Amy Irving and the Goolis Orchestra
Always Will Be
*** out of *****
Oscar-Nominated Actress Amy Irving has been friends with the great Willie Nelson for decades, since they worked together on the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose. Irving also happens to be a fantastic vocalist and Nelson convinced Irving to sing a few of his tunes stating, “I knew she’d probably do a lot of my songs and I knew they’d be good. You know, I’m just an old hustler”. What blossomed was this full album tribute to Nelson titled Always Will Be as Irving sings her legendary friends tunes with grace and charm.
Working with some special guests such as Louis Cato, Steve Earle, Amy Helm, Lizzie No, and Chris Pierce, as well as the huge Goolis Orchestra led by Jules David Bartkowski (production arrangements and more), Irving dives into Nelson's songbook.
With her background in acting and the theater, there is no surprise that the songs often swell well beyond Nelson's originals and the opening and closing numbers do this admirably. The opening "It's A Dream Come True" has rich vocals, piano, backing vocals from No and an excellent baritone sax solo from Roy Nathanson while album closer "Angel Flying To Close To The Ground" dramatically rises in Broadway like fashion as Nelson himself arrives to strum Trigger like only he can.
A duet with Bartkowski enhances the easy grooving blues of "Yesterday's Wine", while the revved up scurrying drums of "I Guess I've Come To Live Here In Your Eyes" is unique with organ, guitar, duetting vocals and harmonica solo from Pierce. The tribute album goes a bit overboard in the middle with "I'd Have To Be Crazy" slamming too many ideas and styles into one cover song, while "If You Want Me To Love You I Will" gets transformed into a punk rocker with literal crashing sound effects, police sirens and gun shots, ending up a misfire.
Much better is when the outfit scales things back. The slow ballad "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" is a dynamite torch song for Irving's singing, enhanced even more by rich bass, sax work from Zoe Obadia and perfect duetting vocals from Earle. Wayne Tucker's Latin tinged trumpet work on "Everywhere I Go" with Cato captures Nelson's southwestern vibe expertly while the laid back title tune is the highlight offering as Irving's easy going vocal charm floats around soft organ, easy brass bumps, Helm's supporting vocals, a message from Nelson and hand claps.
During the outro of the title tune Amy Irving states she can do this all day and I believe her as Always Will Be is a successful loving tribute to her longtime friend, who just happens to be one of America's premier songwriters, artists, and icons.
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