JERRY JEFF

Steve Earle is no stranger to paying homage to the songwriters who shaped him. In 2009, Earle released the album *Townes*, a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Townes Van Zandt. A decade later, Earle explored the songs of Guy Clark with 2019’s *GUY*, three years after Clark’s death. Here, Earle plumbs the depths of Texas transplant Jerry Jeff Walker, one of Americana and outsider country’s most respected singer-songwriters. Earle and his band the Dukes tackle Walker’s songs with the utmost reverence, as on a cover of “Mr. Bojangles,” one of Walker’s biggest hits, and a playful, swinging take on “Gettin’ By,” on which Earle delightfully changes Walker’s opening monologue. While Earle’s own music carries the legacies of the artists who shaped him, projects like *Jerry Jeff* offer an intimate, at times enlightening look at one of country’s finest living songwriters—and those who preceded him.