The Hag gets his due and nine more things you must hear this week

Two tributes to the late Merle Haggard — one by his friend and occasional collaborator — surface this week, leading new offerings from Mavis Staples, Portugal. the Man, Rosalia, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Jake Owens and Finger Eleven’s first album in a decade (all subject to change)…

Albums of the Week — Willie Nelson, “Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle” (Legacy Recordings) and Various Artists, “Tulare Dust: A Songwriter’s Tribute to Merle Haggard” (HighTone/Craft Recordings): It’s a good week for fans of the late Haggard, who passed away back in 2016 at the age of 79. “Workin’ Man” is Nelson’s 11-song salute to his “Pancho & Lefty” running buddy (they recorded four albums as a duo) and his own 78th studio album. It also marks his final recordings with sister Bobbie Nelson and Paul English from Nelson’s Family Band before they passed away. On “Tulare Dust,” meanwhile, 15 admirers — including Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, Marshall Crenshaw, Joe Ely and more — give the Hag his due with renditions of songs from throughout his career.