Once in a while the stars align and something magical happens…as on the night Jazz at Lincoln Center presented a salute to the late, great bluesman, Ray Charles. Two musical iconoclasts, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, along with the stunning songstress Norah Jones, collectively brought their unique musical perspective to the legendary artist’s hits such as “Hallelujah I Love Her So”, “Hit the Road Jack,” and “Unchain My Heart.” Country music legend Willie Nelson and Pulitzer Prize-winning jazz artist and Jazz at Lincoln Center Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis share more in common than their multiple GRAMMY® awards. They also share great respect and admiration for the late musical pioneer Ray Charles. Nelson and Marsalis joined musical forces for a two-night Jazz at Lincoln Center concert event at New York City’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Their set list explored the legacy of Charles, cleverly sequencing the songs to tell the story of a love affair from beginning to end and beyond. This fine idea was made finer by the inclusion of fellow multiple GRAMMY® winner Norah Jones, whose style suggests a middle ground between Nelson and Marsalis.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie, combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie, combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Recorded in 1984, this live set offers a glimpse behind the fog of pot smoke and blur of whiskey when one of country music’s greatest-ever bands was performing at its peak.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie, combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie, combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie, combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Willie Nelson recorded these songs in 1961 and 1962 for Liberty Records under the supervision of producer Joe Allison, who wisely took a chance on the unknown Nelson and launched the career of one of the greatest writers in any style of music.
This is simply an amazing collection. The original version of Patsy Cline's signature tune "Crazy" is here (the Cline arrangement was reproduced almost note for note from Nelson's record) but every song is of equal quality and shines with the same brilliance of conception. Ironically, the punch of some of these songs is due at least in part to Nelson's restrained delivery; nearly all of these songs have been recorded by other artists, but I'll take these versions any time for the little twists that Nelson gives them. The arrangements are reserved but absolutely dead-on, reflecting producer Allison and session arranger Harold Bradley's decision to "stay the hell out of the way," as Bradley put it, and just let Nelson sing. The two guitars, bass, drums, piano and male and female background singers create the atmosphere and let Nelson's lyrics and idiosyncratic phrasing take center stage. The result is a peerless songwriter's album and, while it's a scant thirty minutes in length, it's so perfect that you'll have no problem listening to it twice.
All these songs are also on the 2CD set "Willie Nelson The Early Years: The Complete Liberty Recordings plus more," which makes available other songs from these same sessions as well as a great deal more. If you have that set, my best advice is to make a CD or tape of these 12 songs in order, sit back and enjoy one of the best albums of Nelson's (or anyone's) career. This is really as good as it gets.

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Willie Hugh Nelson is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie, combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust, made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music.