Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis - Two Men With The Blues

[1populist]

Willie did that Stardust record so this is not new territory for him at all. He has a great knack for the great American songbook. He is one of the more versatile country musicians of his time. He can play anything.

[danpolicarpo]

What a wonderful music. And I agree with the poster who mentioned Wynton's horn. When he gets a dirtier tone going , that's time to get happy.

[LHDLtenor]

This album is fucking amazing!!! Wynton's playing is so dirty sounding it's delicious!!

[mikitagary]

Willie says it all!! " Some music encompasses it all and what do you call that?" I call it great music. And that is what this collaboration is...nothing more...nothing less.

[lmeinhardt]

I have both, the CD and the DVD, and I have to tell you it was a very interesting experience to see them both to play Jazz. Willie was able to convert his style into Jazz, and the result was fantastic. I really recommend. If it was for the money or not, it really doesn't matter, the result was excellent!

[nomorefriday]

sounds like money... like in "a quick buck"...

[theominousthey]

The combination makes perfect sense. Willie's always had a bit of jazz when he improvises, and they're playing songs that are more dependent on great melodies than on being married to jazz, country, blues, etc.

That's why Willie's reggae album worked, when in your head it sounds like a terrible idea.

[rodcrippler]

jazz ain't dead, because it doesn't live for the money, it lives for the art

[rodcrippler]

i agree the promoters dragged Willie Nelson to make money out of this, but i believe Willie and Wynton genuinely respect Ray Charles music, so it's a great tribute

and for those j-holes that say Ray Charles ain't jazz they should know Ray Charles started as a Jazz/RnB artist, then he diversify his music to other genres like country and pop, but he always stayed true to his roots, if you check his discography, you can see he usually put out jazz albums in beetween his more commercial stuff

[Carlosmr1984]

Why people make such a big deal seeing two different artists from two different genres collaborating. Both of 'em are great... and if they did so, they knew why they did it...

Jeez, why people's musical scope is so close... :(

Just, listen and enjoy.

Peace.

[ndyskater]

can u pls upload their song title ' Georgia in my mind'? thnx

[jedcrowe]

didn't miles davis have a song called "Willie Nelson" in his fusion period? Does anyone know the story behind that?

Willie is my favorite country singer. I like his early singing style. the 1960's stuff

[stephenwllms]

jazz is dead so wynton probably needed this for a gimmick more than anything

[Gmaytorena]

Jazz is not dead... just smells funny.

[bruceok]

To: stephenwllms: This was probably Willie's idea, not Wynton's. Willie has been doing jazz for years. Willie has also been doing duets with every star he can find. He's quite remarkable. Without this, I never would have been introduced to Wynton. Outstanding.

[stephenwllms]

the fact that you think Willie knows the first thing about jazz justifies my first point.

[stubs13]

Jazz is the expression of the people, when the people die, Jazz dies...

[stephenwllms]

Uh no....basically, jazz is the expression of a melody and the improvisation of that melody, chord structure, and rhythm.

[sabbac]

Jazz is also empty rhetoric, and bluster, which I think you've defined nicely here. I see your point, but it conflicts your comments on Willie Nelson below. Jazz is about swing and the individuality of the musician - well demonstrated by Willie Nelson. One of the most unique guitar players and singers of our time, a great improviser and interpreter of classic compositions. His phrasing was always more jazz than country - certainly the most swing of the Outlaws. He was covering Duke in 78...

[stephenwllms]

empty rhetoric, and bluster? dude wtf are you talking about. jazz is not just about swing and willie f'n nelson doesn't know the first thing about jazz. dude can't even sing. he just "talks" the song. he needs to stick to his country hippie roots. oh and covering the duke does not make you a jazz artist.

[bobjones864]

Not that this is important, but you seem a little thick here. Jazz is not about being "pure." You're free not to like Willie Nelson, but to claim that he doesn't understand this music is silly. He clearly knows what he's doing, and what he's doing can certainly be appreciated as a Jazz performance. It's not a tight bop style, but if you listen, Wynton's band doesn't play that way either.

Country music and Jazz aren't totally separate things anyway. Bob Wills anyone?

[stephenwllms]

Well, another wrong post. Bob Wills? Really? Country music and jazz are almost complete opposite ends of the spectrum. I think the better question is, would wynton have recorded this album if jazz wasn't as dead as a doornail. i think not, which brings me back to my first post, this is a gimmick. actually, i wouldn't be surprised if the record label made wynton do this.

