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Chesney to produce Willie's next album
• "There's only one Willie, you just want to make a record that's as good as he is... " (Kenny Chesney)
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By
The Minx, Music Biz editor
Saturday,
13 January, 2007
Kenny Chesney is in the producer’s chair for an in-the-works new album by Willie Nelson.
Willie recently contacted Kenny about manning the boards for him, and soon the two were in the studio along with Kenny’s longtime co-producer, Buddy Cannon. The album will feature songs written by Kris Kristofferson, Dave Matthews, Guy Clark, Jimmy Buffett, Randy Newman and Willie himself. Kenny says he wants the album to focus on Willie as a vocalist.
"When you hear him sing, there's only one Willie," he says. "You just want to make a record that's as good as he is." Kenny is also producing a new bluegrass album by Tim Hensley, his touring guitarist of six years, although no release details have been finalized. "Rather than worry about that, we figured better to make the music while we had the time and everybody was available," Kenny says.
When you grow up making country music, there are artists you love and there are artists who make a mark on you. For Kenny Chesney, the pride of Luttrell, Tennessee, the fact that he's a classicist when it comes to country music is reflected in how conversant he is in the catalogues of George Jones, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty and of course, Willie Nelson.
So, it was both an honor and a dream come true when Chesney got the phone call from Nelson's camp inquiring about his interest in producing the multiple-Grammy-winning songwriter/stylist. Interest didn't begin to cover it, and so Willie Nelson has entered the studio to make a record with Chesney and his longtime co-producer Buddy Cannon.
"Even I'm excited," says the reigning Country Music Association and back-to-back Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year. "I was out in the middle of the room today, just listening to it all go down... You catch the players' eyes, and they're all feeling it, too. And you look in the vocal booth, and there's Willie Nelson, with his headphones on... It's hard to believe... and you're the one making suggestions about trying it this way."
Drawing on the songbooks of some of contemporary music's best writers - ranging from Kris Kristofferson to Dave Matthews, Guy Clark to Jimmy Buffett, Randy Newman to Nelson himself - this is destined to be a vocalist's album, with arrangements designed to support the songs and the singer. Something that harkens back to Nelson's vintage work, while bringing in the brightness and warmth of Chesney's own work.
"When you hear him sing, there's only one Willie," Chesney enthuses. "You just want to make a record that's as good as he is... You want to live up to the standard he defines."
Chesney first met the Texas icon when he appeared on the USA all-star television special filmed at New York City's Beacon Theatre to celebrate Nelson's 70th birthday. That night, Chesney reached back into the legend's catalogue for "The Last Thing I Needed," demonstrating a sensitivity and understanding of the song that stood out amongst a stellar cast that included Eric Clapton, Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crowe, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler among many others.
"Willie Nelson's an American classic," Chesney explains. "To be making music with him like this is the kind of thing you don't even dream... and the best part is: everybody involved seems to feel exactly the same way."
On The Lam 2007
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