Two Men With The Blues

Willie's collaborations don't always appeal to me, but this one does. It's a great blend of musicians, and a joy to listen to. A real hit.

Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson get together on some familiar tunes. It is folksy and interesting, but not the best work by either artist.

You don't have to like Willie Nelson's musical style or Wynton Marsalis's to enjoy this outstanding coupling. Together they make new Music!. Relaxing and fun, I listen to it over and over and each time find a new gem hidden in the songs. Thanks guys for putting together such a fine piece of work. Buy people! Buy two and give as a gift. Worth every last nickel.

A small-club setting and appreciative audience, a set that cooks, two laid back super cool music makers having fun, some funky blues with a generous helping of rocking traditional jazz and jive = 5 stars!

Willie's voice sounds like he's sung the blues more than a few times and, like the older Johnny Cash, sounds like a man who's been around the long block a few times and is now completely comfortable in his skin. The backing musicians add some wonderful solo and ensemble work; Wynton Marsalis rollicks and wails, and Willie's guitar work is subdued but stills grabs you.

Fun and entertaining from track 1, and I'm hoping for another pairing to maybe give us a Volume 2 next year!

I looked forward to a collaboration of two of my favorite artists on some great tunes. Willie has done some fantastic duets over the years. This one doesn't work. The production values are terrible. Willie's voice is covered up by the instrumentals. You can barely hear him. Assuming he had his own mike, that was a producer's choice ---a bad decision.

This is a CD you have to work to love. Not that it isn't worth loving. It is. Marsalis plays the trumpet sparingly and with a kind of precision that can sound as much like soul as the blues. Nelson matches the trumpet with his voice--he isn't trying too hard, he's not laying off because of his age, he's entering the song when he has to, when he should, and offering his voice as one of the instruments. It's hard not to like both of these guys. The backing, though, is not something I enjoy. When Marsalis is comped by the saxophonist, I find it annoying. The piano is tinny. I sort of wish they had Marsalis, Nelso, a trumpet, a guitar, a set of drums, and that's it. Caldonia is my favorite on the whole album. It's a kind of set-your-feet-back and think of times when New Orleans wasn't forsaken tune. Make no mistake, there is mourning here. That's what drives the blues of this album. It is of a piece with NOLA by Connick and other albums from those who call that unfairly besmirched city home. Thanks for this album, guys. I hope it motivates people to do right by others.

I love Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, but unfortunately not together. I was very excited when I heard this CD was coming out and couldn't wait to purchase it. I am still very happy that they teamed up together and I'm sure there are some that will enjoy it...I however am very disappointed.

I know what you're thinking? Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis? Together? I thought the same thing, too, when I saw them on The Tonight Show earlier this year. I mean, we are talking about Willie Nelson, the Texas troubadour who will duet with, well, just about anyone who asks. And then there's Wynton Marsalis, the jazz purist--puritan?--who disdained even his brother, Branford, for touring with Sting back in the 1980s. How in the world did these two get together?

That's something I haven't discovered yet, even in the nice little behind-the-scenes video up on YouTube. Upon closer inspection, the pairing is not as far from left field as you might think. Nelson has covered everything including reggae (yeah, really) but one of his biggest albums was Stardust (1978), an album of standards from the Great American Songbook, that helped to define what Nelson does best: blend many varied genres and elements to create something different, if not original. Marsalis, in the meantime, has spent the bulk of his twenty-five year career bringing back the prominence of acoustic jazz, the jazz before Miles Davis "corrupted" the genre by plugging in and going electric. And Marsalis succeeded, reminding folks (and record executives) that traditional jazz can be good and make money at the same time. The songs Marsalis used to usher in the Young Lions movement in jazz were those from The Great American Songbook.

Beyond the two men drinking from the same well of music, look at their backgrounds. They are both southerners, Nelson from Texas and Marsalis from New Orleans. Southern music is a smorgasbord of sounds and influences. Gospel, blues, jazz, bluegrass, folk, country, Texas swing, and more all can be found in almost any song by a southerner. So it was, two southerners and their band members went up to New York and recorded a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

"Two Men and the Blues" is a live recording. It serves the music well because, I think, the perfection of a studio would have lessened the impact and spontaneity of the performance. You get the sense that these seven men are not on a stage at a prestigious concert hall but in the drummer's garage. It's a Saturday night, it's hot, the door's open, the beer getting warm in the ice chest full of melting ice, and these guys are just jammin' for no other reason that they love music.

