Songs of Cindy Walker (Lost Highway, 2006)

Willie Nelson�s prolific streak of releases on Lost Highway (including live and studio LPs each of the past three years) continues with this collection of Cindy Walker covers. Walker�s songs are best known as hits rendered by a who�s-who of swing, honky-tonk, country and pop stars that includes Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Webb Pierce, Merle Haggard, Eddy Arnold and Ray Charles.

The Texas soul of Walker�s songs fit Nelson to a tee, and as a legendary songsmith in his own right, his devotion to Walker�s work is both a compliment and an acknowledgement of these songs� fundamental role in his own artistic development.

One time Texas Playboy fiddler Johnny Gimble leads a stellar swing combo that includes the steel of Buddy Emmons and background harmonies of The Jordanaires. Nelson�s familiarity with the material occasionally turns his vocals too casual, but the highlights are outstanding, including a jazzy rendition of �Don�t Be Ashamed of Your Age,� a forlorn, heartbroken reading of �Not That I Care,� a wearily styled �Warm Red Wine� and a warm, Western-themed take on �Dusty Skies.�

Nelson�s a skilled interpreter, and backed by a sympathetically swinging combo, this is a wonderful tip-of-the-cowboy-hat to Walker�s songwriting.