Recasting himself in the role of a country crooner, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Van Morrison [ tickets ] has scheduled a few U.S. dates in March to showcase his upcoming country CD, "Pay the Devil."

Morrison will take a break from a longer European tour to hit five U.S. cities, starting with a March 3 show in San Francisco. The mini-tour fittingly includes a March 7 stop in Nashville. the day after the album hits stores. The brief slate also includes appearances in Los Angeles, Dallas and Boston.

Morrison's complete European itinerary can be found at his website.

"Pay the Devil" will include 12 covers of country classics, among them Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Things Have Gone to Pieces," originally performed by George Jones. The set--the follow-up to 2005's "Magic Time"--will also include three original compositions.

Morrison became a solo star in the late '60s and early '70s; his best-known albums include "Astral Weeks," "Moondance" and "Tupelo Honey." Now 58 years old, he remains a prolific artist, and can still generally be counted on to issue a new album every year.

A native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.