CJ THE DJ AND KENTUCKY RAIN .
  • SHES NOT HERE
  • HOLE IN MY HEART
  • TAKE ME HOME LORD
  • OH KENTUCKY
  • DUTY NOT DESIRE
  • ALL OF THIS
  • ALL THESE YEARS
  • 1000 MILES FROM HOME
  • YOUR SMILE
  • IVE WATCHED YOU
  • KENTUCKY MEMORIES
  • MY PRECIOUS ANGEL
  • THE SAME AGAIN ONCE MORE
  • EAST KENTUCKY RAIN
  • HOME JUST AINT HOME ANYMORE
  • SHES NOT HERE
    Genre: Bluegrass
    MP3 (04:00) [9.15 MB]
  • HOLE IN MY HEART
    Genre: Bluegrass
    MP3 (02:22) [5.42 MB]
  • TAKE ME HOME LORD
    Genre: Southern Gospel
    MP3 (04:15) [9.72 MB]
  • OH KENTUCKY
    Genre: (Choose a Genre)
    MP3 (04:15) [9.73 MB]
  • DUTY NOT DESIRE
    Genre: (Choose a Genre)
    MP3 (03:47) [8.65 MB]
  • ALL OF THIS
    Genre: Bluegrass
    MP3 (03:49) [8.73 MB]
  • ALL THESE YEARS
    Genre: Country
    MP3 (04:18) [9.86 MB]
  • 1000 MILES FROM HOME
    Genre: (Choose a Genre)
    MP3 (04:37) [10.56 MB]
  • YOUR SMILE
    Genre: (Choose a Genre)
    MP3 (03:24) [7.77 MB]
  • IVE WATCHED YOU
    Genre: (Choose a Genre)
    MP3 (04:01) [9.18 MB]
  • KENTUCKY MEMORIES
    Genre: Country Americana
    MP3 (03:42) [8.46 MB]
  • MY PRECIOUS ANGEL
    Genre: Bluegrass
    MP3 (04:00) [9.15 MB]
  • THE SAME AGAIN ONCE MORE
    Genre: Bluegrass
    MP3 (02:29) [5.69 MB]
  • EAST KENTUCKY RAIN
    Genre: Bluegrass
    MP3 (02:29) [5.68 MB]
  • HOME JUST AINT HOME ANYMORE
    Genre: (Choose a Genre)
    MP3 (04:25) [10.1 MB]
Press

NEW CD REVIEW FROM BLUEGRASS TODAY

She’s Not Here – Songs Written by Dale McKinney
Posted on March 13, 2019 by John Lawless

Have you ever been listening to a radio host, with the rich, resonant voice common to that market, and wondered whether they wouldn’t be a good singer as well?

That’s the story of Carl Jarrell, Jr, who goes by the catchy nickname CJ the DJ. He hosts the Melvin Goins Bluegrass Show each week on WMDJ radio in Martin, KY. He and Melvin once co-hosted, and CJ keeps it going in his honor.

He loves to share the story of how he got his nickname, since it was given to him by fellow Kentuckian, Loretta Lynn. Jarrell was good friends with Loretta’s brother Herman, and one day the two of them headed out to see her at one of her shows. When Herman brought Carl to meet his sister, he said, Loretta, this is CJ. He’s a DJ.” She looked up with a smile and said, “CJ the DJ!” The name has stuck ever since.

That deep radio voice does, indeed, make Carl a fine bluegrass and acoustic country singer, which shows on his latest recording, She’s Not Here – Songs Written by Dale McKinney. All of the record’s 10 tracks were written by McKinney, who is the station owner of WMDJ. He loves bluegrass music, and though he doesn’t play or sing, he likes to write songs. So CJ grabbed two of his Floyd County, KY bluegrass buddies, Tommy Webb and Mike Bentley, to make this record of Dale’s songs.

Tommy and Mike are both well known to bluegrass audiences, both in Kentucky and around the world. Webb leads his own band, and Bentley has a history with Cumberland Gap Connection and now Alan Bibey & Grasstowne. Both they, and CJ, bring Kentucky bluegrass soul to the songs assembled here on this album. And the stark variety of their voices breaks up any sameness that might come from a full set by a single writer.

