The Witching Hour Sessions – 14/01/2018

Willie Nile

Willie Nile (born 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, who released his self-titled debut album in 1980. His grandfather ran an orchestra in Buffalo and was a vaudeville pianist who played with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Eddie Cantor.

Following his debut album, ‘Willie Nile’, he joined The Who’s 1980 summer tour. After his second album 1981’s ‘Golden Down’, Nile became involved with protracted legal problems which curtailed his career for some years.

Nile played Europe and toured the East Coast while he waited until the time was right to go back into the studio. He finally emerged re-energized on 2006’s ‘Streets of New York’, with guest appearances by Larry Campbell and Jakob Dylan, which marked the beginning of a regular recording schedule. Nile released a new studio set, ‘House of a Thousand Guitars’, and beefed up his touring schedule. He issued the acclaimed ‘The Innocent Ones’ in 2011 and followed it two years later with the rocking and street-smart ‘American Ride’ in 2013. Early 2015 brought a change of pace for Nile with the release of ‘If I Was a Rive’r, a primarily acoustic set dominated by his piano work. ‘World War Willie’, his tenth LP, arrived in 2016. In May of that year, Nile was invited to sing four songs at an N.Y.C. celebration of Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday. Moved by how timely so many of the songs performed that night were — some more than 50 years old — Nile was inspired. He undertook a Pledge Music campaign and made an entire album of Dylan covers. The finished offering, titled ‘Positively Bob: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan’, was released during the summer of 2017. A most enjoyable album it is too.

A fine but very underrated artist.

Tonight’s listening;

1 – Willie Nile (1980)

Willie Nile gives some great performances of 11 fine songs, and this was an impressive debut for this underappreciated talent.

2 – Streets Of New York (2006

If early 2006 is remembered for nothing else, it will go down in history for two of the greatest urban Americana albums of the 21st century to date; Dion’s ‘Bronx in Blue’ and Willie Nile’s ‘Streets of New York’. If you haven’t been to New York recently, Nile might just have saved you the fare. ‘Streets of New York is that powerful’.

3 – American Ride (2013)

A lot has been written about rock & roll singer/songwriter Willie Nile since he made his debut in 1980. Musicians and press alike have sung his praises across the globe, yet mainstream success has always proved difficult.
‘American Ride’ is a very strong album and Nile has clung to the gritty genre of roots rock & roll. When you write songs this good there’s no reason for compromise or for too great a change.

Remember the outdoor gig at the Kilkenny Roots on that lovely sunny afternoon? Feeling all nostalgic now….