Dukes Of Dixieland & Oak Ridge Boys When Country Meets Dixie

  1. Country |
  2. New Orleans Jazz

Release Date: February 28, 2012
Label: Leisure Music Group

The idea for this rare encounter between two seemingly disparate musical forces evolved from a casual conversation between two old friends and colleagues. Television Producer/Band Manager John Shoup, who for the past 38 years has managed the New Orleans-based Dukes of Dixieland band, happened to pose this question to impresario and starmaker Jim Halsey, who has guided the careers of such illustrious personalities as Roy Clark, Waylon Jennings, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakum, The Judds, the Righteous Brothers and who has managed the Oak Ridge Boys since the mid '70s: 'Hey, what would happen if we ever merged country with Dixie?' Halsey's response: 'I don't know, let's try it.'

With legendary country music producer James Stroud at the helm, the Dukes and the Grammy Award-winning Oaks went into the studio, and history was indeed made. They recorded four songs together, including a wholly unique remake of the Oak Ridge Boys' platinum-selling hit single from 1981, 'Elvira,' with an irresistibly funky, N'awlins second line groove fueling the proceedings. The Oak Ridge Boys, who started out as a gospel quartet in their native Tennessee, contribute their distinctive four-part vocal harmonies to a freewheeling Dixie-fied rendition of 'Little Talk with Jesus' and a Professor Longhair-influenced rhumba-boogie interpretation of their 1982 hit single 'Bobbie Sue,' along with an authentic N'awlins street beat take on the gospel country tune 'Unclouded Day.'

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