Bluegrass fans will get to open a Christmas present early on December 24th with Barry Waldrep And Friends Celebrate Tony Rice. The forthcoming 21-track tribute album organized by the famed bluegrass multi-instrumentalist/producer will feature a bevy of guest musicians ranging from Warren Haynes to Emmylou Harris and beyond.
In addition to coinciding with the holiday season, the release of Barry Waldrep And Friends will also come just one day ahead of the one-year anniversary of Rice’s death. The pioneering Flatpicking bluegrass guitar player left behind legions of devoted followers who have come to pay their respects on the tribute album. Hand-picked by Waldrep, they run the gamut between the jam band world of Warren Haynes and Oteil Burbridge to country stars Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill to Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Spooner Oldham (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) and Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers) and many more.
“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that,” Waldrep said in a press release. “When you cross the line of other genres, that’s when you expand the audience and turn people on to other styles that they would not normally be interested in. The intent of this album and the artists involved is to show what a powerhouse master Tony Rice was at bringing musicians and fans together from different genres.”
The full lineup of musicians on Barry Waldrep And Friends Celebrate Tony Rice includes Emmylou Harris, Tammy Rogers, Andrea Zonn, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Hall, Caelan Berry, Spooner Oldham, Oteil Burbridge, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jason Bailey, Bryn Davies, Scott Vestal, Benji Shanks, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek. The tribute album also hosts contributions from featured artists Jimmy Hall, Rodney Crowell, Darrell Scott, Marty Raybon, Mike Farris, Kim Richey, Warren Haynes, Vince Gill, Radney Foster, Teresa Williams & Larry Campbell, Jim Lauderdale, John Berry, Patrick Simmons, John Paul White, Jacob Bunton, John Jorgenson, Rory Feek, Donna Hall & Kelli Johnson, and John Cowan.
“All of these artists knew the music of Tony Rice very well—artists from Classic & Southern Rock Royalty to Heavy Metal, Americana, Country & Roots Gospel,” Waldrep said. “Also included are some of the greatest musicians and harmony singers in the business that were influenced by Tony as well.”
Barry Waldrep And Friends Celebrate Tony Rice is out on December 24th. Click here to pre-order and scroll down for a full tracklist and album artwork.
