Last week when I wrote about “Pancho and Lefty” I hadn’t realized that the man who made that song famous was having his birthday right around the corner. Today, American songwriter and Outlaw Country Music King Willie Nelson turns 75. NPR’s Fresh Air did a nice piece on Willie today, you can check it out here (audio available after 3 PM EST). They also played a portion of an interview and live set he did with Terry Gross from a few years back, and you can hear the whole thing here.

Willie Nelson will release a live album with acclaimed jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis on July 8th on Blue Note Records. Entitled Two Men With The Blues, the album was compiled from a two-night stand at the Lincoln Center in January of 2007. I got my advance press copy last week, and while the blues ranks kinda far down the list of my favorite genres, the disc is legit, showcasing two masters of American music. Here’s a teaser:

Most folks know the Willie Nelson/Merle Haggard version of this outlaw country classic, but here’s a version done by the original author, Townes van Zandt. His own name never got as big as his most famous tune, but you should check into Townes van Zandt - “Pancho & Lefty” is just one of his amazing, well-crafted songs.

I must have listened to the Nelson/Haggard version five times on my trip back up from Sacramento yesterday. The chorus….oh man, nearly gets me weepy every time.

Lyrics after the jump.

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