Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice out Dec. 24th
In the era of modern music, describing anybody as the “greatest of all time” is usually met with resistance—if for no other reason than the ever-evolving tastes of both musicians and fans—but if the topic is bluegrass guitar players, there’s a universally correct answer to “who’s the best”; the late, great Tony Rice. Rice was unequivocally one of the most influential, inventive, and beloved musicians in all of bluegrass and Americana music, and after he passed away in late 2020, his songs and stylings continue to live on in the droves of musicians he inspired. This year, on the one-year anniversary of Rice’s passing, bluegrass instrumentalist and producer Barry Waldrep will be releasing quite the tribute to Mr. Rice with the 21-song, special-guest laden Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice. When looking through Waldrep’s list of friends, its apparent how far Rice’s music reached beyond just bluegrass. Americana greats Rodney Crowell and Jim Lauderdale and Jam-band royalty Warren Haynes and Oteil Burbridge make appearances alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Spooner Oldham and Patrick Simmons and country superstars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. And that’s just a fraction of who’s contributed to this celebration of the music of Tony Rice. Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice will be available everywhere on December 24th and can be pre-ordered or pre-saved now at this link.
“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that. 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.” And Waldrep, with the help of Rice’s influence, was able to bring together an amazing cast of characters. “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. Also included are some of the greatest musicians and harmony singers in the business that were influenced by Tony as well.”
Barry Waldrep
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.
Musicians: Barry Waldrep, 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.
Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice Tracklist:
- Why You Been Gone So Long – Featuring Jimmy Hall
- Song For The Life – Featuring Rodney Crowell
- 10 Degrees and Getting Colder – Featuring Darrell Scott
- Blue Railroad Train – Featuring Marty Raybon
- Walk On Boy – Featuring Mike Farris
- Early Morning Rain – Featuring Kim Richey
- Wayfaring Stranger – Featuring Warren Haynes
- I’ll Stay Around – Featuring Vince GillSong For A Winter Night – Featuring Radney Foster
- EMD – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, John Jorgenson and John Cowan
- You Were There For Me – Featuring Teresa Williams and Larry Cambell
- Church Street Blues – Featuring Jim Lauderdale
- This Old House – Featuring John Berry
- 9 Pound Hammer – Featuring Pat Simmons
- Four Strong Winds – Featuring John Paul White
- More Pretty Girls Than One – Featuring Jacob Bunton
- Summer Wages – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, Spooner Oldham
- It’s Cold On The Shoulder – Featuring John Jorgenson
- Bury Me Beneath The Willow – Featuring Rory Feek
- Where The Soul Never Dies – Featuring Donna Hall and Kelli Johnson
- Me And My Guitar – Featuring John Cowan
About Barry Waldrep: Barry Waldrep is an American Bluegrass, Jam Band, Americana instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and record producer who co-founded the bluegrass/jam band Rollin’ in the Hay in July 1993.
Rollin’ In The Hay soon became a full-time band touring the Jam Band circuit of festivals and college campuses across the country until May 2009. The band produced 7 CDs and performed over 300 dates per year for 16 years. During this time, Waldrep recorded 21 bluegrass tribute albums with CMH Records in Los Angeles for Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Phish, R.E.M., Tim McGraw, The Allman Brothers, Neil Diamond and others. He was also featured on the CD Masterworks of American Bluegrass also produced by CMH Records.
In September 2009, Zac Brown invited Waldrep to join him on his “Breaking Southern Ground Tour,” and Waldrep was featured on the Zac Brown Band Pass The Jar CD/DVD, along with Kid Rock and Little Big Town. During this time he met the husband and wife country duo Joey + Rory. He did a tour with them during the Zac Brown Tour, and in some cases, they all toured together. In addition, Waldrep played the Grand Ole’ Opry several times at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, which was the previous home of the Grand Ole’ Opry. In January 2013, after landing a record deal with Singular Records in San Francisco, California, Waldrep began the Smoke From the Kitchen sessions, which is a bluegrass banjo/southern rock project. This project includes artists Chuck Leavell (Rolling Stones), Paul T. Riddle (Marshall Tucker Band), Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers), Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke), Coy Bowles (Zac Brown Band), Benji Shanks and Jazz Grass Mandolin player David “Dawg” Grisman.
