Willie Nelson trek stretches into summer

Willie Nelson , who just finished a round of US dates with Asleep at the Wheel, has added more than a dozen cities to his never-ending tour.

The outing resumes March 1 in Austin, TX, and covers Southeast territory, including a seven-show run across Florida, through March 22. It picks up again in early April, when Nelson hits the road with fellow country legend Ray Price in Canada. The Red-Headed Stranger will then continue US dates in mid-April and early June. An updated itinerary is listed below.

Nelson's recent trek with Asleep at the Wheel showcased music from their new collaboration, "Willie & the Wheel," which surfaced earlier this month and landed at No. 15 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The set features a collection of classic western swing songs handpicked by legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who was able to hear the fruit of his labor before he died last August at age 91. Before they wrapped their joint trek, Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel filmed the 35th season-opener for Austin City Limits.

"Willie & the Wheel" follows a steady stream of eclectic collaborations, including last year's "Two Men With The Blues" featuring Nelson and jazz master Wynton Marsalis, and 2007's "Last of the Breed," a classic-country merger between Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price.

A live CD capturing a performance on 2007's "Last of the Breed Tour" is due in stores March 3. A DVD of the 35-song concert in Rosemont, IL, was previously released.

Nelson is also getting ready to roll out "Naked Willie," a 17-track set of recordings from the late '60s that have been stripped down to the way they were originally heard in the studio. That record is due March 17.

TOUR DATES
 tour dates and tickets
March 2009
1 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre
11 - Lakeland, FL - Lakeland Center Youkey Theatre
12 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live
13 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues Orlando
14 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre
15 - North Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
17 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
18 - Melbourne, FL - King Center
19 - Panama City, FL - Marina Civic Center
20 - Choctaw, MS - Silver Star Resort
21 - Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino-Mari Center
22 - Springdale, AR - Springdale Convention Center

April 2009
5 - Kingston, Ontario - K-Rock Centre*
7 - Ottawa, Ontario - Ottawa Civic Centre*
8, 9 - Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall*
10 - Montreal, Quebec - Place Des Arts*
11 - London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre*
14 - Stamford, CT - Palace Theatre
15 - Torrington, CT - The Warner Theatre
17 - Amherst, MA - Mullins Center
18 - New Brunswick, NJ - State Theatre

June 2009
6 - Elizabeth, IN - Horseshoe Casino Indiana
7 - Interlochen, MI - Kresge Auditorium

*Dates with Ray Price

 tour dates and tickets
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