Preshias Harris has the latest from Nashville’s Music Row. Sara Evans is back with new music. Americana artist Jason Isbell releases new tracks, too. Also, Charlie Daniels is in the news.
Difficult times breed ingenuity – and some great video! The Beau Weevils, comprised of Charlie Daniels, James Stroud, Billy Crain and Charlie Hayward, have called upon their famous friends, and a few fans, for a virtual quarantine jam session of their song “Geechi Geechi Ya Ya Blues.” The tune was originally released on the group’s 2018 project, Beau Weevils — Songs in the Key of E.
Asking their pals to record themselves singing the bluesy track, the Beau Weevils were able to stay “safer at home” and created a cameo-filled music video straight out of the swampy bayou. Guest appearances include ALABAMA’s Randy Owen, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ray Stevens, Larry Gatlin, Crystal Gayle, Rhonda Vincent, Lorrie Morgan, Collin Raye, TG Sheppard and T. Graham Brown.
“I still marvel at my son, Charlie Jr., for being able to take all these people, who were in totally different places, record them remotely and put the whole thing together for such a fun video,” says Daniels. “I’m just an analog guy living in a digital world. Thanks to all my friends for helping out.”
It’s a really fun video! Find the Quarantine Edition Official video of “Geechi Geechi Ya Ya Blues.” At YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Or7UIOCupw&feature=youtu.be
Despite the current problems, new music IS coming out. Kip Moore’s latest album Wild World was released on Friday. Kip has made a documentary about the weeks leading up to the release of his new album. The documentary, titled 7 Days At The Rock, shows Moore in self isolation at his rock-climbing facility, named Bedrock, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky. In the documentary, Moore plays music and reflects on how the current pandemic affected him and the recording of his In The Wild Sessions acoustic series. Moore is set to join Sam Hunt on the Southside Summer Tour, when touring resumes. Tour dates and details about various Wild World packages at http://www.kipmoore.net/
There’s an acoustic version of “Fire And Flame,” a track from the album, now posted at YouTube.
More new music. Copy That, the first solo studio album in three years from multi-platinum star Sara Evans, opened at #1 on the iTunes Country Chart. Co-produced by Sara and Jarrad K and released on her own Born To Fly Records, the 13-song collection spans six decades. Featuring collaborations with Old Crow Medicine Show and Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet, Copy That showcases Evans’ creative take on some of the most iconic songs in country and pop music, songs that have inspired her life and career, as well as shines a spotlight on some little-known gems. Sara pays tribute to her early days fronting her family band.
Evans has been passing the time every Monday and Thursday with her wildly popular “Closet Chaos” Instagram Live series that she has been doing alongside daughter Oliva Barker since April 2nd. Details at https://www.saraevans.com/
Jason Isbell and his band the 400 Unit’s new album, Reunions, was released a week earlier than scheduled and debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Vinyl Albums and Tastemakers charts. (The Tastemaker chart ranks bestselling albums at indie and small-chain retailers.) Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, Reunions features 10 new songs written by Isbell and is already receiving overwhelming attention.
Of the release, Isbell shares, “There are a lot of ghosts on this album. Sometimes the songs are about the ghosts of people who aren’t around anymore, but they’re also about who I used to be, the ghost of myself. I found myself writing songs that I wanted to write fifteen years ago, but in those days, I hadn’t written enough songs to know how to do it yet. In that sense it’s a reunion with the me I was back then.” More details at https://www.jasonisbell.com/
Kolt Barber is the real deal: a cowboy and rodeo star. He has announced the launch of the 2020 American Cowboy Showdown to take rodeo action and LIVE country music entertainment on the road. Combining his heartfelt passions of music and ranching, the American Cowboy Showdown has 10 events contracted to date (and more being secured throughout the remainder of the year). The Southeast leg of the tour is set to launch on Saturday, June 13, 2020 in Shelbyville, Tenn. “We were scheduled to launch in April; being sensitive to COVID-19 and the necessity for ‘safe distancing,’ we postponed,” Barber said. More about Kolt Barber and American Cowboy Showdown tour dates at https://www.koltbarber.com/
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“I Know Country” Q&A from www.IKnowCountry.com
QUESTION: The video for the song “You and Tequila” debuted on CMT on June 3, 2011 for which male artist?
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Like many events, the 2020 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon, has been rescheduled for November 21, 2020. All registered participants of the 2020 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon will be receiving an email with further information. For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, visit www.RunRocknRoll.com.
A couple weeks ago, we talked about Keith Urban playing for health workers from Vanderbilt Hospital at a Nashville-area drive-in theater, so the audience members were safely isolated in their cars. That’s an idea that’s catching on. If you’re in Texas, check out the Concert In Your Car series of shows with acts performing June 4-7 in the parking lot outside Arlington, Texas’ Globe Life Field. Full Schedule:
June 4 – Eli Young Band
June 5 – Whiskey Myers
June 6 – Pat Green
June 7 – Josh Abbott Band and Kevin Fowler
Tickets and details at https://www.mlb.com/rangers/tickets/events/concert-in-your-car
During the Covid-19 restrictions on love shows in venues, there are some cool live streaming and video shows from your favorite new artists and country stars. From Garth Brooks to Steve Wariner, they are Great GREAT shows!
Steve Wariner – Wariner Wednesdays
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSteveWariner/videos/681382625742580/
Charlie Daniels & Friends for a virtual quarantine jam session of “Geechi Geechi Ya Ya Blues.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Or7UIOCupw&feature=youtu.be
Joe Nichols’s Merle Mondays
https://www.facebook.com/JoeNichols/videos/264289734817644/
The Justin Moore Podcast
https://justinmoore.lnk.to/PodcastPR
Niko and Anna Moon, Stir Crazy Series
https://www.facebook.com/nikomoonmusic/
Garth Brooks – Come together right now for #StudioG!!
https://www.facebook.com/GarthBrooks/
Trisha Yearwood, T’s Coffee Talk on Saturdays
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TrishaYearwood/videos/
Cole Swindell – ‘Single Saturday Night’
https://www.facebook.com/coleswindellmusic/videos/284297265949521/
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“I Know Country” Q&A ANSWER: That would be Mr. Beach Party himself, Kenny Chesney. The video also included indie rocker Grace Potter
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On this day in Country Music
June 3, 1969 Glen Campbell was at No. 1 on the Billboard country album charts with Galveston. The title track, by Jimmy Webb, is about a soldier thinking of the woman he loves back in his hometown.
June 3, 1972 The Opryland USA theme park opened in Nashville. It later changed its name to Opryland USA. It was later closed and replaced with a shopping mall named Opry Mills, sometimes referred to as Shopryland.
This week’s Country Music Birthdays
May 30 Wynonna Judd, 1964
May 31 Johnny Paycheck, 1938 (Died 2003)
June 1 Ronnie Dunn (Brooks & Dunn), 1953
Preshias Harris is the author of “I Know Country” with 366 daily country music questions and answers. You can buy and instantly download your e-book copy at www.IKnowCountry.com.
Harris is also a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Visit www.collegeofsongology.com for more details. Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com
