In the fall of 2006, country icon Merle Haggard spent a couple of days with some of bluegrass music's best in Ricky Skaggs' Nashville studio. In that recording circle were Ronnie Reno, Del McCoury, Marty Stuart, Rob Ickes, Charlie Cushman, Ben Isaacs, Carl Jackson, Aubrey Haynie, J.D. Wilkes and Scott Joss. According to Marty, "Heaven opened up and the magic appeared."

Surrealism descended upon the high lonesome world with a vengeance in 1996, when Doc Watson, Mac Wiseman, and Del McCoury, joined by funk icon Bootsy Collins, formed the GrooveGrass Boyz and recorded a bluegrass version of "The Macarena," the over-played flamenco-pop rumba that had become a worldwide dance phenomenon.

Though it was probably mere coincidence, boundaries across the musical spectrum soon came tumbling down, and the lines between genres became increasingly blurred. Bob Dylan joined forces with Ralph Stanley to cut an otherworldly version of "The Lonesome River." CMH's "Pickin' On" series kicked into high gear, paying tribute to everyone from Radiohead to James Taylor. Rock's ultimate bad boy, David Lee Roth, appeared with some of the bluegrass world's finest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, singing the Van Halen hits "Jump" and "Jamie's Crying." Comedian Steve Martin and banjo master Tony Trischka climbed the National Bluegrass Survey with Ste...

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Merle Haggard has never been one to stay strictly within the lines that others might draw around his career. He has recorded concept albums, western swing, prewar blues, Dixieland, and even pop standards. With his new release, Haggard dips his toes into the bluegrass genre.

Surrounding himself with some of the best musicians in the business (Marty Stuart on mandolin, Carl Jackson on guitar, Rob Ickes on resonator guitar, Charlie Cushman on banjo, Aubrey Haynie fiddle, and Ben Isaacs on bass), he runs through 12 songs - three are new, two are covers, and seven are Haggard classics.

The first new song on the album, "Pray," finds Haggard in a contemplative mood as he exhorts us all to drop our guard a little and pray for those around us so that the world might be a little better place. "What Happened" follows that theme closely, but takes a more observational stance on what is going on in our culture that surrounds us. "Learning To Live With Myself" revisits the past as Haggard learns to live without several of the things he previously let define him. Haggard, as he is prone to do, offers up two tributes to his musical heroes - the medley "Jimmie Rodgers Blues" and the Delmore Brothers classic "Blues Stay Away From Me." Both find Haggard reveling in the classic melodies and you can hear the sense of comfort he takes in these songs. The remaining eight songs find Haggard reaching (sometimes deeply) into his catalog for "Runaway Momma," "I Wonder Where I'll Find You," "Momma's Prayer," and "Wouldn't That Be Something." More recognizable Hag tunes are "Mama's Hungry Eyes" (with harmony by Alison Krauss), "Holding Things Together" and "Big City."

Some might argue its bluegrass authenticity, but, in the end, it is completely a Merle Haggard record.