Gracie Muldoon, general manager and popular on-air host on WorldWideBluegrass.com, is really psyched about the interview segments of her Muldoon In The Afternoon program today (5/23).

The show runs from noon to 2:00 p.m. (EDT) and will feature a half hour discussion with Jamie Daley and Darrin Vincent, followed by a surprise special guest.

Gracie was cloyingly vague about what is scheduled after Dailey & Vincent…

“Both gentlemen will be on the phone. I’m really excited about it.

However - it doesn’t end there.

Let’s just say - after the D&V interview - we’re supposed to receive a phone in from a VERY BIG NAME - that rarely gives interviews! We won’t say who it is - that will speak to me for about 10 -15 minutes.. but lets suffice it to say - IT’s REALLY A BIG MUSIC HERO to a lot of folks - so if folks want to know who it is.. they have to tune in @ 1:30 pm eastern.”

Hmmmm…. who could it be?

“I will know my Saviour when I come to Him by the mark where the nails have been.”

Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent joined forces only very recently and memories of an earlier Gospel recording meant that the expectations of their peers was very high. The duo has launched their career on the back of a standing ovation at an IBMA showcase last October and bookings far in excess of 100 show dates. Along with a debut CD on a big bluegrass label (Dailey & Vincent), it seems that life could hardly get any better for them.

Any CD that features Dailey’s angelic voice cannot fail to succeed, but this eponymous release also possesses all the drive that Dailey and his partner Vincent have picked up from their days in the Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs schools of bluegrass and elsewhere. Dailey spent nine years singing lead with Doyle Lawson, while Vincent played guitar and sang harmony with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder for the last decade, so the time was right to lead a band of their own.

With Dailey (guitar and lead and harmony vocals) and Vincent (upright bass, guitar, mandolin and lead and harmony vocals) on this 12 track CD are band mates Jeff Parker (mandolin and harmony vocals) with Joe Dean (banjo and bass vocal), and guests Andy Leftwich (fiddle and mandolin), Bryan Sutton (guitar), Stuart Duncan (fiddle) and Cody Kilby (guitar).

The CD begins at a hot lick with Sweet Carrie, a driving old school traditional song written by A L Wood and given a modern treatment. Don’t You Call My Name is of a similar ilk - a great up-tempo number. Dailey sings lead on the former, while Vincent does so on the latter.

The tempo is slower for More Than A Name On A Wall, a tribute to a fallen soldier with familial remembrances of his past. The harmonies are heavenly, as they are throughout.

Other slower tempo songs are the superb River Of Time, penned by Robert Gateley - note how the trio hold the note at the end. This is just typical of the many times that one could commend the vocalists for this feature. Take Me Back (and Leave Me There) is notable for Dailey’s high, soulful vocals and the delightfully-blended triple mandolin harmony work from Parker. (more…)

Dailey & Vincent will be the guests on the next edition of Studio Special on XM Satellite Radio’s Bluegrass Junction. They join host Kyle Cantrell for an hour of live music recorded in the Nashville XM studio, plus discussion about their debut, self-titled CD release.

The show airs on Friday (3/7) at 8:00 a.m. on XM 14, with additional airings at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday (3/8), 6:00 p.m. on Sunday (3/9), 8:00 p.m. on Monday (3/10), midnight on Tuesday (3/11 - technically Wednesday 3/12), and 3:00 p.m. on Thursday (3/13). All times Eastern.

Kyle mentioned that he has some great guests lined up for this new season of Studio Special, with The Steeldrivers, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road and Blue Highway scheduled for the remainder of March. Other guests expected later this year include Bradley Walker, Grasstowne, Larry Stephenson Band, Balsam Range, The Gibson Brothers and Honi Deaton & Dream.

Rounder has just posted audio samples for all 12 tracks on the widely-anticipated and self-titled debut release from Dailey & Vincent. There are also four full length tracks from the CD available for online listening on the band’s MySpace page.

Check out the online audio and see if you agree with the highly favorable review Brance gave to this CD last week.

For the record… I agree wholeheartedly with Brance on this project. It strikes me as one of the best bluegrass recordings to come down the pike in many a year.

Look for it on January 29, 2008.

Bluegrass Ambassador Jamie Dailey, along with band mate Darrin Vincent, will be joining former Statler Brother Jimmy Fortune, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial tomorrow to commemorate its 25th anniversary.

