![]() Of course, Vince paid special attention to Bill Monroe when he gave the audience the first thrill of the night, as his soaring tenor rang out to the rafters on Blue Moon of Kentucky, and the recently-departed Scruggs would not be forgotten when Mills sparkled on Earl’s Breakdown. The program paid wide homage to a range of the bluegrass masters, featuring everything from How Mountain Girls Can Love from The Stanley Brothers, My Walking Shoes Don’t Fit Me Anymore by Jimmy Martin, and Big Spiked Hammer by The Osborne Brothers, as well as perennial favorites like Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms. “One of the reasons I love bluegrass is because it’s cool to sing high.” Crouch set the foundation while Jim Mills played a ferocious banjo in the rolling style of Earl Scruggs, and Stuart Duncan got the first standing ovation of the night when he blazed through an electrifying rendition of “Lee Highway Blues.” “Just think what you have to do to sing higher than me,” Gill deadpanned of White to the crowd. Jeff White proved he could match and even surpass Vince’s high tones on then tenor harmonies. The democracy of bluegrass picking was demonstrated in full force throughout the show. ![]() You support the other ones, you get your turn, and you sing together, you sing with each other, and it’s great.” It’s a real democratic, in the purest form, way of doing things. Of this particular lineup and playing bluegrass in general, Vince told us that “ is music that’s real conducive to everybody getting a chance to play. Joining Vince in the band were Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Jim Mills on banjo, Dennis Crouch on bass and Jeff White on guitar. When it came to playing the music, though, it was time for some serious skill and heart. The jokes and stories did, though from the start, Gill charmed and regaled the crowd with tales of everything from getting older (although he’s a mere 55) and qualifying for the “senior” selections on hotel room service menus, to memories of his late father’s parenting style (“I just wish my dad would have been around to hear about giving your kid ‘time out!’”). Since he played mandolin for the bulk of the performance, however, the guitar didn’t make it to the stage. At one point, Vince was picking around on a gorgeous black Gibson L-5 guitar, the same model that Mother Maybelle Carter used to play. Gill and Company were relaxed and feeling good before the night’s performance, and could be found backstage chatting good-naturedly with visitors and telling jokes. Last night, June 21, the tour stopped at the very hall that gave bluegrass life, the hallowed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, for the first show in the theater’s annual summer Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman series. This summer, Vince again decided to scratch his bluegrass itch by putting a band together and taking the music on the road, making a short 12-city run that began on June 13 in Richmond and will close on the 30th in Wabash, Indiana. He never abandoned bluegrass entirely, however, often recording bluegrass numbers to include on his country albums, making appearances with bluegrass artists, showing up at bluegrass events, and generally continuing to sing the genre’s praises. With that kind of training and encouragement, it’s no wonder that bluegrass stayed close to Vince’s heart, even as he earned international success in country music. ![]() Calling Wise “the sweetest man, always had a smile on his face,” Vince told us a couple of weeks ago when we spoke with him that Chubby often used the young band when they played local festivals back in the early ‘70’s. He has spent 35 years spreading those talents across a number of genres, including the pop of the ‘70’s, the country of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s and even a little rock here and there.īut as a young kid back in Oklahoma, the bluegrass band Vince cut his teeth with occasionally had the thrill of backing the great Chubby Wise when he came through town, which cemented the love he already had growing for the music. Vince Gill is what we often call a “triple threat” in the industry, one of those blessed souls gifted with the muses of singing, songwriting and jaw-dropping musicianship. This review is a contribution from Shannon Turner, who we hope will be a regular contributor.
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