Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road are proud to announce the official release date, track listing, and artwork for their forthcoming album Country Grass, due out June 9thon Pinecastle Records. The bluegrass chart-toppers have teamed with some of the biggest country artists of all-time, including Crystal Gayle, Lee Greenwood, Jim Ed Brown, Lynn Anderson, The Kentucky Headhunters, T.G. Sheppard, Eddy Raven, and John Conlee, to give country classics a new, unique, bluegrass twist. In addition, joining the impressive line-up is country singers Kelly Lang and Jesse Keith Whitley, along with bluegrass favorites Marty Raybon and Ronnie Reno.
Country Grass is fueled by the first single, “Runnin’ Water,” which features Grammy-award winning band, The Kentucky Headhunters. The single has been met with high critical acclaim. The Boot says “while Jordan’s band and their distinct sound already turn heads, combining with the Kentucky Headhunters brings a rich new feel to the catchy tune.”
“Working on the Country Grass project was a great experience for me, and I was so thankful to have been given the opportunity to record with so many great country legends,” said a humble Lorraine Jordan. “Most of these artists helped shape my traditional roots early in my career. Combining bluegrass with the country classic artists on vocals invites a whole new fan base into my world of music. I am proud to be a part of a new transition, which we call Country Grass.”
Listeners will be taken on an emotional journey, with songs that hit the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, combined with special guests, will deliver tunes that will have fans singing along for days. Those included in this special collection are the #1 Billboard hits “Ready For The Times to Get Better,” “Common Man,” “Dixie Road,” “Diggin’ Up Bones,” “I Got Mexico,” “Do You Want To Go To Heaven,” “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” and “Rose Garden.” In addition to recording individual tracks with Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, another highlight on the album is “Boogie Grass Band., which was originally released by Conway Twitty in 1978, but was re-arranged by Lorraine Jordan and Bluegrass singer/songwriter Ronnie Reno, who is the host of Reno’s Old Time Music, airing on RFD-TV. Listen closely, because this track is full of country music legends, all lend their vocals on this upbeat anthem.
Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road’s self-titled album on Pinecastle Records was a major success for the band. The single, “That’s Kentucky,” was number one multiple times on Bluegrass Today’s weekly and monthly airplay charts. The band also came up big with awards from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) winning Song of the Year for “That’s Kentucky”, Lorraine Jordan took home Female Vocalist of the year (Traditional), and Ben Greene won Banjo Performer of the Year. The album is full of traditional bluegrass music, just the way fans of Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road like it. Tommy Long’s traditional baritone vocals and guitar picking are back in the new release as well as Josh Goforth on the fiddle, Ben Green on the banjo, and bandleader Lorraine Jordan on mandolin and tenor vocals.
Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road’s distinct sound and old-time flair can be attributed to the bluegrass-rich area of North Carolina from which they hail and borrow their name. Band-leader Lorraine Jordan’s showmanship and chemistry with the audience make the group a perennial favorite among bluegrass fans at festivals and concerts across the country. Lorraine has fronted Carolina Road for over a decade and has seven national recordings to her credit. The band has earned a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in bluegrass, averaging 60 bluegrass festivals in the U.S. and Canada annually along with headlining the Bluegrass Cruise and hosting the Canadian Bluegrass Awards. Carolina Road’s performance is a hard driving traditional sound with invigorating instrumentals, smooth blending vocals, and all the energy that you can stand.