CMT News

Country releases are led this week by Trace Adkins' latest and by a solo outing from Nickel Creek's bright young star. The Charlie Daniels Band go Live and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver present a Gospel Parade.

Adkins' Chrome (Capitol) includes his current single, "I'm Tryin'," which was at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for Oct. 13. Dann Huff and Trey Bruce produced the album.

Young mandolin wizard Chris Thile steps outside his Nickel Creek group to release a solo album, Not All Who Wander Are Lost (Sugarhill), named after a J.R.R. Tolkien quotation in The Fellowship of the Ring. Thile, who last week was named mandolin player of the year at the IBMA bluegrass awards show in Louisville, Ky., surrounds himself with blue chip pickers here, from banjoist Bela Fleck to Dobro player Jerry Douglas to bassist Edgar Meyer.

The Charlie Daniels Band: The Live Record (Audium) includes 15 of the CDB's fan favorites over the years. Besides such predictable cuts as "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "Long Haired Country Boy" and "Road Dogs," Live includes an update of Daniels' patriotic number "In America." Singer Jimmy Hall makes a guest appearance on "The South's Gonna Do It (Again)."

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver were named IBMA vocal group of the year last week at the bluegrass awards, dethroning IIIrd Tyme Out, who had held the title for seven straight years. Lawson & Quicksilver's new release Gospel Parade (Sugarhill) includes 12 gospel songs featuring the group's tight four-part harmonies.

Also out this week is Christmas Time in Texas (Audium) by Dale Watson. In addition to such traditional fare as "Silver Bells" and "The Christmas Song," the album includes such Watson originals as "Santa and My Semi," "Christmas Without an Angel" and "Honky Tonk Christmas."

Dyed-in-the wool western music group Wylie & the Wild West release Paradise (Rounder) this week. Songs include "Saddlebum," "Swinging on a Star," "Hooked on Honky Tonk" and "The Gal Who Invented Kissin'."