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Nelson, who turns 80 on April 30, has his sophisticated jazz-twang on full display on his newest LP, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” which was released April 16 through Sony Music Entertainment’s Legacy Recordings division. Legacy also recently named Nelson its Artist of the Month for April.
Much like Louis Armstrong before him, Nelson in his later years has become the Great American Songbook personified, giving voice to the classics of others. Accordingly, “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” features a pair of Irving Berlin numbers, including the title track, as well as Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox” and a lovely run through European jazz gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt’s “Nuages.” Nelson even covers himself here, delivering a new rendition of his own “Is the Better Part Over,” a song that originally appeared on 1989’s “A Horse Called Music.”
Nelson’s been keeping up a steady pace of more or less an album a year for a long time now, and this can be a mixed blessing. While his guitar work and singing is as distinguished as ever, it’s difficult not to wish that the man would slow down and go back to releasing albums dominated by original material. He’s written some of the greatest songs of all time, so it can be frustrating to hear him rely on other writers’ material time and again.
At least Nelson’s in good company here: The album was recorded by Willie and the Family, the band that has backed him in the studio and on the road for 40 years. Nelson’s sister Bobbie has played piano for her big brother since 1973, and she gets a couple of nice moments to shine on the album. Nelson’s son Micah jazzes up the proceedings with percussion. Plus, there’s Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Billy English on guitar and drums, Paul English on drums, Kevin Smith on upright bass and Jim “Moose” Brown on B-3 organ.
Nelson and his Family band remain on the road, and they’ll be returning to the Garden State this summer for gigs on June 8 at Caesars Atlantic City and June 12 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. He’ll also perform May 3 at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.