In 2002, Whitsett served as arranger for the highest selling female Pop artist of the 1950s, Patti Page, on her Sweet Sounds of Christmas CD, and in 2006, played on Janis Ian's Folk Is the New Black. He teamed again with producer Dan Penn and Hoy Lindsey, writing a dozen songs, arranging, and playing on the Better to Have It CD by Bobby Purify in 2005. He played on several Tony Joe White albums including The Heroines in 2004 with singers Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne, Jessi Colter, and Emmylou Harris and 2006's Uncovered, which featured guest appearances by Eric Clapton, J. J. Cale, Michael McDonald, Mark Knopfler, and also Waylon Jennings in one of his last performances.
