Folk-rock legend Bob Dylan [ tickets ], who is taking a rare break from touring in early 2005, will squeeze in another round of shows shortly before his 64th birthday.

The singer/songwriter has lined up a spate of March and April concerts in five cities, including multi-night runs in Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago. Joining him on the tour--which is dubbed "The Bob Dylan Show"--will be Merle Haggard [ tickets ] and The Strangers, as well as Amos Lee. (Haggard will not be on board for the tour's March 19 stop in Las Vegas.)

Tickets for all of the currently confirmed shows are scheduled to hit the box office in February. Details are shown in the itinerary below.

Fans will have an early shot at tickets via online presales offered through Dylan's website. Details will be posted at the site.

Last October, Dylan--who celebrates his birthday on May 24--issued the self-penned book "Chronicles: Volume 1," the first in a planned series of his personal histories. The memoir is among the finalists vying for the 2004 prize in the National Book Critics Circle Awards' Biography/Autobiography category. Winners will be announced in March.

"Chronicles" publisher Simon & Schuster simultaneously released an updated edition of "Lyrics: 1962-2001," which contains lyrics to nearly all of Dylan's songs.

Early last year, Columbia/Legacy offered up "Live 1964: Concert at Philharmonic Hall--The Bootleg Series Volume 6," a two-disc set that features 19 tracks recorded during Dylan's Oct. 31, 1964 solo-acoustic performance at New York City's Philharmonic Hall. The set is competing for this year's Grammy award in the Best Album Notes category.

Haggard--who will celebrate his 68th birthday during the tour's April 6 finale in Chicago--released his latest album, "Unforgettable," in December.

Roughly four decades younger than his touring counterparts, the 27-year-old Lee is slated to drop his self-titled debut on March 1, and will follow the release with a March 3 performance on "The Late Show with David Letterman."