Jeff Parker, the very talented and wildly entertaining mandolinist with Dailey & Vincent, is expecting to release a solo project this May on Lonesome Day Records.
If you’ve caught the Dailey & Vincent show live, you know that Parker has a larger-than-life personality – something that has to be big to stand out next to those two. For most of the program, Jeff quietly plays mandolin and contributes stellar harmony vocals, but when he gets his moment in the sun, he not only demonstrates his strength and versatility as a singer, but also his vivacious stage persona.
He honed his craft with a lengthy stint in Lonesome River Band, and a short spot with Dale Ann Bradley, but it’s been with D&V that has come into his own. A previous solo CD, Two Roads To Travel, was released in 2005.
Jeff tells us that this upcoming record will consist of three original songs, some uptempo bluegrass tunes, and some classic country songs done up “Parker style.” In addition to himself on mandolin and lead vocal, he has been joined in the studio by Ron Stewart on banjo and fiddle, Mike Bub on bass, Stephen Mougin and Shawn Brock on guitar, and Ned Luberecki on banjo. Cia Cherryholmes guests on a duet number, with other guest vocalists still scheduled to track.
There are also plans for a Jeff Parker mandolin instructional DVD. It is scheduled to begin production in March, with a release sometime this Spring or Summer. No word yet whether it will be self-produced, or published through a video distributor.
We’ll share whatever else we learn about either of these highly-anticipated projects.
