Alan Jackson to Release Bluegrass Album

Alan Jackson has completed his first bluegrass album. The country music superstar will release the aptly-titled 'The Bluegrass Album' later this year via his self-owned ACR label, via a distribution deal with EMI Nashville.

According to Bluegrass Today, Jackson assembled some of the top bluegrass players in Nashville at the Castle recording studio in April to cut the album. Banjo player Sammy Shelor says they tracked most of the all-acoustic album in five sessions over two days. The band sat in a circle for the recording, and Jackson and his backing singers tracked the vocals live with the players.

Jackson wrote eight of the album's 11 songs, rounded out by covers of the Dillards’ 'There Is a Time,' John Anderson’s 'Wild and Blue,' and a slow arrangement of 'Blue Moon of Kentucky' in 3/4 time.

There are tentative plans for Jackson to promote the new project with select television and live appearances around the release date. Though no dates have been announced, Bluegrass Today reports it is likely that further touring will follow, with Jackson and the band from the album hitting a number of top bluegrass festivals in 2014.