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Volunteer Jam DVD: The Holy Grail of Southern Rock


If there’s one single most defining event in the history of Southern Rock, it has to be the Volunteer Jam, especially the original Jams back in 1974 and 1975 and beyond. I’ll never forget my sheer joy upon discovering a bonus record inside the sleeve of The Charlie Daniels Band’s Fire On The Mountain album. It was the size of a 45 rpm record, but if memory serves, it played at 33 1/3. It was a couple of tracks taken from the very first Volunteer Jam, with the CDB joined by members of The Marshall Tucker Band, Artimus Pyle and others. I thought it was the coolest thing I had seen or heard in quite some time.

Then in 1976, I heard that theaters would be  playing a film of the Volunteer Jam just before the new John Wayne movie. I was front and center at Pinewood Cinema in Spartanburg to witness this awesome motion picture. It was a full length movie of the 1975 jam, when The Charlie Daniels Band performed the second of their Legendary Volunteer Jams at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This annual event featured a number of special guests including The Marshall Tucker Band, Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell from the Allman Brothers Band, Jimmy Hall, Dru Lombar, Mylon LaFevere, Ronnie Stoneman and many others. I was absolutely blown away that night. All of this and the Duke to boot? It couldn’t get any better.

The other day my friend Dave Peck sent me a copy of the Volunteer Jam movie on DVD. Now, many of us have had bootleg copies for years, but this one is the real deal, issued by Eagle Vision. I had no idea it was out, but man oh man am I ever glad it is out. There’s even a bonus 2007 interview with Charlie Daniels regarding the history of the Volunteer Jam.

Watching the film again last night, I was reminded of just why I love Southern Rock so much. From The CDB (with their recently hired bassist Charlie Hayward and smoking guitarist Tommy Crain) playing a rocking set that includes “Whiskey,” “Birmingham Blues,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” “No Place to Go,” “Funky Junky,” “Texas,” and the anthem, “The South’s Gonna Do it Again” along with a smoldering “Orange Blossom Special,” to the all star jam at the end, it is a magical moment in country rock history.

Charlie brings out the entire Marshall Tucker Band, who rock through “24 Hours at a Time.” It is downright emotional seeing the late Tommy and Toy Caldwell again in their very prime. George McCorkle, Paul Riddle, Jerry Eubanks and Doug Gray are all at the top of their game. Amazing. Just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any better, they launch into B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone.” Doug Gray sings like a man possessed. A man whole sold his soul to the devil down at the crossroads. Jimmy Hall from Wet Willie blows harp and by the time they kick off “Jelly Blues,” the stage is filled with Chuck Leavell on piano, back to back with Taz from the CDB on B-3, Dickey Betts on guitar, the late Dru Lombar from Grinderswitch on guitar and many more.

Charlie introduces Dickey Betts who rocks out on Billy Joe Shaver’s “Sweet Mama,” with and all-star backup band, and they close it all out with some real, honest to God mountain music on “Mountain Dew,” featuring Ronnie Stoneman on banjo and more great guitar playing and fiddling. 


Wow. What an amazing jam. It took this one a while to make it to DVD, but it was worth the wait. You can read more about the DVD here. It’s the “holy grail” of Southern rock. And get this, Dave said he bought it at Wal-Mart for under ten bucks. Good stuff.



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