Merle Travis in Boston 1959

The cover photo of legendary singer and fingerstyle guitarist Merle Travis is unflattering, even heartbreaking, his scruffy and wizened face clouded in cigarette smoke. But don’t be fooled: on this live 1959 set, recorded at Boston’s legendary Jordan Hall, he is in top form, picking in a style that influenced generations of folk and country guitarists and beautifully singing such deathless songs as “Dark As a Dungeon” and “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” If anything, the instrumental numbers are even better.