Journeyman country outlaw Waylon Jennings might have been nearing the end of his road on this performance, but he had a full tank of gas when he hit the Ryman stage for two nights in January 2000. Although too ill to stand, Jennings is in fine--even exceptional--voice, as he and his Waymore Blues Band, augmented with horns for the first time, cruise through a tight and tough two-hour gig. This 2007 expanded edition of Jennings's final album not only adds eight tracks and a second audio disc, but also throws in a professionally shot DVD remixed in crystal-clear 5.1 surround sound. Guests Travis Tritt, Montgomery Gentry, and John Anderson add cameos, along with Waylon's wife Jessi Colter, who appears on four tracks. But this is Jennings's show, and although the country legend's health was on a downslide from which he would never recover, he sounds inspired and vital throughout this set of hits (and some obscurities). Extra tracks such as Tony Joe White's "Trouble Man" and the Band's "The Weight" are terrific additions, and the disc has now been reconfigured to follow the original sequence. Fans might lament the omission of signature Waylon fare such as "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" and "Lonesome, On'ry and Mean" and the inclusion of fluffier pop like "Never Been to Spain," but this remains a moving and exciting live recording. The DVD is an indispensable bonus. It shows Jennings's obvious delight playing with this exceptional 11-piece outfit and their enthusiasm working with a country legend. The package is a fitting final document to one of roots music's most edgy trailblazers and essential listening/viewing for any country fan. --Hal Horowitz
