Think of the oddest musical pairing and see if you can top Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. Jazz + Country? Somehow they got together and released Two Men with the Blues in 2008. The album was so well received the duo decided to collaborate again. Here We Go Again on Blue Note is a live album that pays homage to the music of Ray Charles, another musician who was no stranger to playing multiple musical idioms.
In February of 2009, Nelson showed up with his harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, at the Rose Theater. Marsalis and his band were waiting with newly arranged interpretations of Charles’ classics like “Busted” “Making Whoopie” and “Unchain My Heart.” The redux songs cover all the musical bases: gospel, boogaloo, rhythm and blues, swing and hard bop. “I Love You So” is framed within the structure of a waltz. “Losing Hard” plays like a chain gang dirge.
My favorite is “Cryin’ Time,” a straight-ahead country duet, featuring Nelson and musical guest, Norah Jones. I also like “Hit the Road Jack,” which starts in a gospel vein; then blends nicely into a swing jam session.
The hodgepodge could have splayed into a musical mess, but the experience and inventiveness of the performers keeps the songs tight and swinging. It’s fun to see a diverse collection of musicians having so much fun. Maybe the fundamentals of jazz and country are closer then they appear. Maybe what they share is the blues of losing a gal, truck or favorite guitar. When it comes to misery, we can all relate.
Dave
