Willie Nelson extends 'Classic' trek
Willie Nelson has added new dates to his current concert outing, which finds the Red Headed Stranger supporting his second album of standards from the American Songbook, 31 years after his first.
The trek, which continues tomorrow night (10/20) in Clearwater, FL, is now slated to run well into December, picking up a pair of shows apiece in Galveston, TX (11/29-30), and Sahuarita, NM (12/2-3), as well as single dates in Los Angeles (12/8) and Austin, TX (12/15), among others. Details are included below.
"American Classic," Nelson's first solo effort on the Blue Note label, surfaced in August, peaking at No. 14 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The 12-track set, which currently sits at No. 20 on the chart, includes Nelson's backing band--Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Joe Sample (piano), Christian McBride (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums)--and features guest vocalists Diana Krall ("If I Had You") and Norah Jones ("Baby It's Cold Outside").
Also featured on the set is Nelson's cover of Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin'."
"I had heard the song by various guys around in dance bands that I grew up playing in, and jazz bands, so I knew the song before I knew about its origin," Nelson told the Los Angeles Times. "I really didn’t know who he was. That came later. So when I did the song, a lot people said, 'Hey, you did that old Fats Waller song!' Yeah, of course."
In 1978, Nelson released, "Stardust," his first album of standards. That record was ranked No. 257 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Earlier this summer, Nelson embarked on a 22-date "Baseball Tour" alongside John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan. In March, the iconic singer/songwriter unveiled "Naked Willie," a 17-track set of recordings from the late 1960s that were stripped down to their original studio versions.
October 2009
20 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
21 - Melbourne, FL - King Center for the Performing Arts
22 - Panama City, FL - Marina Civic Center
23 - Choctaw, MS - Silver Star Resort
24 - Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino Resort
27 - Elmira, NY - First Arena
29 - Winchester, VA - Patsy Cline Theater
30 - Charlotte, NC - Ovens Auditorium
31 - Hiawassee, GA - Anderson Music Hall
November 2009
1 - Savannah, GA - Johnny Mercer Theater
3 - Columbia, SC - Koger Center for the Arts
4 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre
5 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
27 - Norman, OK - Riverwind Casino
28 - Thackerville, OK - Winstar Casino
29, 30 - Galveston, TX - The Grand 1894 Opera House
December 2009
2, 3 - Sahuarita, AZ - Desert Diamond Casino
4 - Indio, CA - Fantasy Springs Casino
5 - Las Vegas, NV - Planet Hollywood Resort
6 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic Auditorium
7 - Bakersfield, CA - Fox Theater
8 - Los Angeles, CA - Club Nokia
9 - Thousand Oaks, CA - Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
10 - Highland, CA - San Manuel Indian Casino
12 - Rio Puerco, NM - Route 66 Casino
13 - Mescalero, NM - Inn of Mountain Gods Casino
15 - Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall
16 - Carl's Corner, TX - Willies Place Theater
Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis play Ray Charles music [October 2009]
Willie Nelson broadens 'American Classic' support tour [September 2009]
Bob Dylan show canceled due to heatwave [August 2009]
Farm Aid set for St. Louis [July 2009]
Willie Nelson to drop 'American Classic' while on baseball run [June 2009]



