[bobjones864]

Louis Armstrong, who is credited with inventing modern jazz, made several records with Jimmy Rogers, who is credited with inventing modern country music. Bob Wills routinely played Duke Ellington and Count Basie songs onstage. Bela Fleck has made a bunch of records mixing bluegrass and jazz. Ray Charles made records of country songs using big band arrangements.

I can do this all day.

[bobjones864]

This music was made during a SERIES of concerts featuring different singers as a part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center project. Willie being famous might have helped to get the CD and DVD released, but I find it hard to believe that's why this concert was staged.

Since he's got 9 Grammies, a Pulitzer prize, and has released almost 50 albums, and since he is the founder and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln center, I doubt Wynton M. has to do anything he doesn't want to do.

[bobjones864]

You don't have to like this, but I don't think you can make a case that it's a gimmick. Willie's made plenty of shitty records that WERE gimmicks (Countryman anyone?), but this one was a perfectly reasonable idea that (to my ears) turned out quite well.

[stephenwllms]

Nope. Still a gimmick.

[stephenwllms]

The "series" is brought on because no one goes to hear strictly jazz artists anymore.

[stephenwllms]

Wow..you know how to Google. If you asked someone what style of music Jimmy Rogers, Bob Wills, Bela Fleck, or Ray Charles play, very few would say, oh they are jazz artists.

[bobjones864]

I own a copy of everything I mentioned in that post. But yeah, you could probably google that and learn about that stuff. It's not a secret after all.

What's a strictly "jazz" artist? What's the point being a striclty "jazz" artist? Wynton Marsalis has been a pretty conservative artists when he makes jazz records. . . which is why his fancy pants career has been pretty boring, and which is why I like this a lot better than his usual stuff.

[bobjones864]

Shit, for somebody as hardheaded and conservative as WM to record this seems to indicate that it isn't a gimmick. He's a bit stodgy isn't he (if gifted)?

This is about out of steam.

I say "Hey look at the long history of interation between jazz music, pop music and country music. Maybe it's not a strange idea for a musician who has recorded dozens of standards and blues songs to redo them with a jazz band."

And then YOU say. . .

"I don't like Willie Nelson so this is a gimmick."

[rodcrippler]

dude, the fact you don't get jazz music doesn't make it boring, it just makes you ignorant, jazz ain't about catchy rhytms, killer riffs or cool attitude -the jazz attitude is that you don't give a shit for attitude-. jazz is all about technique, virtuosism and inventiveness in musicianship.

[rodcrippler]

don't get me wrong, i enjoy rock n roll, but i regard genres like jazz or progressive rock higher than anything, because it actually takes a lot of work to do what these guys do, and i enjoy appreciating those efforts

[bobjones864]

I don't get Jazz because I think Wynton Marsalis is a great musician who mostly makes boring records? I think that's a pretty uncontroversial statement.

[rodcrippler]

Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli?

a 5 piece band with just 3 guitars, 1 contrabass and a violinist/fiddler, tell me that ain't similar to country!

[khbgkh]

The truth is that any chance a true artist gets the opportunity to collaborate and do something brand new, they are very willing to do it. I think that this stevenwllms guy cannot possibly claim that willie doesnt know jazz. the guy grew up with the greats! really we should be excited that a fairly popular artist is helping to bring jazz into the spotlight again. That's not gimmicky, its just a good cause.

[mlvna]

está bueno

[Friendo108]

just got this album, aaaaaaaaaabsolutely amazing!!!! everyone whos watching this video should get the album, so so good

[allenchampagne]

I'll buy it once I get money. But first, I need the new Randy Newman CD.

[luceeric]

brilliant!

[onehothippychick]

How cool is Willie and how amazing is Wynton to make this happen? Fabulous work from 2 musical geniuses!

[trumpetdudeman07]

lol, fist saw this video and was like WTF?!?!?!

Wynton and Willie???

..But i have to say..very interesting sound.  I'm deffinatly a fan

[ranchoboyeros]

great new album from strange bedfellows

[1d10t3c]

WILLIE!!!!!!!!!!! Bought this album and love it! Great video!

[jomjoes]

You have just got to love an artist that never retires and plays with all musicians from Norah Jones, Susan Tedeschi to Kid Rock. I am headed out to purchase this album!

[willy4u4u]

I just heard about this but didn't believe it..Sounds killer.

[14australia]

Willie just gets better & better.

Long live Willie !

[opendoor43]

long live Willie AND Wynton! Two men with the blues? haha! In this album they just trying to act like they got the blues!

[ccfajardo]

Watch it to the end because Willie says it all in the last sentence of the video! This is really good!