When we posted last week about the birth of Aaron McDaris’ daughter, Katie, we said we would post a photo when we could get one. And here she is.

Aaron is the new banjo player with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and you can see several more pictures of Katie with her big brother Ethan on Rhonda’s message board.

Aaron McDaris, the incoming banjo player with Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, has something else to celebrate this Christmas season.

He and his wife, Amy, welcomed their second child, Katie Leann, on December 8. She was born at 3:46 (EST) and weighed in at 7 pounds 4 ounces, and 19.5 inches long.

We’ll post a photo as soon as we can get one.

Congratulations to the happy McDaris family from The Bluegrass Blog!

As has been widely speculated this past few weeks, Rhonda Vincent has confirmed that Aaron McDaris is her new banjo player, and that Ben Helson is taking the guitar spot. Both take the job effective today (11/24).

McDaris had been performing as a member of The Grascals and Helson leaves Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder to join up with Rhonda. Both young men have been bluegrass performers since they were in their teens and bring many years of professional experience to the band.

The Vincent announcement indicates that this latest version of The Rage has already been at work with her in the studio, and that her next project will for the first time be recorded wholly by her touring band, with no special guests.

They join other current members Mickey Harris on bass, Hunter Berry on fiddle and, of course, Rhonda Vincent on mandolin and lead vocals.

Rhonda and her new team will spend more time in the studio this next few weeks, before hitting the road again in January ‘09.

As always seems to happen this time of year, a number of top bluegrass bands are making personnel changes.

Aaron McDaris is leaving The Grascals, and Kristin Scott Benson will be leaving Larry Stephenson’s band to accept the job. She will start with The Grascals in two weeks.

The guys are stoked to have Kristin on board…

“The Grascals are VERY PLEASED that the 2008 IBMA Banjo Player of Year, Kristin Scott Benson, will be their new banjo player!  This is a very exciting time and the guys are truly thrilled that Kristin will be the newest Grascal.”