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Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (2016)

Where the lyrics of Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin take you, and where it was really made.

Willie Nelson named this Gershwin album after the song "Summertime", repeating a naming choice he had already made with his earlier record Stardust.

Key places

EastWest Studios, Los Angeles (2016)

Recording site EastWest Studios — The album's recording is linked to EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, the studio given for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin is the 64th solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Willie Nelson.
• The album is a set of pop standards written by George and Ira Gershwin.
• It was released by Legacy Recordings on February 26, 2016.
• Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings produced the recording.
• The album was recorded after Nelson was awarded the Gershwin Prize by the Library of Congress.

Background

• While choosing the songs, Nelson was inspired by the Frank Sinatra recordings of Gershwin songs.
• He named the album after the song "Summertime", composed by George Gershwin.
• The title follows his earlier decision to name a record Stardust.
• A video of the title track was used as a preview of the release on January 19.

Recording

• The album includes the duet "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" with Cyndi Lauper.
• It includes the duet "Embraceable You" with Sheryl Crow.
• Bobbie Nelson played piano, and Mickey Raphael played harmonica.
• Willie Nelson played acoustic guitar and sang lead vocals.
• Jay Bellerose played drums, and David Piltch played upright bass.
• Dean Parks played electric and acoustic guitar, and Paul Franklin played steel guitar.
• Matt Rollings played organ.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Willie Hugh Nelson on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas.
• Wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band, Bohemian Polka, as a guitarist at age nine.
• Attended Baylor University for two years before dropping out to pursue music.
• Moved to Nashville in 1960 and joined Ray Price's band as a bassist.

Career

• Songs such as "Crazy" (Patsy Cline), "Funny How Time Slips Away" and "Pretty Paper" became hits for other artists.
• Debut album ...And Then I Wrote was released in 1962; joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1965.
• Helped lead the outlaw country movement after moving to Austin, Texas in 1972.
• Red Headed Stranger (1975) was a critically acclaimed concept album; the single "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became his first number one hit.
• Co-founded Farm Aid in 1985 with Neil Young and John Mellencamp.
• Acted in over 30 films, including The Electric Horseman (1979).
• Received a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance for "Ride Me Back Home" (2019).
• Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• In its first week, the album sold 13,000 copies.
• It debuted at number one on the Traditional Jazz and Top Jazz Albums Billboard charts, becoming Nelson's third album to top the latter.
• It reached number fourteen on the Top Album Sales chart.
• It reached number forty on the Billboard 200.

Records

• The album had sold 35,000 copies in the United States as of August 2016.
• At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017, it won the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album award.
• The Grammy win came about a year after the album's release on February 26, 2016.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Nelson was inspired by Frank Sinatra's Gershwin recordings when he chose the songs.
• The title comes from the Gershwin song "Summertime", following his earlier naming choice for the record Stardust.
• "Summertime" is the final track on the album, running 3:52.
• Sheryl Crow and Cyndi Lauper appear as duet guests on two tracks.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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