Tomorrow begins an event that will last four full days. There are over 58,000 names inscribed on The Wall and all of them will read aloud as part of the four day commemoration event. It will take nearly 2,000 volunteers a total of 65 hours to read all the names. This is only the fourth time in the The Wall’s history that all the names have been read aloud. The first was during the original dedication. The names were also read during both the 10th and 20th anniversaries.

The memorial service begins at 3PM EST and Dailey, Vincent, & Fortune will offering a special musical tribute to the fallen soldiers.

Jimmy Fortune a former Statler and close friend of me and Darrin wrote the Statler hit “More Than a Name on a Wall” which we have recorded on our debut album. Jimmy heard this cut and saw us perform it live on our first show at the 2007 IBMA fan fest. A few days later he ask if we would come and perform it with him and sing harmony. I’m also honored that he has asked me to sing the last verse. We love Jimmy and his voice and talents and we love being around the wonderful christian man.

In addition to singing, the bluegrass duo will also be doing some reading. I asked Jamie how he and Darrin felt about being part of an event this solemn.

Darrin and I are very patriotic and we love our country. This was a great honor to have been asked to sing at The Wall, and to read some names in the memorial service. We are very thankful for all of the men and women who have served and given their life for our country and for the men and women who continue to serve and take great risk in protecting America.

Katy Daley at BluegrassCountry.org conducted a phone interview with Darrin today and will air it, along with the Dailey-Vincent version of More Than a Name on the Wall during the 8 AM hour tomorrow. Tune in online at BluegrassCountry.org.

It has just been announced that The Dailey Vincent Band (Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent) have signed with Rounder Records to release their debut, self-titled CD in January 2008.

In addition to Jamie and Darrin, the band features Jeff Parker on mandolin, Joe Dean on banjo and Adam Haynes on fiddle.

Most of our readers will know Jamie from his 9 years as a singer, guitarist and bass player with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Darrin has been with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder this past ten years, and before that worked with his family’s band, The Sally Mountain Show, along with his sister Rhonda.

The band is managed by Don Light Talent in Nashville.

Brance told us back in February about the imminent debut of The Dailey Vincent Band, jointly fronted by former Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver singer Jamie Dailey, and long time Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder singer Darrin Vincent.

Though they won’t start touring until January of 2008, they will be a featured performer at the IBMA Fan Fest on October 6 in Nashville. The lineup will include Jamie Dailey on guitar and vocals, Darrin Vincent on bass and vocals, Jeff Parker on mandolin and vocals, Joe Dean on banjo and Adam Haynes on fiddle.

Their MySpace page does not yet display a performance schedule for next year, but they have an impressive set of bookings for ‘08, especially for a band that hasn’t appeared in public.

We expect that there will a lot of buzz about this new band at IBMA next week.

Nothin’ Fancy is in the studio working on their next CD, and all-Gospel project for Pinecastle Records. It is being produced by Rhonda and Darrin Vincent and recorded at Adventure Studios in Nashville.

The band says that the CD will mix some new songs with some old favorites, like as House Of Gold, Family Bible and Peace In The Valley.

No release date has been set, but the Nothin’ Fancy Gospel CD is expected later this year.

Long time band member of Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver, Jamie Dailey is partnering up with Darrin Vincent, of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, to start a new group called The Dailey Vincent Band. The new band won’t debut until 2008 though. Both Dailey and Vincent are going to continue their current gigs for the year of 2007 before embarking on this new venture.

Doyle has a short list of vocalist’s he’s interviewing to fill the vacancy that will be created in 2008 when Jamie Dailey leaves.

I spoke with Jamie yesterday and he assured me that he and Doyle are still on good terms with one another, and that Dolye has given his blessing to this new pursuit.

I love Doyle like a second daddy…I’m not marrying a cat, and Ralph Stanley is not pregnant.

I think what he’s trying to say is that we shouldn’t give in to idle speculation about the reasons for his leaving Quicksilver. He did admit to a certain amount of sadness at the thought of leaving the band he’s called home for the last eight years.

It is kind of saddening to think of leaving the band. It’s the kind of music I’ve loved all my life, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of time spent by Doyle’s side.

Why is he leaving then? Well, he gave me three reason for his decision. (more…)