"Bright Lights Big City" kicks off the set. Wynton's band--he brought himself on trumpet, Walter Blanding (sax), Carlos Henriquez (bass), Dan Nimmer (piano), and Ali Jackson (drums)--sets up the nice lilting shuffle feel. Mickey Raphael's harmonica is also there, adding that certain flourish that only a harmonica can. All the instrumentalists take a turn at soloing, even Nelson on guitar. You know going into this recording that Wynton's band is top notch. If there was going to be a weak link, it was going to be Nelson's guitar playing. I was interested in hearing if Nelson took a turn on soloing. He did, and, while it's not superb, this is the type of song where fancy pyrotechnics are out of place. So Nelson did just fine.

The longer you listen to this recording, you realize how close the phrasing of Nelson's vocals and his guitar really are. His Martin nylon string guitar does not hold the sustain like a steel-string guitar. Nelson usually compensates by repeatedly striking whichever string he's playing. But on this recording, he doesn't do that a lot. He lets the struck string fade when it wants to, much like his voice. Nelson is not a singer who can hold a note for a long period of time. Where a singer like, say, Sinatra, would carry his phrasing past the four-measure break, Nelson breaks his vocal phrasing short. As a result, there are usually more silences in a Nelson tune. That's his style and it really works in this set.

"Night Life" is one of those tracks where you imagine it being played in a late-night jazz club, after midnight but before closing time, the smoke hanging low from the ceiling, all but the die-hard have gone home. It's the time of night for the faithful, the friends, and for the girls in the audience who want to date a jazz performer. Wynton's trumpet shines here, opening the track with a long solo that sets the down tempo mood. But it's his flutter sound during the chorus that really takes the roof off. Out of nowhere, it blasts above Nelson's vocals. And Willie brings out a better solo on guitar, a nice, soft theme that put my worries about his abilities to rest. He also played a good melody on "Basin Street Blues."

Since Stardust is still one of Nelson's most famous records, you knew the band was going to cover some of those songs. They do the title track and, of course, "Georgia, On My Mind." "Stardust" has a beautiful, lush tenor sax solo, the kind where you can hear the air passing over the reed in the lower register, a nuance that, for me, a sax player, I love. "Georgia" starts off showcasing Nelson's vocals as the centerpiece but the soloist shine just as brightly. Marsalis's wah-wah trumpet wails, Raphael's harmonica sings, and Nimmer's piano playing bring a new, but slower, energy to this song. If I had to pick a definitive version of this song as sung by Nelson, it would be this one.

When you listen to the record, it's at this point where the audience and the band start to let loose. From the band side, this is the first tune where you can hear Nelson compliment his fellow players during the song. From the audience, they knew the song as it began and they cheered audibly at its conclusion. I could say the audience was polite but tepid in their applause at the beginning of the set. Perhaps they, like new listeners, don't know what to make of this seemingly strange pairing. By the end of "Georgia," they knew they were a part of something special. And they let the band know it. For the rest of the set, you can hear cat calls from the audience as they get into the spirit of the night.

An old Hank Williams tune, "My Bucket's Got a Hole In It," has the vibe of the New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band, complete with a squeaky clarinet and a drum solo, greeted with whistles and cheers of the audience. They cheer Nelson's best guitar solo in Cole Porter's "Ain't Nobody's Business. " They laugh as Wynton brings his only vocal performance on this song, telling Nelson and the audience all the things he might do that are, you guessed it, nobody's business. The set closes with "That's All," a fast blues shuffle where everybody has their last chance to shine. Amid the audience clapping along (wonder if they were standing?), you get a taste of the power of Wynton's trumpet as he let's loose with one of his famous long notes, high and a little dirty.

By the end, the band and the audience have relaxed and just let the night sweep them away. And we as listeners can get a taste of what it was like those two nights at Lincoln Center. When performances like this crop up, my immediate impulse is to want more of it. Sometimes, the sequel does not live up to the promise of the original. In this case, however, another CD would be more than welcome. And I'd love to see the band perform down in Austin at the South by Southwest or Austin City Limits festival.

