If we had a penny for every actor claiming that he had a song in his heart that just had to be shared, we could retire early. But every once in a while, an actor with genuine musical talent comes along --- the trick is then finding a forum that allows the artist to showcase himself in a credible scenario. For Wally Kurth, better konwn to daytime television audiences as Ned Ashton on ABC-TV's "General Hospital," joining a band and building a grass-roots following was the answer.

The past few years have seen the actor work as the lead singer of Kurth & Taylor, a partnership with musician/tunesmith Christian Taylor that has resulted in four strong homemade discs and several successful tours of the U.S. Their latest set, "Freedom", is the act's most fully realized creative effort, with its appealing blend of earthy, country kissed rock.

"It's our greatest musical statement to date," Taylor says with confidence. "We've come full circle to make this album strictly from our hearts with no industry influence or regard."

That said, much of the set's material has the kind of infectious nature that adult-pop and country formats require. The title cut and "Let It Go" swagger with the kind of barroom funk'n'twang that has fueled acts like Brooks & Dunn, while "Barefoot Ballet" is a sweet, acoustic rooted ballad warmly reminiscent of Clint Black's output. Taylor wrote much of the album with Debi Cochran, while Kurth's songwriting skills can be heard on the tunes "Man On Fire" and the 12-minute epic "The Journey."

In addition to showcasing Kurth & Taylor, "Freedom" is also the musical foundation for an independent film that Kurth has written, "Man On Fire." Many of the album's songs will be featured in the Evolution Pictures project, which is currently in pre-production.

At the moment, the act -- which also features drummer Jim Bloodgood, guitarist Pat McCormack, and bassist Lee Beverly -- is playing a series of gigs in support of the album. They're also using the shows to generate money for the Kurth & Taylor Foundation, which distributes funds to organizations around the US, including the Mother-Child HIV Program and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Endowment. To date, they've raised nearly $250,000.

Although they would welcome a major-label deal, they're happily chugging along on their own fuel. "We're making music from the heart, and people are responding," says Taylor. "You can't beat that."