When the country music Hall of Famer Waylon Jennings passed away in 2002, the artist left behind a host of recordings that had never been released. His son, famed musician/producer Shooter Jennings, recently discovered these and was amazed by the high quality and sheer number of top-notch offerings. Songbird is the first of a scheduled trilogy of releases set to be unveiled by Shooter, exposing his dad to a new generation of country fans and beyond.
This collection consists entirely of cover songs, as Waylon collaborated with his drummer/co-producer, Richie Albright, and members of his backing band, The Waylors, including pedal steel guitarist Ralph Mooney. Songbird’s tracks were originally recorded between 1973 and 1984 in a host of various studios. Shooter smartly opens things with the title offering, a stunning version of Fleetwood Mac’s song, featuring weepy pedal steel, piano, and relaxed vocals from Waylon, all of which blend smoothly with the excellent delivery of this tune.
Jennings Outlaw Country style feels right at home on Johnny Rodriguez’s “The Cowboy (Small Texas Town)” as well as two understated western ballads, “Brand New Tennessee Waltz” by Jesse James Winchester and Hank Williams Jr.’s “(I Don’t Have) Any More Love Songs”. The swaying twang and clicking cymbals of “I Hate To Go Searchin’ Them Bars Again” by Isaac Peyton Sweat and the soft “Wrong Road Again” by Allen Reynolds are straight ahead, while closer “Dink’s Blues” goes a bit too large with layers of orchestration and overdone strings.
Better is the smooth grooving cover of JJ Cale’s “I’d Like To Love You Baby” that just smirkingly bumps along, adding harmonica to the flow. John Wesley Routh’s “I’m Gonna Lay Back With My Woman” flashes great electric guitar work from all involved, and Waylon’s version of his friend Johnny Cash’s “After The Ball” is a stomping, piano-laced party song that wonderfully falls apart.
The songs can have a rehearsal feel at times, with things ending abruptly or the players falling off and laughing, which is probably why these songs were not included on past albums; however, that adds to the charm here. Not all songs were fully fleshed out, so Shooter brought in the surviving members of The Waylors, including guitarist Gordon Payne, bassist Jerry Bridges, keyboardist Barny Robertson, and backing vocalist Carter Robertson, along with contemporary country stars Elizabeth Cook and Ashley Monroe, to complete the tracks.
A wonderful addition to Waylon Jennings’ discography, Songbird is filled with enjoyable tunes, resulting in a pleasure-filled ride.
