Since September 2010, this blog has recorded the journey of this music junkie as I attempt to listen to all the music in my CD collection. CDs revisited in their entirety from start to finish - no skipping tracks, no shuffle. Compact Discs only - no vinyl, no tapes, no files.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Willie Nelson - Nacogdoches (2004)


As I mentioned in my previous post, Nacogdoches, Texas has been my home since 2006, so I bought this Willie Nelson CD more as a memento than anything else. I'm moving on to another job opportunity in another location, so I thought it would be fitting to post about this CD as my final CD Project entry from Nacogdoches.

Willie's longtime friend, musician Paul Buskirk (1923-2002), had retired to scenic Nacogdoches but Willie would see Buskirk whenever a tour brought him through East Texas. In 1997, during one of those visits, Nelson and Buskirk recorded this album at a local recording studio. For reasons unknown to me, the album wasn't released until 2004.

The album is a collection of pop and jazz standards given a stroke of a country brush through Nelson's voice and Buskirk's mandolin. The contributions of Gary Weldon on harmonica and Paul Schmitt on piano are noteworthy as well.

About the cover photo: there is no statue of a colonial Willie Nelson in downtown Nacogdoches (although that would be pretty cool). Instead, the cover features Willie's head photoshopped onto a statue of Antonio Gil Ybarbo (1729–1809), a founder of the city. There is a statue of Willie Nelson in Austin, however.


I've seen eBay/Amazon sellers asking upwards of $40 for this CD, but I got mine downtown at the visitor's center for $10.

Back cover (click to enlarge)

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: my top picks are Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone, Corrine Corrina, Columbus Stockade Blues, and How High The Moon but the whole album is easy to listen to because it sounds like old songs played by old friends just having fun. Which I guess it is.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, although I once did a recording session in the same studio where this album was recorded. But that's a story for another time.


Previously revisited for the blog:
Two Men with the Blues (2008)

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