Darren Beachley has written in to give us an update concerning the production of the second Country Gentlemen Tribute CD from Bill Yates. Darren and Bill are co-producing this new recording.

The first CD was released in December of 2006. We first brought you news of volume 2 in December of 2007. Darren tells me a December 2008 release is planned for this second tribute CD.

Work is about 75 percent finished. Songs include “Traveling Kind”, “Dark As A Dungeon”, “Joe’s Last Train”, “Darbys Castle” and “Willow Creek Dam”. The lineup includes Bill Yates, Darren Beachley (DL&Q), Mike Phipps, Dave Propst, Kevin Church (former country gent) and Mark Clifton.

Yates and company are currently putting together their tour schedule for early next year in support of this new recording.

You can find their tour schedule on their myspace page.

We just got a note from Darren Beachley of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver letting us know that he will start work soon co-producing a second CD from Bill Yates, A Tribute to The Country Gentlemen Vol. 2.

Darren will be producing along with Yates as executive producer on this second set of re-recordings of classic Gentlemen cuts from their hey day. Tracking is scheduled to begin in January.

Bill will contribute vocals, Darren and Mike Phipps will be on guitar and vocals, Dave Propst on mandolin and vocals, Dave Macglashen on bass, and in the sole change from Yates’ previous tribute CD, Rick Alred will be on banjo.

Darren says that they are all pleased to have Rick, another Gentlemen alum, with them in the studio.

“Scott Walker had just recently let Bill know that he wouldn’t be able to continue, so we called Rick and he took the gig. I am excited to have him coming in on this recording He has a great set of ears and is a real pro in the studio plus, having been with Country Gentlemen, he knows what that sound is all about.”

Bill has many loyal fans from his 20 years as a member of The Country Gentlemen, and they will surely greet this next CD with enthusiasm. Audio samples from the first tribute project can be found on MySpace.

Bluegrass fans immediately recognize the name Bill Yates for his many years as a member of The Country Gentlemen. Bill played bass and sang harmony with the band through several line up changes, staying with Charlie Waller for 20 years, starting in 1969.

In early December, Mastershield Records will release a new CD from Bill, entitled The Country Gentlemen Tribute. Bill is assisted on this project by the The Shenandoah Blue Band, whose members include Keith Waddell on guitar, Kevin Mallow on fiddle, Dave MacGlashan on bass, David Propst on mandolin, and Scott Walker on banjo.

Yates sings both lead and harmony vocals on the new CD, with additional lead vocals provided by Darren Beachley (of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver), Mike Phipps (of Eastern Tradition) and Shenandoah Blue’s David Propst.

It contains 12 songs which Bill had previously recorded as a supporting member of The Gentlemen, including Little Bessie, Redwood Hill, The Secret of the Waterfall, Remembrance of You, Son of a Hickory Holler’s Tramp, I’ll break Out Again Tonight, Walking Down The Line, Heaven, and Two Little Boys.

There are no audio samples up yet on the Mastershield site, but they expect to have them by the time the CD is released next month.