CJ takes three songs, the first single, She’s Not Here, a painful story about watching a loved one suffer from dementia, Take Me Home Lord, a Gospel ballad, and Hole In My Heart, a bluesy, bluegrass “go to hell” song of lost love.

Webb’s contribution is on Duty Not Desire, a two step, country-sounding number which is well-suited to Tommy’s higher pitched voice. It likewise is a sad song about a man who realizes his wife only cares for him out of a sense of duty.

Bentley actually has the bulk of the tracks on here. All Of This is a solid, mid-tempo grasser of the sort that was popular in the ’90s, while 1000 Miles From Home takes an acoustic country vibe to the familiar tale of one who has wanders from home, only to regret missing all that he’s left behind. His agile voice really shows off on Your Smile, with its contemporary bluegrass sound, and Oh Kentucky, a paean to the bluegrass state.

With such a mix of fine singers, supported by top pickers throughout, She’s Not Here offers a great deal to any lover of traditional and contemporary bluegrass.

About the Author
John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.
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BLUEGRASS REVIEW
BORN IN THE MOUNTIANS OF KENTUCKY, TO A COAL MINING FAMILY,THE SON OF A COAL MINER.WITH A LOVE FOR MUSIC AT A VERY YOUNG AGE OF 4,BEGAN SINGING IN CHURCH AT AGE 5.RECORDED HIS FIRST RECORD AT THE AGE OF 12,APPEARED ON CBS AT AGE 8 SINGING BLUEGRASS-GOSPEL MUSIC,HIS INTREST IN MUSIC GOT HIM A JOB IN COUNTRY RADIO AS "CJ THE DJ" IN 1989 IN PRESTONSBURG,KY AT WPRT RADIO THEN FROM THERE TO WMDJ 100.1FM, WHILE WORKING IN RADIO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE FORMED HIS OWN COUNTRY BAND "OPEN ROAD"TOURING KENTUCKY,OHIO,INDIANA,AND TENNESSEE.OPENING SHOWS FOR AAron TIPPON,MARK CHESNUT,HANK WILLIAMS 111,T.GRAM BROWN,AND MANY MORE.THEN ANOTHER MOVE CAME IN THE EARLY 1990S TO THE MICHIGAN AREA WHERE HE WORKED IN RADIO FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS BEFORE A MOVE BACK HOME TO KENTUCKY,AND LANDED A JOB IN PAINTSVILLE,KY AT WSIP 98.9FM DURING HIS CARRER HE HAS INTRODUCED MANY COUNTRY MUSIC STARS TO THE STAGE, FROM GEORGE JONES TO MERLE HAGGARD TO LORETTA LYNN TO DWIGHT YOAKAM AND THE LIST GOES ON TO ABOUT 120 ARTIST.IN 2006,HEIDI NEWFIELD OF THE THE COUNTRY GROUP"TRICK PONY" SAID THAT CJ HAD THE BEST VOICE IN COUNTRY RADIO,CARL BECAME A KENTUCKY COLONEL IN 2003 WHILE PAUL E PATTON WAS GOVERNOR OF KY.IN 2005 CARL RECORDED A SONG WITH BLUEGRASS
LEGEND CLYDE BOWLING AND THE SOUTHERN BLUEGRASS BOYS CALLED
LONESOME OLD HOME WHICH DID REALLY WELL ON BLUEGRASS RADIO
GETTING GREAT REVIEWS FROM THE BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED MAG.CARL HAS PERFORMED WITH RALPH STANLEY,MELVIN GOINS,DAVE EVANS,DOYLE LAWSON,THE OSBORNE BROTHERS,JESSIE MCREYNOLDS,CHARLIE LOUVIN,LARRY SPARKS
AND MANY MORE.

11
  • Members:
    THE TOMMY WEBB BAND AND MIKE BENTLEY
  • Sounds Like:
    CARTER STANLEY,KEITH WHITLEY,MERLE HAGGARD
  • Influences:
    ralph stanley,vern gosdin,carter stanley,merle haggard,george jones,keith whitley
  • AirPlay Direct Member Since:
    10/09/18
  • Profile Last Updated:
    08/14/23 19:11:03

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