Austin singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin is at Cedar Creek studios this month completing a new album, to be released by Columbia Records as early as this summer. Some songs will be produced by John Leventhal, who did Colvin’s Steady On, and others by Malcolm Burn, who has worked with the Neville Brothers and Chris Whitley. Whiz kid Charlie Sexton guest stars on guitar.

Fresh from shooting a video for their song on the soundtrack of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn, hirsute rockers ZZ Top are back at various studios in Houston, including Digital Services, laying tracks for their second RCA album, due out this fall. As usual, guitarist Billy F. Gibbons and longtime manager Bill Ham are co-producing.

Dallas-born blues great Jimmie Vaughan began work last month on his new Epic/Sony record, which will take him to studios in New Orleans and other cities outside Texas. Vaughan co-produces with Gin Blossoms producer John Hampton, who engineered Family Style, Vaughan’s collaboration with his late brother, Stevie Ray. Look for the finished product this summer.

Willie Nelson is recording a blues album of his own at Pedernales Studios near Austin. Produced by Nelson, blues impresario Clifford Antone, journeyman guitarist Derek O’Brien, and Pedernales owner Freddy Fletcher (Nelson’s nephew), it’ll feature standards as well as Nelson originals. Our suggested title: Blue Headed Stranger.