Kenny Chesney goes back to the studio with a big twist

“Even I'm excited,” said Chesney. “I was out in the middle of the room today, just listening to it all go down… You catch the players' eye, and they're all feeling it, too. And you look in the vocal booth, and there's Willie Nelson, with his headphones on… It's hard to believe…and you're the one making suggestions about trying it this way.”

DThe recordings thus far have focused on songs ranging from Kris Kristofferson to Dave Matthews, Guy Clark to Jimmy Buffett, Randy Newman to Nelson.

“When you hear him sing, there's only one Willie,” Chesney says. “You just want to make a record that's as good as he is… You want to live up to the standard he defines.”

Chesney first met Nelson when he appeared on the USA all-star television special filmed at New York City's Beacon Theatre to celebrate Nelson's 70th birthday. That night, Chesney reached back into the legend's catalogue for “The Last Thing I Needed."

"Willie Nelson's an American classic,” Chesney said. “To be making music with him like this is the kind of thing you don't even dream...and the best part is: everybody involved seems to feel exactly the same way.”