Willie Nelson
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin
Album · Country · 2016
Willie tackled Gershwin as early as 1978’s Stardust, but here he dedicates an entire album to Ira and George’s gems. Bluesier tunes like the slinky “It Ain’t Necessarily So” lend themselves naturally to Nelson’s spare, earthy treatment, but he’s just as adept at interpreting romantic ballads such as “Embraceable You,” where he’s joined by Sheryl Crow. The key is Nelson’s knack for distinctly jazzy, behind-the-beat phrasing; he has employed it throughout his career, but on standards like these it’s an especially effective element of his style.
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin
Willie Nelson
Willie tackled Gershwin as early as 1978’s Stardust, but here he dedicates an entire album to Ira and George’s gems. Bluesier tunes like the slinky “It Ain’t Necessarily So” lend themselves naturally to Nelson’s spare, earthy treatment, but he’s just as adept at interpreting romantic ballads such as “Embraceable You,” where he’s joined by Sheryl Crow. The key is Nelson’s knack for distinctly jazzy, behind-the-beat phrasing; he has employed it throughout his career, but on standards like these it’s an especially effective element of his style.
