Willie Nelson, 91, announces 153rd album, ‘Last Leaf on the Tree’
NEW YORK — At 91 years old, Willie Nelson is proving he’s still going strong as the country music veteran announced Thursday the upcoming release of his 153rd album.
Titled “Last Leaf on the Tree,” the opus — due out Nov. 1 — will feature covers of songs previously recorded by rock legends, indie folk heroes and soulful jazz singers like Keith Richards, Neil Young, Nina Simone and Beck.
The album will also feature some original material written by the singer and his son, Micah Nelson, who has previously performed with his father and also serves as the record’s producer.
“The result is a gorgeously cohesive rumination on loss, love and world-weary hope, perfectly complemented by spare and spooky musical production,” Thursday’s announcement said.
The album has already yielded its first single, “Last Leaf,” on which the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee delivers a melancholy rendition of the 2011 Tom Waits ballad of the same name while playing his “trusty acoustic guitar Trigger.”
Other contributors on the album include Willie’s longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael, seven-time Grammy winner Daniel Lanois, Senegalese percussionist Magatte Sow and former Doors drummer John Densmore.
Co-headlining the final leg of this year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour with Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and more, Willie Nelson & Family will conclude their trek on Sept. 21 at the annual Farm Aid benefit concert in Saratoga Springs.
“Last Leaf on the Tree” is available for preorder on Willie Nelson’s website, Amazon Music, or through your local record store.
