Django and Jimmie

"The title - referring to Django Reinhardt and Jimmie Rodgers, major influences on both men - suggests a rich dig into country archaeology à la Haggard's 1970 Bob Wills tribute. Instead, we get a grab bag of new songs and rerecorded signatures fixed on the duo's own mythology, largely sans blue yodels or gypsy jazz. Highlights are Haggard's "Missing Ol' Johnny Cash," a story-swap with guest Bobby Bare, and "It's All Going to Pot," the "420 Day" single that shows two masters nailing the right song at the right time".

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"Appropriately enough, mortality is on their minds throughout Django and Jimmie, a record whose very title is taken from Willie and Merle's childhood idols. It's a song that seems like a confession, as does the casual admission that they didn't think they'd "Live This Long," but neither Nelson nor Haggard wrote this, nor the title track or the album's first single, the near-novelty "It's All Going to Pot." These are made-to-order originals by some of the best in the business -- Buddy Cannon, Jamey Johnson, and Ward Davis wrote "It's All Going to Pot," Jimmy Melton and Jeff Prince the title track -- and it shows how producer Cannon has a sharp ear for material, along with a way with a relaxed groove".

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