Willie’s 75th album!
I last saw Willie Nelson live at the Fillmore in 2003. Willie was old then, but now I am about as old as Willie was then, and he is even older now, obviously. And yet, Trigger, his guitar, is still his musical partner, even though Trigger has looked as if it was ready to disintegrate at any moment for as long as I can remember. But Willie's performance, especially his guitar playing, and his signature vocal delivery stands out in my memory today.
If you have not seen Willie Nelson play live, you may be running out of time. Unlike Keith Richards, Willie, at age 91, is not likely to be around for another 30 years. But, Willie’s newest album, The Border, is his 75th album, so you have a lot of recorded material you can play through if your schedule does not permit you to attend one of his upcoming concerts, or like me, you would like to go and see him (again) but his shows are sold out. Yes, Willie is still touring.
This newest album, The Border, which is also the title track, surprised me. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I remember seeing Willie on 60 Minutes back in 2005 as he was saying his touring days were over due to respiratory problems. As I recall, in the interview, he mentioned that he‘d had stem cell therapy for his lungs, and he credited it for saving his life, but complained that years of smoking, everything, left him chronically short of breath. I guess he has improved. His voice on the album is not as it was on Stardust, but his delivery sounds sure and smooth, with just enough texture to remind you that Willie’s 100th album might not be in the cards.
On the other hand, Trigger sounds as fine as ever. You can check out any number of YouTube videos that discuss Willie’s guitar and the care and repair that goes into keeping it playable.