November 11 is the release date for the latest project from Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, All The Rage, available in both CD and DVD formats. Both contain 14 songs recorded live during late May of 2015 at the Bethel Performing Arts Center, located near Bethel University campus in northwestern Tennessee.
When we spoke with Rhonda earlier today about this project, she mentioned that this was just the first installment from that Bethel shoot, and that another would be forthcoming.
“We filmed 29 songs, which they said was too many to fit on one DVD. So when I sat down to start sequencing the tracks, there was one that I didn’t like, making it a simple thing to release this one with 14 tracks, and save the other 14 for later.
I wanted the DVD to capture the love and excitement of what we do. There’s an authenticity that’s valued in bluegrass, and this is 100% what we did on stage, with no fixes later in the studio.”
And she said that this first volume is meant to showcase her touring group, The Rage.
“I think it shows the experience of the Rage. We’ve been together so long our playing together is instinctive. Hunter and Josh have been with me 14 years, Mickey and Aaron for 8, and Brent for 5.
Every band member is featured, including songs they had written. This is something that no one has seen before on DVD, the first time to see Brent on stage with us.
The first live album I did with Rounder was shot when I was first finding my way with my own band. Now 10 years later, you can see the culmination of all that time together.”
The songs chosen for Volume 1 should be familiar to fans who have followed Rhonda for some time, or seen her repeatedly at concerts or festivals. Many she has previously recorded, and several are ones that especially showcase members of the band.
“I wanted a set that shows everything we do. Muleskinner Blues, which might normally be a set closer, we start out with it – bam! Bill’s done it, Dolly’s done it, and I’ve sung it all my life. We had to include Is The Grass Any Bluer. We had cut that for Ragin’ Live, but never could get it like we wanted it, so we had to have it here.
Freeborn Man really captures Josh and all the elements of what makes him so great. In the editing we really focused on his guitar playing, as we did with all the various soloists. It really shows them at the top of their game.”
A complete song listing for All The Rage follows:
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Here’s a video of one of the songs from the DVD, an energetic performance of Kentucky Borderline, which Rhonda wrote with our very own Terry Herd.
Both the CD and the DVD will be available tomorrow from Vincent’s Upper Management label. Hard copies can be purchased from her web site, or at any of her shows, and the audio tracks can be downloaded from popular online resellers.
Rhonda also mentioned that this had been an extremely busy year, with her working on 8 projects at once.
“We did a live video shoot at The Ryman this summer with Bobby and Sonny Osborne, Mac Wiseman, and Jesse McReynolds. That one is very special. We had Eddie Stubbs come out and give a brief history lesson on each of these legends before we brought them out, and that will all be in there.
A special moment for me was getting Sonny and Bobby together to sing Medals For Mother, and Sonny told the audience that it had been the last song their mother ever heard them do together. Then he said that he had started his career there with Bill Monroe in 1952, and that he was ending it there tonight. I’ll get that one finished and out as quickly as I can.
Plus I have a country duet project with Daryle Singletary coming up.
I feel so blessed and so thankful.”