I love it when two musicians realize that there are more things that unite them than differences in their approaches to music. It reminds you that music is universal and can bring just about anyone together. And, if the results of unique pairings are like that of this CD--where you can't help but smile and tap your foot--it really is lightening in a bottle. (excerpted from http://scottdparker.blogspot.com)

i love both willie and wynton. they did an excellent job playing together and sharing the lime light.

Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson, Master in each of their Music categories; have joined forces in a New Orleans-Kind-Of-Way to create a;Believe it or not; Blues recording Masterpiece. Willie's Voice and choice of material(which is perfect for this CD) is perfectly accented by the down home New Orleans horn sounds of Wynton. A modern Laided Back Blues Classic that should be nominated for a Grammy!

Two of the best! If you thought Wille was only country, guess what? This is one smooth CD.

I've been a long fan of Wyntons...even in the earlier years, when he was just a trumpet machine...no soul. He has progressed fairly well over the years. His playing has relaxed and he is not the ' professor' of music anymore. Willie is just Willie. A relaxed , and easy style. A moderately weak tenor with a lot of feeling. He has gone through a lot since his early years as a writer. This has given him strong credentials as a performer. I think as a collaborative effort, blending styles and musical backgrounds, this is very good. It's one to collect and listen too.

This is a cd that I let play and play, and it just gets better and better. I love the soft, easy back and forth between Willie and Wynton, and the jazz riffs are like coming upon an unexpected chunk of Heath Bar in my ice cream, to be savored in the midst of an experience I'm already enjoying!

A great collaboration between two of the best. Willy's voice with New Orleans Jazz is an awsome combination. Fun and entertaining...

I have about a dozen Willie Nelson CDs and in several instances a song will be repeated on several different ones. Never fail to be amazed at how Willie can change his vocal styles for different versions of the same song. This CD is no exception. Nice listening plus the bonus of the outstanding jazz musicians that perform with him. Wynton Marsalis is a magician and he has some great back-up help to compliment Willie.

An absolutely wonderful product and combination of two superb talents but unfortunately, Willie's voice is apparantly gone. I have an old vinyl of Willie doing "Stardust" many years ago and the comparison is saddening.
I wish these two had done this before all Willie could do is talk the song because his timing and touch has not withered.
Robin

This is a great mix of two wonderful musicians - from diff eras & genres - nice lively listening

I love Willies voice, he can sing anything and get away with it ! Team him with Wynton, and it's beautiful music ! For a "live" recording, it's very enjoyable !

It's all there !! New Orleans Blue's Jazz Horns Bass Piano !!!! It's all there !! And Wonderfully done !!!

Talk about an amazing event. Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson together for two nights. I wish I could have been there, but the CD is the next best thing. All the songs are good and the engineering is stellar.

One comment, this CD will not play on any of my Macs. This severely reduces my enjoyment of the music, since I often do play a CD via the computer, particularly if I don't want to compress something that's this good to an MP3.

Rebecca Kyle, August 2008

This effort is not blues, jazz or country. Probably just someone's good idea to sell product. Wynton Marsalis is a fine jazz artist and should stick to that genre. Although seem to remember he did some real nice stuff with the Grateful Dead. Willie Nelson is best known for being Willie Nelson as well as a great songwriter. He should stick to being his iconic self and songwriting. Am I the only person who does not want to hear him sing or play guitar? His band is usually composed of friends and family members who are not always good musicians. If you enjoy Willie's singing and like to hear his band, then, by all means buy this. Otherwise avoid it and look for just about anything else Marsalis has recorded. Or, if you are looking for blues music, suggest you buy something by a blues artist. If you are looking for a style of blues that this sort of tries to be (this is not blues), listen to Taj Mahal.

I like most anything by Willie Nelson and this is no exception. I nice mix of blues and country

Really love Wllie Nelson--these 2 aren't good together--this CD is more Dixie land--if you're expecting the Blues--you will be disappointed

I came to this one with less than great expectations. Willie's previous recording of the Great American Songbook, which included "Stardust" and "Georgia on My Mind," was scarcely a threat to Merle Haggard's similar venture let alone Frank Sinatra. The voice was a "country-sounding" whine accompanied by an obvious, mechanical rhythm section of the sort you'll hear at Opryland. Not so on this occasion. He sings with life, humor, adventurous phrasing, and responsiveness to the contributions of his heady musical accompaniment. His strains may not be as sweet and sustained as in the past, but they're more assured than ever.

