ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

Yes, Asleep at the Wheel makes great music when paired with superstars. The band roped in a who’s who of country all-stars for its two Grammy-winning Bob Wills tribute albums in the ’90s, and its latest release, Willie & the Wheel, is a long-overdue collaboration with that Willie. But make no mistake: When it comes right down to it, the Wheel as a collective unit plays second fiddle to no one. For nearly four decades, leader Ray Benson and his ultra-talented ensemble have distinguished themselves as not only the greatest western swing band on earth since the heyday of Wills and the Texas Playboys, but also as an honest-to-goodness institution of Texas music. Way back in the ’70s, AATW had the honor of opening the first ever season of TV’s Austin City Limits, and it’s also the only act to have played every Austin City Limits Music Festival to date. The band’s name may be a joke (Benson is as known for his sense of humor as for his mellifluous voice and imposing stature), but there’s no fooling around when it comes to the serious musicianship on display as the Wheel careens all over the highways and byways of American music.