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Leave it to a Jewish boy to start a revival of Western Swing music.
“Willie & The Wheel” is the new CD by country legend Willie Nelson and the longtime popular Western Swing band Asleep at the Wheel. The match-up seems a natural one, considering the similar musical tastes of Mr. Nelson and The Wheel, but it actually was 30 years in the making.
According to The Wheel’s frontman, Ray Benson, music industry icon Jerry Wexler, best known for his legendary R&B work with such geniuses as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, first came up with the idea of the album back in the early ‘70s. Turns out Mr. Wexler was a big fan of Western Swing music by such old-time artists as Bob Wills, Milton Brown and Cliff Bruner.
“Jerry Wexler originally came up with this concept back when Willie was on the Atlantic label,” said Mr. Benson “But before the record could be made, Willie left Atlantic for CBS records, and so the idea was shelved.”
Six years ago, Mr. Wexler, by this time retired and living in (where else?) Florida, called Mr. Benson, telling him, “I’m getting rid of my LPs! They collect dust and it bothers me. I have recorded them all and I am sending you all my Western Swing albums!”
Many of the LPs (now there’s a word you don’t hear much nowadays) bore song titles with the initials “WN” next to them. Mr. Benson called Mr. Wexler to learn that “WN” stood for “Willie Nelson,” and he found these were the classic tunes he’d handpicked for the country singer and The Wheel.
In 2007, Mr. Benson received a call from Mr. Nelson and his manager, saying the time was right to record the songs earmarked by Mr. Wexler. They all got down to work, and an album was born. (Interestingly, Mr. Nelson’s longtime sidekick, harmonica player Mickey Raphael, does not appear on the album.)
Nervously, Mr. Benson recalled sending the final tracks to Mr. Wexler. “To my delight and relief,” Mr. Benson said, “he loved them.”
Unfortunately, Mr. Wexler died last August, at age 91, six months before the CD’s release. “Jerry wanted us to do this album, and I’m glad we got to do it for him,” said Mr. Nelson. “And that he heard it before he passed on.”
This one’s for you, Jerry.