WILLIE NELSON and Family’s latest release Let’s Face The Music is a collection of new studio performances and the first in a series to celebrate his 80th birthday.

The band was originally formed with his sister Bobbie Nelson (piano), drummer Paul English and harmonica shaman Mickey Raphael, with their name being taken from his 1971 album, Willie Nelson and Family.

Also in the line-up on this release are Billy English (Paul’s brother on electric gut string and snare drum), Kevin Smith (bass), Jim “Moose” Brown (B3 organ), and Willie’s son, Micah, on percussion.

Fourteen tracks are featured, which in the main are drawn from the 1930s through to 1957, with the most recent one being Matchbox from 1957.

Composers of the songs featured include Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser, Django Reinhardt, Mack Gordon, and Spade Cooley.

With laid-back offerings of songs like Let’s Face The Music And Dance, You’ll Never Know, Walking My Baby Back Home, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love and South Of The Border, Willie puts his personal stamp on each track.

Perhaps not an album for the purist country fan, but if you loved the Stardust offering then you’ll be in “Nostalgic Nelson Heaven”.

The album is released on April 15 on the Sony Music/Legacy record label prior to his birthday on April 30.

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