"Bright Lights Big City" sets the tone with a convincing roadhouse feel (a blues in the "geetar key" resisted by all jazz musicians--E, or 4 sharps!). Yet to the careful listener there are inventive twists to the arrangement, such as the single-note exchanges between trumpet and sax and the nearly imperceptible "bi-tonal" inserts (all serving to simulate a traffic jam). Even "Stardust" manages to keep the party in gear, taken at a fairly bright tempo that Willie sings so confidently you have to wonder if he's aware that Hoagy Carmichael originally conceived of the tune as an up-tempo number. And on "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" Willie takes Hank Williams along with him to participate in what turns out to be a genuine Bourbon Street parade. And "That's All" is a rampaging gospel jubilee-shout featuring a non-plussed Nelson with an entire chorus played by Marsalis on an unbroken single note!

Wynton Marsalis has always impressed me as a spokesperson for the music as well as a virtuoso, "impressive" player, though rarely "connecting" with the serious jazz listener as could Pops, Diz, Clifford, Lee Morgan, Jack Sheldon or Miles (or a Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham or Bill Hardman). But Wynton is right for this one. He explores the full range of his custom-made Monet trumpet, including its "vocalizing" capability, and, equally importantly, knows when "not" to play. The two performers strike a near-perfect balance in what is rightly billed as a joint session (though Willie appears to have been insufficiently briefed about his musical partner when he credits Wynton "Marsaylus" at the end of the program). I can honestly say that I've never appreciated either musician as much as on this occasion.

I was very much looking forward to receiving this CD so it was disappointing to hear Willie Nelson's "singing." He mostly speaks; his voice is gone. The music is still great. I love all the songs. It's just sad to realize that this great legend is no longer the performer he once was.

Every cut on this CD brings joy to both the jazz and country music lover. What an unique pair but it really works! Would love to see them do another CD.

I think the CD is okay...I never enjoy live CD performances because of the audience clapping. I like both performers but not necessarily together.

Listen to this CD if you want your spirits raised. Both Willie and Win are just tremendous musicians - while neither really sings, their timing when speaking their words is second to none, and really complements the beat. I deal with a lot of foreigners every day, and most of them think Dixieland is THE American form of jazz - this CD is an outstanding contribution to recordings of the blues, of jazz and dixieland. Everyone for whom I have played it wants their own copy!

I really enjoyed this collaboration. I wish I could have been in the audience. I'm guessing Wynton and Willie had a great time.

This CD doesn't play.I've bought alot of CD's threw Amazon without having problems.But this one is NOOOOOOO GOOD!

This cd has been on my regular cd player and car player as well as loaded on my computer and IPod. Very, very well done by two unique musical giants. Get this cd as these two cannot be cloned.

Willie and Wynton were obviously having lots of fun in this live recording. And the audience enjoyed it. Not great Jazz nor great country music, but a good CD to own and listen to, often.

This album really showcases the many talents of Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. I hope that they join again for another album endeavor.

A great CD Willie & Wynton and as Willie says at the end a GREAT, GREAT BAND. If you like Blues it doesn't get better from Two Music Giants

These two great talents have come together and made one of the best cd's I own. The music is awesome !!

I listened to this CD in my car the first time I played it.

I wanted to get out at the traffic light while it was red to dance around the car while Bright Lights, Big City was playing!!!!

I thoroughly enjoy all the songs, but...felt like getting a "bucket" without a hole in it for that one.

The entire album makes me feel great---and so very happy!!!!!

I love both these fellows. That said, Wynton is performing in his element. Willie makes a very good companion, but he is no 'blues singer'. Wynton is the Star. They complement each other in this offering very well and it is easy to listen to. It is unlikely that this CD will make it to my iPod.

Willie and Wynton and Louis Armstrong's ghost. An unusual combination that melds New Orleans with Texas.A treat for jazz and country fans.

I've been a fan of Willie Nelson since I was a teen ... way back in the 70s ... and more recently, perhaps over the past decade, of Wynton Marsalis... Willie has certainly become more sophisticated over the years, easily building on his unique vocals and style in his own genre, and expanding a very well developed blues delivery. I knew Wynton as a classical musician - and have the Baroque CD he did with opera singer Kathleen Battle. What I didn't know was that he is equally gifted in jazz and blues. Highly recommend this CD ...

This is a wonderful CD. Willie is great in anything he does, and Wynton's talent is fantastic.

