If you were a fledgling country singer/songwriter and Johnny Cash approached you just to say that you've got a long career ahead of you, what would you do?

While some might freak or faint, Austin's Jesse Dayton sat in his truck and wrote a song that he's yet to share with the rest of the world. What he shares with us, after a stint in the rockabilly Road Kings, is a two-steppin' stroll through new millennium honky tonk.

Jesse Dayton's third solo release Hey, Nashvegas! explores his country roots and was even recorded in part on Music Row.

But Dayton is a Texan at heart and thinks that music from the Lone Star State is ready to break out nationally any day now. "Texas is like Seattle when grunge was taking off...there's lots of talent and everybody wants a (record) deal."

Jesse had no problem getting his record deal—he made it with his newly-formed label, Stag -- for which he has high hopes. "I'd like to produce artists on the label and make my own record and tour occasionally." Jesse has made his own records, but has played with most every legend in country music; besides playing guitar with the Man in Black, he's been on stage and in the studio with Waylon and Willie and Ray Price.

He knows the big boys from his days of being signed to their shortlived label, Justice, then he was off to L.A. with the Road Kings, recording for Hollywood Records (in other words Disney!). "We had a real experience. They're the label that handles the Brian Setzer Orchestra, so they knew what we were doing...they understood us."

But while Jesse has met the right people and can get them to work on his record (the Dixie Chicks are on one of the tracks -- and he's not even married to one of 'em!), Dayton says that an artist has to do things for themselves. "I've had people come and say that if there's anything they can do for me, just ask. But you have to find your own sound. No one can really help you with that."

Jesse grew up looking for his own sound in Beaumont, influenced by hometown heroes like George Jones and Lightnin' Hopkins. "There's still no one like George Jones. He was Hank Williams Senior's favorite singer. In the early 50s, Hank would come to Beaumont just to see him. What else can you say?"

Dayton also got a chance to work with late Texas music legend Doug Sahm, the voice behind Sir Douglas Quintet in the 60's and 70's and the Texas Tornados in '80's and '90's. Dayton still finds it difficult to talk about his fallen friend, but says that Sahm was "everything a Texas musician should be."

Jesse does it all: Rockabilly, Country, Americana; he's even got to work with studio wizards like Pete Anderson, Dwight Yoakam's fulltime producer. "Pete's really like an artist...he takes a canvas and really paints a picture. And he made country guitar cool again."

While the gist of the new CD is modern twists on old-school country, Jesse's current shows -- including the one coming up Wednesday night at Puffabelly's in Old Town Spring -- is more on the acoustic side, more of a songwriter's showcase. At the Puffabelly's show, Jesse appears Houston songwriter Davon James -- "a crazy talent".

Jesse also just got from playing shows in New York. He says that the Manhattan mood is still "real somber", but enjoyed playing at the Village Underground, one of Bob Dylan's big haunts in the early days. "It was real important to go there and provide entertainment...to give people their money's worth."

Jesse is in the Houston area this week, making the rounds: he makes an in-store appearance at Cactus Records tomorrow night at 6; there's the Puffabelly's show on Wednesday, and a show at Blanco's on Thursday.

Jesse Dayton like to stay busy, and is already working on the next record: "It'll be more acoustic...with fiddles and dobros and harmonicas and lots of guitars." And will Jesse ever share the song he wrote after he got the ultimate compliment from Johnny Cash?

"Someday", he says.