Willie Nelson: That’s Life

This tribute to Willie’s friend and mutual admirer, Frank Sinatra, comes from a man who’s no stranger to jazz and the Great American Songbook. Willie’s approach is understated; a few soaring moments in “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” make me wish for more, but I’ll take understatement over maudlin. In “You Make Me Feel So Young,” a little grit in the clarity of his voice makes the sentiment believable; there’s some outstanding trumpet work, too. Willie really sells “That’s Life,” his ups and downs coming through clear as a bell. “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” walks a fine line between affection and regret. In 2018’s My Way, his interpretation of the title track was simply unbeatable, summing up the record perfectly. Shilkret & Austin’s “Lonesome Road” is the finale here, and while the Red-Headed Stranger is more foreboding than Ol’ Blue Eyes, neither comes close to Rafe Hollister on the Andy Griffith Show or Bob Dylan’s appropriation on “Sugar Baby” (Love and Theft). Still, That’s Life is a solid RBI. There’s little twang, and the concise arrangements are for a mostly acoustic combo complemented occasionally by brass or a bouquet of strings.