Music review: Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard 鈥� 鈥楧jango and Jimmie鈥�
In 1983, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard combined talents and delivered an entertaining ride with 鈥淧ancho & Lefty.鈥�
Over 30 years later, the country music legends partner to pay tribute to the musical influence of Django Reinhardt and Jimmie Rodgers. The title track serves as a savory salute to the inspiration Reinhardt and Rodgers provided the two country outlaws as they sing, 鈥淢ight not have been a Merle or a Willie, if not for a Django and Jimmie.鈥�
The 82-year-old Nelson and 78-year-old Haggard furnish their weathered and time-tested voices to an honest, reflective and witty cluster of heartfelt arrangements.
As a teenager, I was unexpectedly introduced to Nelson鈥檚 material after coming across my older brother鈥檚 copy of 鈥淲illie and Family Live.鈥� The double album from 1978 featured spirited versions of memorable songs such as 鈥淔unny How Time Slips Away,鈥� 鈥淕ood Hearted Woman,鈥� 鈥淲hiskey River鈥� and one of my personal favorite Nelson-penned tunes, 鈥淗ello Walls.鈥�
I discovered Haggard鈥檚 gritty, honest style from listening to the country music my grandmother would continuously play during my regular weekend visits. Songs like 鈥淭he Fightin鈥� Side of Me,鈥� 鈥淥kie from Muskogee鈥� and 鈥淢ama Tried鈥� would spark my attraction to traditional country sounds.
Standout cuts include the touching 鈥淢issing Ol鈥� Johnny Cash,鈥� the humorous 鈥淚t鈥檚 All Going to Pot鈥� and a compelling cover of Bob Dylan鈥檚 鈥淒on鈥檛 Think Twice, It鈥檚 All Right.鈥�
The two artists swap songs as Haggard performs Nelson鈥檚 鈥淔amily Bible鈥� and Nelson lends his signature style to Haggard鈥檚 鈥淪omewhere Between.鈥�
The moving ballads 鈥淯nfair Weather Friend鈥� and 鈥淲here Dreams Come to Die鈥� are as elegant as they are sentimental and charming.
The album comes to a suitable close with 鈥淭he Only Man Wilder Than Me.鈥� This captivating number about friendship, admiration and respect aptly describes the relationship between Nelson and Haggard.
The latest offering from these two country music icons is a comfortable collaboration that should motivate them to reunite on a more regular basis.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.