Playlist: The Very Best Gospel of Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson's version of country has always been a bit of a thing apart, and he's added folk, Tin Pan Alley, and jazz touches to his catalog throughout his long recording career, even venturing bravely (if maybe not wisely) into reggae and other far-reaching genres. He's also done his share of gospel, too, and again he filters it through his own sensibility, until his take on a gospel standard like "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" sounds more like Willie than it does someone standing in front of a congregation on Sunday morning. This Playlist set collects 14 of his gospel numbers, all of them recorded in the 1970s, with nine of these coming from his fine 1976 gospel release The Troublemaker, one of the unsung gems in Nelson's massive catalog. ~ Steve Leggett