Considering the release of second trio album with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, a stunning collaboration just with Ronstadt and a successfully produced, Gen-X tribute to former partner Gram Parsons’ Return of the Grievous Angel which pretty much established her as the godmother of alt-country, it’s almost no surprise Emmylou Harris was named Billboard’s Artist of the Year last year. After a quarter-century of dogged persistence in the music business, there’s no question the acclaim was well-deserved. And now that things couldn’t look better, it’s reassuring to discover that this uniquely consistent artist has been pursuing essentially the same musical vision throughout her career, beginning with an astounding debut album and continuing undeterred through the years when she wasn’t anybody’s darling in particular but stubbornly forged ahead as a marginal hit-maker on the country-music charts. Now, she’s able to use her success to personally revive some of the overlooked items from her substantial catalog, beginning with these two fine releases. Cimmaron, from ’81, seamlessly mixes country roots (“Rose of Cimmaron” and “Tennessee Waltz”) with contemporary songwriting (“If I Needed You” by Townes Van Zandt and “The Price You Pay” by Bruce Springsteen) with a charming sense of dedication and close attention to musical detail. Last Date was recorded live in ’82 and showcases her phenomenal backup ensemble, The Hot Band, with song choices that enthusiastically embrace country classics (Hank Snow’s “I’m Movin’ On,” Don Everly’s “So Sad to Watch Good Love Go Bad”), contemporary songwriting (“Racing in the Street” by Springsteen, “Long May You Run” by Neil Young) and half a dozen gems from the Gram Parsons songbook (“Devil in Disguise,” “We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes (in the Morning),” “Return of the Grievous Angel”). Both in content and in the context of their re-release, each of these elegant collections of beautifully passionate music-making reminds us that not only is Emmylou Harris a woman to be admired for her quiet grace and excellent musical taste, she’s also an artist to be celebrated for an unshakable commitment to integrity.