Asleep At the Wheel

Asleep at the Wheel is a band that has been working continuously since at least 1972 (with a few breaks in between), playing primarily western swing, but also love mixing it with country, western, bluegrass, jazz, and blues any chance they get. They are led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ray Benson, who has been the only constant in the band since their inception. The band emerged in the '70s as a part of the western swing revival that was going on at the time, and did not change their path all that much other than to continue to evolve with the genre. Benson is known to be a big fan of jazz, which has colored their music throughout their career. Almost every incarnation of the band has also had a female singer as the co-lead vocalist. They have done plenty of covers over the years, digging deep into the great American songbook, and collaborating with countless artists along the way.