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Now in his 70s, country music icon Charlie Daniels has invited some mighty impressive "friends" to join him on the bluegrass romp Joy to the World. I've followed the Charlie Daniels Band since my husband (then boyfriend) introduced me to the CDB in college many moons ago. This fine Southern/Western fiddler makes mighty fine country holiday treats with his friends!

Charlie's friends are a major part of the story. I expect bluegrass musicians such as Dan Tymninski, The Grascals, the Coxes (Evelyn & Suzanne), and Kathy Mattea to be in the stable; artists such as Jewel, however, brighten the mix with the unexpected. Jewel's Blue Christmas is sweetly soulful; her participation is fully in step. The Grascals set the stage right with their upbeat opening Christmas Time's A Comin'; Aaron Tippin's warm Christmas Time Down South conveys a homey touch; and Tyminski's The Christmas Song is a heartfelt gem. As for the CDB, the musicianship is mighty fine throughout, particularly on sparkling tracks such as Mississippi Christmas Eve and the outstanding title cut.

Interestingly, two selections (totaling almost 18 minutes) are narratives by Charlie Daniels himself. The first is The Christmas Story from the Book of Luke, and the second is Charlie's own creation, a (16+ minute) story about childhood holidays in North Carolina and Santa Claus. A Carolina Christmas Carol is a well-crafted tale, and Daniels' emotive, comfortable manner makes him a master orator. Even so, narratives do interrupt the natural flow of the excellent bluegrass stylings, limiting somewhat the replay value of the album.

This is bright, feel-good, celebratory music with a mellow flavor. Listening to Joy to the World is like inviting Charlie and his pals over to your home for a cheery round of songs and story-telling around the fireplace. Pull up a stool and enjoy!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

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From the liner notes:

Produced by Charlie Daniels & Casey Wood

Charlie Daniels' Friends:
The Grascals
Aaron Tippin
Jewel
Dan Tyminski
Kathy Mattea
Evelyn Cox
Suzanne Cox

From the Website:

The CDB:
Bruce Brown, Charlie Daniels, Chris Wormer
Taz DiGregorio, Charlie Hayward, Pat McDonald

"Few individuals have symbolized the South in popular culture as directly and indelibly as Charlie Daniels."
Encyclopedia of Southern Culture

Charlie Daniels is partly Western and partly Southern. His signature "bullrider" hat and belt buckle, his lifestyle on the Twin Pines Ranch (a boyhood dream come true), his love of horses, cowboy lore and the heroes of championship rodeo, Western movies, and Louis L'Amour novels, identify him as a Westerner. The son of a lumberjack and a Southerner by birth, his music - rock, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel - is
quintessentially Southern. In fact, even his bent for all things Western is Southern, because his attire, his lifestyle and his interests are historically emblematic of Southern working class solidarity with the "lone cowboy" individualism of the American West. It hasn't been so much a style of music, but more the values consistently reflected in several styles that has connected Charlie Daniels with millions of fans. For decades, he has steadfastly refused to label his music as anything other than "CDB music," music that is now sung around the fire at 4-H Club and scout camps, helped elect an American President, and been popularized on a variety of radio formats.

Like so many great American success stories, The Charlie Daniels saga begins in rural obscurity. Born in 1936 in Wilmington, North Carolina, he was raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands, and the rhythm & blues and country music emanating respectively from Nashville's 50,000-watt megabroadcasters WLAC and WSM.

Charlie Daniels & Friends

Joy to the World: A Bluegrass Christmas

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Track List