DAILEY & VINCENT
The Gospel Side of Dailey & Vincent
Rounder 116619124

www.rounder.com
 

As is often the case with bluegrass musicians, Jamie Dailey and Darren Vincent are both steeped in the sounds of Southern gospel as well, a genre closely related to bluegrass gospel but characterized much more heavily by piano, bass and drums. This release, part of the ongoing series from the Cracker Barrel Restaurant chain, shows both sides as they cover songs of faith from unexpected sources ranging from Buck Owens (“Eternal Vacation”) to Carl Perkins (“Daddy Sang Bass”), along with a couple of original tunes, Dailey’s “Living In The Kingdom Of God” and Vincent’s “Until At Last I’m Home”.

Having spent a couple of decades between them under the tutelage of Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs, it’s no surprise that the music here is instrumentally first-rate, but what put them at the top of the bluegrass charts a few years ago and has kept them there is the tight harmony between them, and that continues to be their strong suit. Music with a religious foundation is often assumed to be somber and solemn, but it’s worth recalling that the word “gospel” is intended to convey hope and good tidings, and this disc overflows with that.

— John Lupton