When a beloved musical group decides it’s time to retire, that doesn’t mean their music becomes a thing of the past. Just ask Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, who, as the award-winning duo Dailey & Vincent, have recorded a new CD containing 12 of the legendary Statler Brothers’ most-loved songs. This album, Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers, features exciting and authentic bluegrass interpretations of songs from the Statlers’ repertoire and will be available exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store^® on February 1^st. 

Dailey & Vincent are uniquely qualified for this project.  As the reigning International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainers of the Year, they have previously recorded their versions of some Statler songs and include a few in their live show. In 2008, they performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum’s Medallion Ceremony marking the official induction of the Statlers.  Dailey & Vincent’s self-titled debut on Rounder Records included their version of the Statlers’ hit “More Than a Name on a Wall,” which topped the Sirius bluegrass chart in 2008. Their Brothers From Different Mothers CD included “Years Ago” and “There is You” from the Statlers’ catalog, along with a special guest appearance by Statler Harold Reid in his alter ego of Lester “Roadhog” Moran on “Head Hung Down,” which spent two months at #1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited song chart.

“The Statler Brothers are my childhood heroes,” says Dailey. “My daddy bought me a Statler Brothers record in 1983, and I went to bed every night listening to that record.  I knew every word to every song. We’re delighted to work with Cracker Barrel on this project because we pull our bus into a Cracker Barrel every weekend; that’s where we have breakfast and lunch.” 

 “The Statlers have given so much to ....America.... through their music,” adds Vincent. “Some of those lyrics are just so powerful, like “The Class of ’57.” It’s all about ....America..... It’s an honor to record these classic songs and share them with Cracker Barrel’s guests.”

The Statler Brothers themselves are enthusiastic supporters of Dailey & Vincent and the album. “Jamie and Darrin have used their magic touch to honor us and our music,” says Statler Don Reid. “This CD is one great tribute from two great friends.  Dailey and Vincent - they are what good music and friendship is about today.” The Statler Brothers have made an indelible contribution to the American music landscape, from the day they hit the road with Johnny Cash in 1964 until their retirement in 2002.  They are one of only six acts to be inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, writing and recording iconic songs about small-town life, love, faith, and days gone by. 

Dailey & Vincent have taken the bluegrass world by storm since they launched their career as a duo in 2007. Jamie Dailey was formerly the lead singer and guitarist for Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; until the end of 2007, Darrin Vincent was guitar and mandolin player and harmony vocalist with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers, is a great opportunity for Cracker Barrel’s guests to hear from one of the country’s top bluegrass acts with music that is familiar and loved,” says Cracker Barrel’s Vice President of Marketing, Peter Keiser. “Jamie and Darrin have years of performing and recording experience, and they have earned a great deal of notice as well as a number of significant awards in the short time they have been recording together. This CD will provide Cracker Barrel’s guests with a good taste of nostalgia for the Statler Brothers as well as a sampling of what’s to come with Dailey & Vincent.”

Songs included on Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers are: 
“Flowers on the Wall”
“The Class of ’57”
“Hello Mary Lou”
“Too Much on My Heart”
“Susan When She Tried”
“I’ll Go To My Grave Loving You”
“Elizabeth”
“Bed of Rose’s”
“Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?”
“Brave Apostles Twelve”
“My Only Love”
“Thank You World”

Rounder Records is pleased to announce that its artists and albums have received 6 Grammy nominations for the 52nd Annual Awards. The awards ceremony will be held on “Grammy Sunday,” January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS from 8–11:30 PM EST.

Nominated in more categories than any artist in Grammy history, Béla Fleck garnered two nominations for his album Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 — Africa Sessions: one for Best Contemporary World Music Album and another for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the title track. 

Also receiving two nominations is the Woody Guthrie box set, My Dusty Road.  This collection picked up a nod in the Best Historical Album category as well as one for Best Album notes, which were written by historian Ed Cray & Rounder founder Bill Nowlin.

Multi-talented actor/comedian/musician and bestselling author Steve Martin received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album with The Crow/New Songs for the Five-String Banjo – his first all bluegrass album. Joining him in this category is the “Queen of Bluegrass,” Rhonda Vincent, with a nomination for Destination Life. 

Below is the complete list of Rounder Records’ Grammy nominations:

Béla Fleck

Best Pop Instrumental Performance – “Throw Down Your Heart” from Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 — Africa Sessions

Best Contemporary World Music Album – Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 — Africa Sessions

Steve Martin

Best Bluegrass Album – The Crow/New Songs for the Five-String Banjo

Woody Guthrie

Best Album Notes – Ed Cray & Bill Nowlin, album notes writers for My Dusty Road

Best Historical Album – My Dusty Road

Rhonda Vincent

Best Bluegrass Album – Destination Life

Rounder recording artists garnered multiple awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) at last night’s 20^th Annual awards show held at the Ryman Auditorium in NashvilleTN.

