that speak directly to the listener. Recorded in the spirit of Willie’s legendary 1978 Stardust album (one of the first contemporary artists to “cover” the Great American Songbook) and 2016’s Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (a Best Traditional Vocal Album Grammy Award winner), My Way pays homage to one of his heroes.
Willie and Frank were close friends, musical colleagues and mutual admirers of each other’s work throughout Sinatra’s lifetime. In the 1980s, Sinatra opened for Willie at Golden Nugget in Las Vegas and the two of them appeared together in a public service announcement for NASA’s Space Foundation.
“I learned a lot about phrasing listening to Frank,” Willie said recently in an interview for AARP magazine (June/July 2018). “He didn’t worry about behind the beat or in front of the beat, or whatever—he could sing it either way, and that’s the feel you have to have.”
That’s the attitude Willie brings to My Way with abiding classics like “Summer Wind,” “It Was A Very Good Year,” “I’ll Be Around,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” “What Is This Thing Called Love” (a duet with Willie’s sister Grammy winner Norah Jones) and the anthemic title track, Frank done Willie’s way, one master vocalist channeling another.
Willie Nelson – My Way
01. Fly Me To The Moon
02. Summer Wind
03. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
04. A Foggy Day
05. It Was A Very Good Year
06. Blue Moon
07. I’ll Be Around
08. Night And Day
09. What Is This Thing Called Love (with Norah Jones)
10. Young At Heart
11. My Way
Produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings
