This week saw the 91st birthday of Willie Nelson, veteran pioneer of Outlaw Country and still turning out two or three albums a year without any notable loss of quality.

Since his debut back in 1962 the country troubadour and lifelong marijuana enthusiast made well over 100 albums – more than 200 if you include compilations and live ones – but my favourite is probably Teatro from 1998.

Recorded in an old cinema with Daniel Lanois at the control and Emmylou Harris adding her vocals, it’s got a Mexican mood and a dusty desert vibe that recalls the opening scene of Once Upon A Time In The West.

Listening to the opening one-two of the instrumental Ou-est Tu, Mon Amour and its successor I Never Cared For You, you’re transported to Sergio Leone’s flyblown railroad station, half expecting to hear the wail of a harmonica and the distant sound of a Mexican mariachi band.

All that’s missing from this live performance, recorded a year after the album’s release, is Emmylou with her glorious harmonies.