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?

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.

By The Mark is a hauntingly beautiful gospel number, written by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, that makes reference to the imprints that enable Christ to be recognised for the sacrifice that He made. Other gospel songs are My Saviour Walked With Me Today, I Believe and Place On Calvary. Each performance demonstrates a deep affinity with a Christian life.

There are two other duets – with just mandolin, guitar and two voices. The arrangement of the afore-mentioned My Saviour Walks With Me Today is a throw back to the sibling harmonies of yesteryear, reminding me particularly of the Whitstein brothers. Vincent sings lead on this track, as he does on the joyful Music Of The Mountains.

Other up-tempo offerings include Randall Hylton’s Cumberland River, Poor Boy Workin’ Blues – a trio with Dailey singing lead, with hot mandolin break from Parker and later stellar fiddle work from Duncan – and Herb Campbell’s Don’t You Call My Name.

The jaunty last track Place On Calvary, a neatly arranged quartet, is very reminiscent of The Statler Brothers, from whose repertoire this and More Than A Name On A Wall were taken.

The banjo isn’t present on every song, but Dean provides all the drive that a band would want on up-tempo numbers and finesse on the one slower number on which he plays.

Here we have two voices separately and together, in harmony, singing delightfully. Since when has a band been able to call on such class in this department? Dailey and Vincent has surpassed those expectations prompted by that recording of Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem.

This is modern bluegrass to be sure, but I can’t think of a debut album that has had so many people purring with delight.

You can read Brance’s earlier comments about this CD on The Bluegrass Blog here.

Footnote: The Jamie Dailey-Darrin Vincent recording of Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem can be found on Christmas Grass, Vol.2 (Koch) and was released in 2004.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jamie will be 32 years old this year and said that if he was ever going to have his own band he felt like he’d better do it now. The other reasons he gave had to do with geography. Jamie lives in Nashville while Doyle is in Bristol. That’s quite a commute and Jamie said he’s ready to be based in Nashville. He’s also excited about recording in Nashville, a process they’ve already begun.

The Dailey Vincent Band has been in the studio already and plans to be back in the studio some more during the month of March. They are working on a CD they hope to release in 2008 upon launching the band. The recording is not yet on a label, though Jamie indicated they are talking to several labels.

The recording will feature the members of the new band including Jamie Dailey on guitar and Darrin Vincent on upright bass. The other members have already been confirmed, but Jamie was unable to disclose their names at this time. He did say the instrumentation includes mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. He also said that all 5 members of the band contribute to the vocals, which will include several quartet numbers.

Dailey said the direction the new band will take is decidedly straight up, driving bluegrass and bluegrass gospel. On days when the members are not touring with the bands they currently belong to, they are rehearsing 8 to 9 hours a day. Jamie said he learned this work ethic in the “school of Quicksilver.” They are working up a number of covers of traditional bluegrass tunes, but are spending a great deal of time focusing on writing their own material, which is very important to Jamie. He is excited about the material the band is coming up with and feels confident that what they are doing is unique and fresh, while at the same time maintaining a traditional sensibility.

2008 may be a year away, but they’re busy booking dates with 38 on the books already and more to come. Any promoters who are interested should make contact with Jamie as soon as possible. A website is currently under development with an expected launch in June of 2007. For now, Jamie encourages those who are interested to check his Myspace page for updates. Of course, we’ll continue to bring you more updates as we receive them from Jamie.