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Merle Haggard And The Strangers – Corrine, Corrina<\/strong>
\nCivic Center, Philadelphia
\nFebruary 14, 1970*
\nFeaturing Chubby Wise<\/a> on fiddle<\/p>\n\nhttps:\/\/app.box.com\/shared\/static\/obkfd8q9ni.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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* I’ve read conflicting reports that this show was recorded on 2\/14\/70 and 3\/14\/70, but the Valentine’s date seems more credible.<\/em><\/p>\n

A couple of weeks ago, I asserted<\/a> that Merle Haggard<\/a> is the greatest singer\/songwriter the state of California has ever produced. I stand by that. Hag has one of the most understated, yet soulful voices I’ve ever heard and he’s a great songwriter, not by country standards, but by Bob Dylan<\/a>\/Duke Ellington<\/a> standards. And yet, like those two men, it’s Merle’s vision and diligence as bandleader that’s been the key to his 50-year career.<\/p>\n

In May 1980, Merle appeared on the cover of Down Beat, which wouldn’t have raised eyebrows were it not a jazz publication. In hindsight, it was a brilliant editorial decision. Haggard leads his band, The Strangers, with an Ellingtonian sense of pacing and color and has often referred to his music as country-jazz because of its emphasis on solo improvisation.<\/p>\n

As longtime drummer, Biff Adam, told Classic Drummer<\/a>, “Merle never does the same show twice. We\u2019re always loose up on the stage. He doesn\u2019t even play songs in the same key or the same tempo. So, it\u2019s almost like jazz. He keeps everybody on their toes because we don\u2019t have any idea what\u2019s going to happen. Like last night, some of the endings we played I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve ever heard before. I think he got that from Bob Wills<\/a>. That\u2019s the way his band was. He\u2019d just point at the guy he wanted to play the turnaround.”<\/p>\n

Merle Haggard – Brain Cloudy Blues<\/strong><\/p>\n