Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis
(Blue Note)
Willie Nelson’s undeniable greatness is not always a guarantee of product quality. He’s willing to cut a song for just about any country-oriented tribute project, and he’ll dabble as willingly in reggae as in western swing. So, a collaboration with jazz virtuoso and scholar Wynton Marsalis is not a surprising stretch, especially because Nelson has made his mark on standards, including, most famously, Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust.”
Recorded live at two Jazz At Lincoln Center performances in January 2007, Two Men With The Blues is loose and easygoing, good-humored and spontaneous. Nelson and Marsalis, backed by a bass-drums-piano-sax-harmonica quintet, find common ground in New Orleans swing (“Basin Street Blues”), jumping blues (“Bright Lights, Big City”) and the aforementioned standards (“Stardust” still sounds vital, remarkably). Nelson’s conversational, behind-the-beat singing contrasts with Marsalis’ bright and energetic trumpet solos, and Mickey Raphael’s harmonica adds a bluesy anchor. If Nelson’s plunky guitar solos seem willful at times, that only adds to the sense of casual interplay to this summery, swinging set.
Standout Tracks: “Georgia On My Mind,” “Bright Lights, Big City” STEVE KLINGE
