Waylon [Jennings] had been one of my favorite live performers for a long time. Like Willie Nelson, he is a very underrated guitar player. They both sing so beautifully that nobody seems to notice they're also fine pickers, with styles that are atypical for country. Waylon had that classic Telecaster sound, but his solos always made me think of Buddy Holly--perhaps reflecting Waylon's stint in the Crickets, or his and Buddy's common West Texas roots. The use of phasing on his guitar only strengthened its characteristic individual sound. When you hear it, you think Waylon right away. And his voice is a treasure: A burnished, golden baritone, it wears as comfortably as an old leather jacket, and has the rock-steady sincerity of a Robert Frost poem. It's an American voice, coming straight from the heartland to your heart.

Although country stars like Waylon and Willie were very well known to the country fans, at that point in time they hadn't yet crossed over to the mainstream audience that would fall in love with them a few years later. The show at the Troubadour [Los Angeles] was a step in this direction.