Asleep At The Wheel

Asleep At The Wheel

Since 1969, Asleep at the Wheel has boldly defied the fickle lures of the mainstream - and thrived - by sticking to their noble cause of keeping that distinctly American of art forms, Western Swing, alive and kicking. For their efforts through the years, they’ve managed to pick up nine Grammy© awards.

WILLIE AND THE WHEEL

Bismeaux Records is very pleased to announce that Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel have teamed up to release an album collaboration due in February 2009.  A concept thirty years in the making, Willie & The Wheel is a collection of classic western swing songs hand-picked by the late Jerry Wexler. 

"Jerry wanted us to do this album and I'm glad we got to do it for him, “says Willie Nelson. “And that he heard it before he passed on."

“Willie & the Wheel is a CD whose time has come,” says Ray Benson.  “Jerry Wexler originally came up with this concept back when Willie was on the Atlantic label. But, before the record could be made Willie left Atlantic for CBS records and so the idea was shelved.”

Better known as ‘Mr. R&B’, Jerry Wexler was a great fan of the original Western Swing bands like Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Cliff Bruner – all first introduced to him while he was studying journalism in Kansas City.  Willie Nelson also had grown up on western swing and it has always figured heavily into his approach to music. Finally Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel (hailed as the modern kings of western swing) were added, resulting in a sublime album, surefooted in its mastery but still as playful and daring as the originals. Such a fitting collaboration certainly begs the question as to why this hasn’t happened already. - Source: www.reverbnation.com