Western swing is the part of the original country & western that has faded into the background over the years. Still, this 1940s 'cowboy jazz', a mix of jazz and folk, was an important building block for country music. Willie Nelson grew up with it and previously paid tribute to one of the most important composers of the genre (Cindy Walker) on the CD You Don't Know Me (2006). On this album,
… Willie & The Wheel, he collaborates with the western swing group Asleep At The Wheel, on a selection of songs created three decades earlier by the illustrious rhythm & blues producer and western swing fan Jerry Wexler. That idea remained on the shelf at the time, but under the leadership of guitarist and producer Ray Benson, it still took shape. Wexler was no longer allowed to experience the end result - he passed away during the recording - but he would undoubtedly have loved this nostalgia-dripping record. (MS)more
