The most respected country music artist alive, Willie Nelson - performer, songwriter, musician, author, poet and activist - remains the real deal: a rootsy, authentic and unique representative of that now too often tame and plastic genre. And with well over 50 years in the game, Austin Texas’ favourite son still rarely puts a foot wrong. It was back in 1979 that Willie joined up with legendary singer-songwriter Leon Russell to record an album’s worth of country and blues favourites from the catalogues of the performers themselves and from a diverse range of other composers. When the guys recorded this superb television special a few months later in front of a specially invited studio audience to promote the album, the results were staggering. With guest spots from Maria Mulduar and Bonnie Raitt, and interview introductions to each song from either Willie or Leon, the scene was set for one fine evening of music and one hell of a party.
