Milk Cow Blues

Performer: Willie Nelson
Artist: B.B. King; Dr. John; Susan Tedeschi; Francine Reed; Jonny Lang; Kenny Wayne Shepherd; Keb' Mo'
Producer: Freddy Fletcher; Willie Nelson
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar); B.B. King (vocals, guitar); Dr. John (vocals, piano); Johnny Lang, Susan Tedeschi, Francine Reed (vocals); Derek O'Brien, Jimmie Vaughn, Kenny Wayne Shepherd (guitar); Riley Osbourn (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); John Blondell (bass); George Rains (drums). Engineers: Stuart Sullivan, Larry Greenhill. Recorded at Pedernales Studio and Arlyn Studios, Austin, Texas; Cello Studios and The Village StudiosLos Angeles, California; Orefin Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota. MILK COW BLUES was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. Personnel: Willie Nelson (vocals, guitar); Francine Reed, Susan Tedeschi, B.B. King (vocals); Derek O'Brien, Jimmie Vaughan (guitar); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Riley Osbourne (piano); Jon Blondell (bass guitar, drums). Audio Mixer: Dave McNair. Recording information: Arlyn Studios, Austin TX; Orefin Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Pedernales Studio, Austin, TX; The Village Studio, Los Angeles, CA. Though he's best known as a country artist, Willie Nelson has always been bigger than that. He's recorded albums of everything from popular standards to guitar instrumentals with equal aplomb. So this blues album should come as no surprise to longtime fans, especially given the fact that the kind of sophisticated, urbane, Charles Brown-style blues he tackles on much of MILK COW BLUES was a key component of some of Nelson's early work. Willie's joined here by a bevy of guest artists; blues stars both new and old, including B.B. King and Susan Tedeschi. The lion's share of the cuts here are duets, where the seemingly egoless Nelson is happy to share the spotlight with his talented friends. For all the sparks those duets generate, however, its a tribute to the man's unique gifts that the most effective tracks turn out to be Willie's solo turns.

Rolling Stone (9/28/00, p.58) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Unforced and natural...emotionally rich, musically savory and languidly blue....a sagebrush poet's autumnal meditation on faded love and the wages of the sporting life..." Spin (11/00, p.208) - 7 out of 10 - "...The first blues record of his career....he lays in the cut like he's been singing this music for years....he burns the melody down to ashes, never letting a howl do what a moan can do better." Q (1/01, p.113) - 3 out of 5 stars - "...A sterling showcase for Nelson's bluesier side..." CMJ (10/2/00, p.25) - "...The warmth of his laid-back personality is injected into every moment of MILK COW....a mellow, rainy-day record..." No Depression (11-12/00, pp.110-3) - "...A tribute to his Zen Mastery of the music....Willie sounds very much at home..." Mojo (Publisher) (11/00, p.101) - "...He's in fine voice, as are some of the gang of celebrity guests..."

Willie Nelson began working in a conventional Nashville style and had great success as the songwriter of Faron Young's hit "Hello Walls" and others, but he was initially unable to make it as a performer. In the 1970s, he and Waylon Jennings made history with their outlaw country sound and image, growing their hair long and utilizing a raw, rock-influenced sound that endeared them to millions of country fans and rockers alike. Subsequently, Nelson ventured into Sinatra territory with STARDUST, an album of standards that became a huge success and established him as a singer who transcended genre boundaries. Throughout the '80s, '90s, and into the 21st century, he crossed over into pop and back again continually, even releasing an album of reggae covers, working with artists as diverse as Julio Iglesias and Ryan Adams.

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