Thereās a certain kind of holiness that drifts around a man like Willie.
Closest I ever came to him was through @josephwymanphoto . Joe got called at the last possible minute to make a tintype of Willie out at Luck Reunion. One minute we were sitting around drinking liquor too expensive to belong at a festival, the next we were hauling cameras and chemicals clear across the grounds like a couple grave robbers dragging a piano through the desert.
Tintypes arenāt forgiving. Thereās sweat, timing and a whole lot of patience to create the belief of this medium. We made trip after trip and finally commandeered a golf cart that probably belonged to somebody important. Joe never blinked. Professional to the bone. Calm in the storm of it. Heās the kind of man who gets more focused the harder things become.
He made two beautiful plates of Willie. Legendary ones. You could feel the life stepping off of them.
While Joe disappeared into the dark to develop the first image, I took this photograph just to remember the moment. Not because it was Willie Nelson but because something in the air shifted around him. With all the energy he gives to his family and fans, this moment felt like something for him.
Thatās what makes Willie feel almost mythic to me. Not the songs nor the fame. Itās the generosity in him. The openness. He makes room for people. Which is rarer than talent and harder to fake.
You see this on stage with him. The whole crowd is in the band. And guests who come on stage are frequent, and know they are welcome and even loved.
A song alone can feel like somebody talking to themselves in the dark. But a crowd singing together, thatās a different animal altogether. Thatās a heart learning how to beat as one thing for a little while before the night closes back in.
This photo is more for Joe. He himself has that inclusive spirit that never leaves you feeling alone. A rarity that seems to dwell in good hearted beasts.
Thank you Joe
Kiki Cavazos put a record out today. The wonderful people at Jalopy Records are carrying it into the world, but I saw where it started.
Grateful doesnāt quite cover it. Still, itās the word that comes closest.
A lot of hands brought it here. A lot of heart. But some names I truly want to phrase. Natalie Jordan, Benjamin Tod, and Tari Isham are three of those that come to mind but were huge movers and shakers to make it possible.
To @jalopy_records lords Nick, Eli and Benton. Yall moved heaven and earth for this to happen. Love yall.
Cate is without a doubt a beautifully gifted song lord in her own right. I think we deeply wait for this kind of music to come into our lives like the way Blaze Foleyās all hit us at some point. This music is what people will talk about years from now.
But thatās later.
Today, you can witness it yourself.
The Deslondes have a new record coming out! Recorded during one of the craziest winters NOLA has ever had an over 100 years. It was an honor to see how a record like this came together. Check out the first single at @thedeslondes - their new album ādonāt let it die volume oneā comes out in May on @newwestrecords
@kikicavazosmusic - the best kept secret in country music. Her new single āHawthorne and Heartacheā is streaming everywhere. Not only that, but her new album is available for pre-order on vinyl at @jalopy_records
Iāve already bought 3, because Iāll go broke for wax thatāll be legendary.
