WILLIE AND THE WHEEL

Bismeaux Records is very pleased to announce that Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel have teamed up to release an album collaboration due in February 2009.  A concept thirty years in the making, Willie & The Wheel is a collection of classic western swing songs hand-picked by the late Jerry Wexler.

"Jerry wanted us to do this album and I'm glad we got to do it for him, “says Willie Nelson. “And that he heard it before he passed on."

 “Willie & the Wheel is a CD whose time has come,” says Ray Benson.  “Jerry Wexler originally came up with this concept back when Willie was on the Atlantic label. But, before the record could be made Willie left Atlantic for CBS records and so the idea was shelved.”

    Better known as ‘Mr. R&B’, Jerry Wexler was a great fan of the original Western Swing bands like Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Cliff Bruner – all first introduced to him while he was studying journalism in Kansas City.  Willie Nelson also had grown up on western swing and it has always figured heavily into his approach to music. Finally Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel (hailed as the modern kings of western swing) were added, resulting in a sublime album, surefooted in its mastery but still as playful and daring as the originals. Such a fitting collaboration certainly begs the question as to why this hasn’t happened already.

In 2003 Jerry Wexler, who was retired and living in Florida, called his old friend Ray. "’Ray!’" Benson recalls, "’I’m getting rid of my LPs! They collect dust and it bothers me. I have recorded them all and I am sending you all my western swing albums!’ I told Jerry thank you very much and how much I appreciated him thinking of me. Well, a few weeks later a box arrived with twenty or so LP's from Jerry. They were collections of the music originally on 78 rpm records reissued on 33 1/3 rpm LPs and although I had a few of them they were a welcome addition to my collection. I noticed that a number of the song titles had two initials next to them: ‘WN.’ I didn't think much about it but when I talked to Jerry to thank him I asked what they were. He explained that ‘WN’ stood for Willie Nelson.”

In 2007, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price and Asleep at the Wheel set out on the wildly successful Last of the Breed tour and PBS television broadcast - showcasing classic western swing and Texas country music. Not long after, Ray Benson got the call from Willie and his manager.

According to Ray, they asked, "’Jerry Wexler thinks now’s the time to do the western swing CD. You've got the LPs don’t you?’ It took me a second to realize what they were talking about and once I put two and two together I answered ‘Yes of course!’ I went to the shelf and pulled out the LP's. Sure enough there were the penned-in ‘WN's’ by certain songs and so I went to work.”

From a catalogue of nearly 40 selections Jerry and Ray painstakingly narrowed the list down to twelve. Always the producer with a vision, Jerry was involved in every way. He insisted that some of the tracks should include horns as well as a return to traditional fiddles and lap steel guitar associated with western swing.

As the sessions concluded and Willie finished his vocals the tracks were sent to Jerry.

“To my delight and relief,” says Ray, “he loved them.”

Not yet satisfied with the collection, Ray determined that an instrumental piece was – instrumental. For Ray, one tune kept coming up: South, originally done by Bennie Moten, it was also the song that Bob Wills opened his shows with for a number of years.

“I called Jerry up and he was in total agreement. He also informed me that South was a million seller when it came out in 1927. We recorded the song about the same time we were doing a benefit for Habitat for Humanity with David Letterman in Austin so it was natural for our good friend Paul Shaffer to join us for the session. We were also fortunate enough to have the talented Vince Gill lend his electric guitar licks on this track.”

“It was a sad day indeed when the news came in that Jerry Wexler had passed away,” says Ray.  “We’re so proud to have had this opportunity to make this record with him.”



Asleep at the Wheel History
1970        Band forms in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Play first "big show" opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna

1971        Band moves to California at the invitation of Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen
                Van Morrison helps the band to get first record deal by mentioning them in an interview in Rolling Stone Magazine

1973        Debut album Comin' Right At Ya released by United Artists
                At invitation of Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm, band moves to Austin, Texas

1974        “Choo Choo Ch'Boogie” from their second album Asleep at the Wheel is their first chart single

1975        The release of Texas Gold on Capitol Records elevates the band to one of the most popular country acts of the          decade, with “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read” becoming a top-ten Country hit.
                Band appears on the first regularly scheduled “Austin City Limits” (and have appeared ten times since)

1977        Voted Best Country & Western Band by Rolling Stone
                Awarded “Touring Band of the Year” by Academy of Country Music, tours Europe with Emmylou Harris

1978        Their sixth Grammy™ nomination, for the country instrumental “One O'Clock Jump,” wins, setting in motion eight more Grammy™ wins since.
                Band appears in the film Roadie with Meatloaf, Blondie and Art Carney

1979        Their first live album Served Live is recorded at the Austin Opera House

1987        The album 10 scores big with the Grammy™-winning single “String of Pars”

1991        Ray directs the music and co-stars in the film Wild Texas Wind with Dolly Parton and Gary Busey

1992        Band featured on Route 66 Tour (66th Anniversary of Route 66)

1993        Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills for Liberty Records, including guest artists Garth Brooks, George Strait and Vince Gill amongst many others, is an instant hit, earning two Grammys™ and a live performance on the Country Music Awards telecast with Lyle Lovett

1997        Old Silver Eagle tour bus with over 3 million miles is retired.

1999        Ride With Bob CD is released by Dreamworks and includes guest performances by the Dixie Chicks, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Manhattan Transfer and others. The ensuing long form documentary The Making of Ride with Bob earns a regional Emmy Award. The album wins two Grammy™ Awards.

2000        Tour with Bob Dylan, George Strait Stadium Tours begin (2000-2001)

2002        Ray hosts the CMT special Stars Over Texas in Austin, going toe to toe with Dolly Parton & Vince Gill

2003        Ray releases his first solo record Beyond Time while at the same time managing to make two records with the band   (Live at Billy Bob's Texas and Asleep at the Wheel Remembers the Alamo)

2004        Ray is named the official 2004 Texas State Musician
                Asleep at the Wheel launches its Pops program in performances with Austin and Dallas Symphonies (and has since performed it regularly around the country)

2005        “A Ride With Bob: The Bob Wills Musical,” co-written by Ray Benson and starring Ray and members of Asleep at the Wheel, debuts in Austin to coincide with Wills' 100th birthday. Through the year, further performances in 4 cities sell out and gain critical acclaim.

2006        “A Ride With Bob” sells out the Kennedy Center, with President & First Lady attending
   
2007        Band releases “Reinventing the Wheel,” their first feature CD in several years
                Band serves as band for “Last of the Breed” Tour, featuring Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard & Ray Price
                Band wins six Austin Music Awards including Band of the Year
                Band releases its pops/symphony album entitled "Asleep at the Wheel with The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra"

2008       The band continues to tour the world and preps for their new 2009 album entitled "Willie and The Wheel."


Additional Facts

• Ray Benson is 6'7” tall and wears size 16 boots

• The roster of former and current members of Asleep at the Wheel is 80+ and includes many of the finest musicians in the business who have gone on to perform and record with artists such as Bob Dylan, George Strait, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, Ryan Adams and many others.

• Asleep at the Wheel has released 25+ feature albums (not including compilations, re-releases)

• Ray Benson regularly provides voice-over talent for national advertising campaigns and radio station imaging. Ray is also an active industry leader, serving as a Trustee of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Chairman of the SIMS Foundation in Austin TX, and member of Board of Directors for several other Austin-based non-profits.

• Ray owns Bismeaux Studio in Austin TX, and has produced projects for Willie Nelson, Pam Tillis, Carolyn Wonderland, Aaron Watson, James Hand, Suzy Bogguss, Don Walser, Dale Watson and many others.