​Willie Nelson (from Last Leaf on the Tree

​Willie Nelson (from Last Leaf on the Tree

​Willie Nelson (from Last Leaf on the Tree available on Sony/Legacy Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Forget Ponce de León and his claim to have found the Fountain of Youth. Willie Nelson has the patent on longevity, and at 91 years-old he is an active and agile as ever. There must be something in that Willie-reserve that holds the secret to his ongoing verve and vitality. So too, it would be hard to blame anyone who’s lost count of the number of albums Willie’s released over the past few years, let alone over the decades of his career. Yet somehow, each of his new offerings manage to sound as fresh, vibrant, and relevant as anything one might expect from an artist a fraction of his age.  Granted with a title like Last Leaf on the Tree, it might also seem to some like Willie is winding down, but in truth, it’s indicative of the fact he’s constantly reinventing himself. He’s made it a habit to cover a dazzling array of different genres over the years, ranging from classic to contemporary, be in Country, Rock’n’Roll, Americana, Jazz, standards, or any hybrid style that happens to in between.
 
As always, he succeeds by choosing an impressive array of material. Here he taps Neil Young, Keith Richards, Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, Nina Simone, and The Flaming Lips, along with his originals as well. So, while it may seem a somewhat eclectic collection, Willie’s sobering, well-aged vocals add an assurance and sincerity that’s undeniably his own. That said, the theme of mortality seems to run through many of these songs (“If It Wasn’t Broken”, “Lost Case”, “House Where Nobody Lives”, “The Ghost”), but it’s Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me In Your Heart”, Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf”, and Neil Young’s haunting “Broken Arrow” that make the most striking impression. When, on the former, he suggests he will be making an eminent departure, one might believe he’s sharing the same fond farewell that Zevon did when he knew he was dying due to a terminal diagnosis. It’s a plea to be remembered well after his passing.
 
‘Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath
Keep me in your heart for a while
If I leave you, it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for a while’
 
Both poignant and personal, it affirms the fact he hopes his legacy will linger. Happily, in Willie’s case, he continues to enhance it with each and every new effort and the multiple releases that follow at that. Suffice it to say, Willie Nelson is a force of nature, and like nature itself, he boasts a powerful presence. With his son Micah in the producer’s chair, Last Leaf on the Tree is a testament to both his talent and tenacity. ‘They say I have staying power’ he sings in that aforementioned title track, and that’s clear now more than ever. Happily, there’s no reason to stop now, and like the tree from which the leaves fall, as sure as the seasons change, Willie Nelson finds renewal yet again. (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Listen and buy the music of Willie Nelson from AMAZON
 
Please visit the Willie Nelson website for more information