This was a very unusual combination of artists, one Jazz and one Country. That created a really super album. I'm very happy with the results and maybe some other artist should try mixing musics styles.
Dave

What do you get when you get Willie and Wynton together? Nothing less than perfection. I was prompted to purchase this CD after listening to an interview Willie and Wynton had on an NPR program. After hearing the chemistry they had out of the studio, I couldn't wait to see what the two could mix in the studio.
I went directly to Amazon and purchased the CD,(paid for express shipping, no less!) It was worth every penny. If you get a chance to enjoy their interview on NPR, you should do so. It was during the month of July and can be found in the archived programs using their quick search.

I loved this CD right from the start. With subsequent plays I found new things to admire . Unfortunately my wife's car CD player loves it even more than I and won't give it up. Now if I want to hear it I have to beg my wife for her keys. It's a bit of a bummer.
Ron Neyvatte

What a disappointment! Winton Marsallis is a superb musician, a virtuoso without peer who hits all the right notes and has smart charts. But he has no heart. His playing his formal, cold, and uninvolved. I should have expected that. But Willy Nelson? We know he's got heart and soul and humor. But here he appears so fearful of losing his supercool persona that he's just casually phoning in the performance. Willy, there's a difference between subtle understatement, and just barely getting the words out. Reviewers have compared this pairing to the incredible sessions of Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Rodgers 70 years ago-- the ultimate summit where jazz and blues met "country and Western". That unwarranted comparison got my hopes up. But Rodgers and Armstrong had more than musical skill --they had electricity, magic, and heart. Winton, you're no Satchmo and never will be. And WIllie, please try staying awake next time.

Who wudda thunk? Excellent renditions of excellent tunes performed as well as anything I've ever heard form either of these two supurb musicians.

Two thumbs way up!

From the category of "collaborations I would have never thought of" comes a gem of a CD from Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. However, Two Men With The Blues is going to appeal much more to the Willie Nelson fans out there. It follows in the tradition of Nelson's 2000 release Milk Cow Blues. In fact both CDs share the songs "Night Life" and "Ain't Nobody's Business".

You might think that two legends on the same stage might not work, but these two are more than willing to share the stage not only with each other but also with the musicians such as long time Nelson harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. The songs on the CD follow a blended format between traditional lyrical and jazz instrumental. Interspersed among the verses and chorus on the songs are instrumental solos. I was amazed at how comfortably Marsalis would solo only to hand off to Mickey for a romp on the harmonica. The chemistry of the musicians was outstanding across the board. Not to be lost in the instrumental greatness, Willie Nelson delivers at the top of his game as one would expect based on his body of work - especially over the last decade.

The real question, though, is when you listen to the CD as a whole, is it greater than the sum of its parts? Without a doubt, it is. The lead off track "Bright Lights, Big City" is a great blues shuffle that highlights both lead musicians equally well. Next comes a Nelson staple, "Night Life". Longtime Nelson fans will enjoy yet another variation on this that is highlighted by Marsalis' trumpet lines that are so bluesy that they could only be described as raunchy. Other standout songs include "Basin Street Blues" and "That's All", a number with rather playful lyrics that fit Willie Nelson's persona and delivery to a tee.

All in all, this is a truly great CD that captures one of the many "once in a lifetime" moments of Willie Nelson's career. If you enjoyed Milk Cow Blues, this is a must have.

Download this: Night Life

Great cd. wonderfull blues music and the always great voice of Willie Nelson. A must have!

A little disappointing. The music on this CD can be found on many other Willie Nelson CD's. Nothing new.

This has to be an album of the year, just like the Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Album i would never have contemplated putting Nelson & Marsalis together...... But wow what a corker!!!! this is Hot Jazz style Blues that really swings its like stepping back to a more gracefull & elegant age & the recording by Blue Note is right up there with the very best. Cant fault it, thanks guys

I really enjoyed this album as fan of Mr. Nelson and Mr. Marsalis. I love hearing standards and blues sung with a worldly, honest, textured voice like Mr. Nelson's . Mr. Marsalis and his group bring all of the blues language including that of the jazz tradition to these songs. It is a great contrast with Mr. Nelson's straight forward blues guitar and voice. Mickey Raphael, Mr. Nelson's long time harmonica player adds to this album by bringing his trademark licks to the session. Needless to say Willie Nelson sounds like himself and Wynton Marsalis like himself--AND together they sound great!