In 1985, Cash formed The Highwaymen with fellow legends Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. On Disc Two, "Silver Stallion," from their album Highwaymen 2 knocked my spurs off. Listen to them harmonize in the live video above--"And we're gonna ride, ride like the one-eyed jack of diamonds with the devil close behind"--and you realize Jennings' baritone was a national treasure, and the song a piece of pure American music history.

One of the greatest discoveries for me in this collection comes on Disc Three. Known as the "Pavarotti of the Plains," the late Texan Don Walser was a modest guitarist and yodeler who worked to keep roots music alive. Very late in life, he became so widely embraced that his fan base curiously included punk rockers. His version of the traditional "Cowpoke" is absolutely lovely. And his life reminds us that, like our jazz greats, a generation of pioneering talents is fading. Boots, Buckles & Spurs gives them their due.

More Music:
* The upcoming National Rodeo Finals are held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Vegas. Performing before each day's rodeo events will be leading country stars such as Reba McEntire, Charlie Daniels, and Brooks & Dunn, whose new tune "Cowboy Town" is the rodeo's official anthem.
* Some years ago when I visited Nashville for Condé Nast Travelers Deals page, I spent a good five hours at the Country Music Hall of Fame. The exhibitions are so well curated, and the interactive displays so fun, that I'd go back in the crack of a whip.
* The Texas yodler Don Walser passed away in 2006. His obituary makes for a great tale. Here he is performing Cowpoke, and here, the old Tennessee Ernie Ford song "Shotgun Boogie."
* In an engaging thirty-minute NPR interview, Jessi Colter talked in 2006 about her late husband Waylon Jennings, their musician son Shooter, and the strong links between country and rock. Her 2006 album Out of the Ashes was her first in twenty years.