Charlie Daniels has worn a good many hats over his 50 years in the music business.

His first big hit came in 1973 with Uneasy Rider, a countryfied talking blues, years before the rap craze began. The hilarious song, following on the recent success of the Dennis Hopper film, Easy Rider, told the tale of a stranded, long-haired motorist who stumbles into the wrong bar looking for a phone in the deep South. It was a hit primarily in the rock music world, with a story that appealed to the “hippie” culture more than the country music world of the day, where Merle Haggard’s Okie From Muskogee had been a 1969 hit.

In 1978, Daniels’ Devil Went Down To Georgia was an even bigger hit, mixing a rock beat with an old time fiddle in a timeless story of dueling with the devil. Charlie worked the southern rock scene for many years, but always as a fiercely independent artist who went his own way. As pop and country formats moved away from his signature sound, he formed his own label, Blue Hat Records, and has released new projects annually, without regard for radio play.

In 2005, Charlie released his first bluegrass CD, Songs From The Longleaf Pines, featuring Earl Scruggs, The Del McCoury Band, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs and Chris Thile. Since then, two other releases have featured substantial bluegrass content, while it is also included in his live show.

For the end of 2009, Daniels has a new CD/DVD project with a bluegrass Christmass theme. Joy To The World – A Bluegrass Christmas has an audio CD with 12 new studio tracks and a DVD with 10 live performances of the songs from the CD. The Grascals join Charlie for Christmas Time’s A Comin’, Dan Tyminski is on hand for The Christmas Song, and Kathy Mattea for O Come All Ye Faithful – on both discs.

Other guests include Aaron Tippin, Jewel, and Suzanne and Evelyn Cox.

Audio samples can be heard in iTunes, and the CD/DVD set is available from the Charlie Daniels web site and wherever recorded music is sold online.

Koch Records has announced the release yesterday (11/11), of Charlie Daniels And Friends Live From Nashville concert video.

The DVD, Preachin’, Prayin’, Singin’,  features the likes of Mac Wiseman, Earl, Gary and Randy Scruggs, Del, Ronnie and Rob McCoury as well as Sharon, Cheryl and Buck White as guests. It features songs from Daniels’ Grammy nominated bluegrass gospel release, Songs From The Longleaf Pines, sung at a 2005 concert in the Ford Theater, at The Country Music Hall of Fame And Museum.

Most of the songs are Gospel ones, the exceptions are Salty Dog Blues, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning and Uncle Pen. However, the set is kicked off with a rendition of Walking In Jerusalem, with Mac Wiseman assisting Daniels and The Whites providing background vocals.

The atmosphere in the auditorium is very relaxed and informal, to such an extent that the audience is soon clapping along to the music, as on I’ve Found A Hiding Place.  I’m Working On A Building and The Old Crossroads are given a heavy blues treatment with Daniels’ raspy voice bringing an additional edge to both of those songs.  Contrastingly, The Old Account and What Would You Give are low-key duets with Mac Wiseman.

For a break from the performances Daniels is shown with US troops in Iraq from where he had just returned and he offers a prayer to all the US forces wherever they may be.

Mid set the Scruggs family ‚Äì Earl, Randy and Gary ‚Äì join Daniels, initially for Salty Dog Blues, although they stay around for the remainder of the show.  Salty Dog Blues and the closing number, an instrumental version of I’ll Fly Away allowed for extended instrumental breaks such as banjo and guitar breaks from Earl and Gary Scruggs, respectively. (more…)

The holliday season is upon us once again and it’s time for a new bluegrass Christmas CD. Christmas Grass Vol. 3 is great addition to the iTunes collection. I personally enjoy Christmas music very much, especially when it’s this well done.

The subtitle for the CD is Featuring 3 Fox Drive and Friends. That should give you a clue as to the quality of singing on this recording. Astral is the only word I can come up with that comes close. Kim, Barb, and Joel Fox provide the harmonies all through the CD, and they are certainly out of this world. The Fox family members (3 Fox Drive) also handle lead vocal duties on good number of tunes, including O Holy Night, White Christmas, and others. Their version of O Holy Night is easily one of the best I’ve ever heard.

The instrumental performances on this recording are fantastic. Tasteful, mature playing is exhibited throughout by such illuminaries as Darrin Vincent, Byron House, Bryan Sutton, Cody Kilby, Adam Steffey, Aubrey Haynie, Joe CaverLee, Rob Ickes, Joel Fox and Eric Darken.

In addition to the instrumental guests, the singing of the Fox Family is augmented by a few noteworthy guest vocalists as well. (more…)

Charlie Daniels got his start on pop radio in 1973 with Uneasy Rider, a tongue-in-cheek story of a long-haired country boy on a cross country trip who ran into some trouble in a Mississippi tavern. It was delivered in a talking blues style, and served as a stylistic predecessor for his later mega-hit, Devil Went Down To Georgia.

Over the next 35 years Daniels has recorded southern rock, Gospel and even bluegrass, defying any attempts to pigeonhole his music.

His newest release, Deuces, due October 9, is a set of vocal duets with some of the biggest names in country, bluegrass and pop music. Charlie sings with Dolly Parton, Del McCoury, Brooks & Dunn and Marty Stuart – and even does one with Earl, Gary and Randy Scruggs.

Deuces will be released on Charlie’s Blue Hat Records, and distributed by Koch.