Willie Nelson's second album of 2014, December Day: Willie's Stash, Vol. 1, is also the initial installment of his archival recordings series, and a collaboration album with his sister, Bobbie.
"Sister Bobbie," as Big Brother Willie calls her, has been a member of his Family Band (she plays piano) since its formation in 1973. This album marks the first time the two have teamed up for a studio project.
December Day features 18 selections, from standards to Nelson-penned originals. He's once again joined by producer Buddy Cannon and his band - Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Kevin Smith and Bee Spears (both on bass), Billy English (drums), David Zettner (guitar), and Sister Bobbie. (Note: Spears passed away in 2011.)
The album opens with "Alexander's Ragtime Band," one of several Irving Berlin songs on the project (the others are "Always" and "What'll I Do"). The two Nelson siblings turn this timeless chestnut into a fun little ditty.
However, there's a pervasive sadness that runs through the songs, starting with the second track, "Permanently Lonely," which first appeared on Nelson's Good Times album in 1969.
Sister Bobbie's shines on "Mona Lisa," a classic popularized by Nat King Cole in the '50s, and "Always." The latter song really suits Nelson; it's his best vocal display of the whole project.
Three more songs that follow the album's sad and lonely theme are Nelson's "I Don't Know Where I Am Today," "Amnesia" and "Laws of Nature." On the latter tune, Nelson compares himself to a plant, maybe a marijuana plant, as he sings, "Look at them seeds and look at me/ The apple didn't fall far from the tree."
Expect more songs from Nelson's Stash series personally selected by Willie himself in 2015 - his 82nd year.
