"Bluegrass" is the 74th solo studio album by Willie Nelson, released on September 15, 2023, through Legacy Recordings. Produced by Buddy Cannon, this album marks Nelson's first foray into bluegrass music. It features twelve reimagined tracks from Nelson's extensive back catalogue.
Notably, Bluegrass is the first album Nelson recorded since the acquisition of his iconic guitar, Trigger, without using it. The lead single from the album, a reworked version of "You Left Me a Long, Long Time Ago" from his 1972 album The Willie Way, was released on June 22, 2023. The album has garnered significant recognition, including a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Buddy Cannon, in an interview with Texas Monthly, shared that the initial idea for Bluegrass involved Willie Nelson performing duets with various bluegrass vocalists. Cannon, however, found this concept to be "gimmicky" and preferred a more traditional approach. He chose to focus on a purist style, differing from the approach taken on Nelson's earlier album Country Music.
For Bluegrass, Cannon selected the tracks and assembled a backing band to record live in Nashville over two days. The only overdub on the album is a harmonica played by Mickey Raphael. Nelson, who opted not to use his signature guitar Trigger for this project, recorded his vocals separately in Austin.
