An unearthed live recording from the first Charlie Daniels’ Volunteer Jam hits virtual record store shelves this summer.
Called “Charlie Daniels & Friends: Volunteer Jam 1 – 1974 – The Legend Begins,” the album takes listeners to the inaugural Jam at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville for renditions of famed Daniels songs “Long Haired Country Boy,” “Uneasy Rider” and more.
The album drops Aug. 26 via Blue Hat Records and BFD / Audium Nashville.
‘The Legend Begins’ tracklist
- 1. Tennessee Waltz
- 2. Whiskey
- 3. Way Down Yonder
- 4. Long Haired Country Boy
- 5. New York City, King Size Rosewood Bed
- 6. Caballo Diablo
- 7. Jambalaya
- 8. Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)
- 9. No Place To Go
- 10. The South’s Gonna Do It (Again)
- 11. Orange Blossom Special
- 12. Don’t You Lie to Me
The album features a cast of musicians joining the Charlie Daniels Band on stage, including late Marshall Tucker Band guitarist Toy Caldwell and former drummer Paul Riddle, plus Allman Brothers founder Dickey Betts.
“The Volunteer Jam was a magical evening,” said David Corlew, longtime Daniels manager and Blue Hat Records president. “There was no other event like it. There has never been and will never be.”
Behind Daniels, the Jam became a staple Tennessee concert for rock, country and blues artists. He invited Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Little Richard, James Brown, Roy Acuff, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alabama and more to join in past shows. The jam produced a handful of previously-released live albums for Daniels in the 1970s and ’80s.
A Country Music Hall of Famer, Daniels died in 2020 at age 83. His family and friends hosted a posthumous Jam last summer at Bridgestone Arena. The lineup included Alabama, Keb’ Mo’, Chris Young and more.
