Willie Nelson is now in his 7th decade as a songwriter, performer and recording artist, but one of his most underrated talents is song interpretation. Over his career he has tackled songs from across the world of music, making each his own. Now for his 76th solo studio album and 153rd album overall as he celebrates his 91st year, Willie turns his gaze to a collection of songs by rock legends, idiosyncratic singer songwriters, altrock heroes and indie folk artists. The result is a gorgeously cohesive rumination on loss, love and world-weary hope, perfectly complemented by spare and spooky musical production. Lovingly curated and produced by his son Micah Nelson, Last Leaf On The Tree finds Willie covering songs from moody indie rock (Beck), psych alt-pop (The Flaming Lips) and punk-informed folk (Sunny War, Micah’s Particle Kid) to meditative soul jazz (Nina Simone) and lesser known gems from legends like Tom Waits, Neil Young, Keith Richards and Warren Zevon. In addition, the album features new takes on one of Willie’s oldest songs (“The Ghost” from 1962) plus a new one penned with Micah (“The Color Of Sound”) that joins Willie’s collection of Zen-soaked classics. In addition to producing, Micah Nelson plays many of the instruments and even designed the album cover. He is joined by a host of celebrated musicians plus guest spots from legendary producer and musician Daniel Lanois, John Densmore of The Doors and harmonica master Mickey Raphael, who has played alongside Willie for over 50 years.
Guests:
Mickey Raphael - harmonica
Daniel Lanois – steel guitar
John Densmore - drums
Nikita Sorokin – violin/fiddle
Kevin Smith - bass
1. Last Leaf
Written by Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan
From the 2011 TOM WAITS album BAD AS ME
2. If It Wasn’t Broken
Written by Sydney Lyndella Ward
From the 2018 SUNNY WAR album WITH THE SUN
3. Lost Cause
Written by Beck David Hansen
From the 2002 BECK album SEA CHANGE
4. Come Ye
Written by Nina Simone
From the 1967 NINA SIMONE album HIGH PRIESTESS OF SOUL
5. Keep Me In Your Heart
Written by Warren Zevon & Jorge Calderon
From the 2003 WARREN ZEVON album THE WIND - WZ’s final album. Nominated for Song Of The Year at that year’s Grammys
6. Robbed Blind
Written by Keith Richards
From the 2015 KEITH RICHARDS album CROSSEYED HEART
7. House Where Nobody Lives
Written by Tom Waits
From the 1999 TOM WAITS album MULE VARIATIONS
8. Are You Ready For The Country?
Written by Neil Young
From the 1972 NEIL YOUNG album HARVEST
9. Do You Realize??
Written by Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Michael Ivins & David Fridmann
From the 2002 FLAMING LIPS album YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS
10. Wheels
Written by Micah Nelson
From the 2017 PARTICLE KID album PARTICLE KID
11. Broken Arrow
Written by Neil Young
From the 1967 BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD album BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AGAIN
12. Color Of Sound
Written by Willie Nelson & Micah Nelson
NEW SONG
13. The Ghost
Written by Willie Nelson
From the 1967 WILLIE NELSON album THE PARTY’S OVER…
