Vince Gill & Paul Franklin [2023]
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A decade ago, Vince Gill and Paul Franklin recorded Bakersfield, a tribute to the raw-boned country music that came out of the rough-and-rowdy clubs patronized by oil-field hands and agricultural workers in the \\u201950s and early \\u201960s\\u2014packed with songs by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. And we visited with them for a Rig Rundown then.
Now, just for the good times, these two legends of modern country music\\u2014the real deal kind\\u2014have recorded Sweet Memories: The Music of Ray Price & The Cherokee Cowboys. Price was known for his warm, baritone approach to melody, which is a perfect springboard for Gill\\u2019s and Franklin\\u2019s nuanced approaches to their own instruments.
If you don\\u2019t know Gill\\u2019s work, it\\u2019s about time you got informed. He has won more CMA Awards than any performer in history, plus 21 Grammys. He\\u2019s also sold more than 21-million albums and is currently in the Eagles, where his sweet tenor voice and skill with harmonies makes him a perfect match. (You can also hear Gill talk about his work on Cory Wong\\u2019s Wong Notes podcast, from November 2020.)
Although Franklin spends his time over the pedal steel, this artist is no slouch. He\\u2019s played on more than 500 albums, has been named Best Steel Guitarist by the Academy of Country Music multiple times, and is in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and the Musician\\u2019s Hall of Fame. Franklin is the most nominated artist in CMA history. He is also a member of Grammy-winning outfit the Time Jumpers.
Along with the PG video team, I met them at Gill\\u2019s Nashville studio, where they recorded Sweet Memories. The goal: to get a close-up look at Franklin\\u2019s steel rig and some of the incredible acoustic guitars Gill used on this album.
Brought to you by D\\u2019Addario XS Strings.
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