by Steven Uhles
www.blogs.augusta.com
To be fair, Mr. Nelson, who will turn a youthful 77 this year, has probably earned the right to rest on his laurels a little. It is interesting to note however that while onstage, the reigning patriarch of country music remains an active and engaging performer.
The things he has always done well he continues to excel at. He’s a masterful singer, both in term of his own compositions and as an interpreter of classic songs. His unique voice lends real resonance and authenticity to everything he sings. He’s also a particularly fine, and perhaps underrated, guitar player. In fact, I would say since his surgery for carpal tunnel symptoms – his famously well-worn guitar wasn’t the only thing victimized by years of strumming – his playing has gotten stronger. He now seems capable of playing through the melody instead of around it, which was the case at his last Augusta gig in 2004. He’s also a master at making a set seem both carefully constructed and unique. Saturday’s show, for instance, included a tribute to jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt on what would have been his 100th birthday. Willie may open with Whiskey River 200 nights a year, but the Django interlude felt special.
One of the more remarkable aspects of a Willie Nelson show, which is always billed as Willie Nelson and Family, is the depth and breadth of talent in the Nelson family gene pool. While Willie is certainly the most famous musical Nelson, both his 21-year-old son Lukas Nelson (guitar) and sister Bobbie (piano) demonstrated that for the Nelsons of Texas, music is in the blood.
Of course, a great show is meaningless without a great audience, something Augusta music fans seem to finally understand. A sell out by the time Willie took the stage, the cramped crowd at the Bell (those seats are truly tight) responded to Nelson with the sort of enthusiasm appropriate for an American musical legend.
That’s quality and quantity.
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