Grammy®-winning country star and Grand Ole Opry member Joe Diffie is set to release The Ultimate Collectionon October 20^th on Rounder Records.  The collection of newly-recorded masters includes Diffie’s 20 biggest hits and is the largest, most comprehensive collection of his work assembled in one package.

The album features twenty top 10 hits, twelve of which went all the way to #1.  Fans who purchase the album on iTunes also receive a bonus cut of “Long Gone Loner,” a duet with Slovakian band Peter and the Rowers that was a #1 European hit in 2008.  The duet has also garnered a nomination for Vocal Collaboration of the Year by the European Country Music Association.

The inclusion of “Long Gone Loner” is bittersweet with the recent passing of Peter Dula, a personal friend of Diffie’s and lead singer of Peter and the Rowers.  Dula died on October 10^th after a long battle with cancer.

Diffie’s success as a recording artist is matched by his achievements as a songwriter.  In addition to the numerous hits he kept for himself, Diffie’s songs have been recorded by Hank Thompson, Holly Dunn, Tim McGraw, Tracy Lawrence, Conway Twitty, Doug Stone, and most recently Jo Dee Messina, who’s recording of My Give a Damn’s Busted became a #1 hit.  He’s won a Grammy®, CMA Awards, and been honored as Humanitarian of the Year by the Country Music Broadcasters.  He’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry, recorded with George Jones, and toured the country numerous times. 

Steve Martin would like everyone to make a video for “Wally On The Run” with their dogs.  Steve wrote the song, featured on his current #1 The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo CD, for his beloved canine Wally. Steve speaks about the contest on his newly re-launched website www.stevemartin.com. He has partnered with Dailymotion to create a site to view his video, download the track, upload your own video submissions and view videos from other entrants: Daily Motion. This site goes active today and the contest ends December 1.  Steve himself will select the final first prize winner, who will receive $1000.  The runner up will receive $.99 as a refund for the purchase of the song.

FIRST DVD SOMETHIN’ GRAND OUT NOVEMBER 23

“Ms. Peyroux...has branched out to refine an enigmatic, low-key personal style that is all her own.” – New York Times

Jazz chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux will be featured on NPR’s Mountain Stage on stations around the country this weekend, October 16-18.  Peyroux will be performing songs from her most recent, critically acclaimed album, Bare Bones (Rounder).  A complete list of stations that carry the show can be found here:  Mountain Stage

Award-winning Rounder Records duo Dailey & Vincent will release their first gospel album, a collection of a cappella songs called Singing From the Heart, on October 20.

The project began in 2001, long before Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent began their career as a duo.  It was a labor of love, an album of a cappella spiritual songs that would honor the Church of Christ’s practice of singing without instruments and that would benefit the Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville, Tennessee, which is a Church of Christ institution.   

According to Malcolm L. Hill, President of the college, “Since its beginning, there has never been a worthy student turned away for the lack of funds.  When I got to know Jamie as a dear friend, I told him about TBC.  I told him that we were constantly in need of funds for worthy students.  I asked Jamie if he could take the lead and develop a quartet CD of a cappella singing.   He said he could and so he did.  He picked up Darrin Vincent, who has been a tremendous helper and an untiring worker. We love Dailey & Vincent.”

“They never turn anyone down who doesn’t have the money to get a degree in Bible and that impressed us,” Darrin recalls. 

To record the album of quartets, Dailey & Vincent called on the very best of vocalists from the worlds of bluegrass, southern gospel and country music.  Guests on the album include tenor Andy Ball, bass Glenn Dustin, baritone Anthony Facello, baritone Tony King, tenor Shawn Lane, bass Jeff Pearles, Doyle Lawson, singing baritone on “Near the Cross,” and Molly Skaggs, a bluegrass “double legacy” - daughter of Sharon White and Ricky Skaggs.

Songs on Singing From the Heart are:

 Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho

Near The Cross

Hide Me, Rock Of Ages

Farther Along

I Am Resolved

The Old Rugged Cross 

Moses Smote The Water

Amazing Grace

Jesus Is Coming Soon 

O To Be Like Thee

‘Til I See You Face To Face

Don’t You Wanna Go To Heaven

Dailey says that in choosing material for the album, “we wanted 95 percent of the people to know at least 70 percent of the songs well enough to sing along.  The rest we wanted to be something new to most listeners, to generate interest in the project and to have some pieces that would be unique to Dailey & Vincent for our concert repertoire.”  In fact, “Don’t You Wanna Go To Heaven” is a staple in Dailey & Vincent’s live shows.

Vincent adds, “I want the listeners to get a blessing from this music, and to know how special it is to take a song and blend voices a cappella.  It moves me emotionally to hear how much of an impact singing without instruments gives to the lyrics.”

The album will be available through Christian book and music retail outlets, Dailey & Vincent’s Web site (www.daileyvincent.com), the Tennessee Bible College, Rounder Records’ web site, and at Dailey & Vincent concerts.