He’s one of country music’s favorite sidemen, but he’s got front ‘n’ center swag and no shortage of fans all his own. And thanks to Sugar Hill Records, hot-picker Kenny Vaughan now has a solo debut CD to his credit.
Set for release Sept. 13, 2011, the 10-song offering is vintage country-meets-hard bop-meets- roots music dreams come true. Titled V, the album finds Vaughan officially flexing his frontman credibility, with the musical backing of Marty Stuart, his usual band-leader boss, and his Fabulous Superlatives bandmates.
Solo Effort: Marty Stuart's Celebrated Guitarist Makes His Country Album Debut
For those who are fans of bluegrass/country star Stuart, Vaughan is assuredly no stranger. His guitar prowess is a highlight of Stuart’s live show, and each week, even more who tune in to RFD-TV’s The Marty Stuart Show applaud Vaughan’s virtuosity via the tube. But serving as a steady and consummate backing player for Stuart isn’t the Oklahoma-born musician’s only gig, and on V, there’s no question he boasts “leading man” chops behind not only the six-string, but also in the realm of songwriting and vocal delivery.
The V album is a delight from start to close, and every track was penned by Vaughan. For those, including this scribe, who were reared on the much-welcomed, too-long-gone traditions of country twang, V is a happy adventure. "Country Music Got A Hold On Me" kicks off the disc, with the Superlatives in high gear. Vaughan’s bebop influence peppers the track and his guitar tones are crisp, bold even, and always on the mark.
"Hot Like That" is, in a word, smoooooth, with no shortage toe-tappin’ inducement. In fact, the track is downright irresistible, never mind that its “feel-good” beat makes one wonder where Vaughan, the solo player, has been all this time? Thing is, the tall ‘n’ slender artist has been hiding in plain sight, but only the lucky folks who haunt the Lower Broad venues of Music City are regularly privy to his solo/on-the-mic gigs.
Early Study of Fellow Guitarist Bill Frisell 'Opened' Artist's Playing Style
Growing up in Colorado, Vaughan became a self-described fan and early student of another Coloradoan, and eclectic-roots master, Bill Frisell. Regarding his tutelage under Frisell, “Bill really opened my approach to my playing,” Vaughan said via his record-label bio. The experience with Frisell also led Vaughan to take on gigs with a progressive jazz group, among other musical stints.
Vaughan’s country chops were honed early on, when he was just 18, after answering an ad in the newspaper that found him playing in honky-tonks seven nights a week. Says Vaughan via his album’s promo materials: “I played with some real characters. Great players and singers. We played mostly ‘50s and ‘60s country music. It was like another world. I was playing in a joint one night when Willie Nelson showed up and sat in for two hours; we ended up on his bus in the parking lot. Fantastic!”
Kenny Vaughan: From In-demand Session Player to Solo Music Spotlight
Today, the Americana Music Association’s 2006 Guitarist of the Year has not only a decade of years under his belt as one of the aforementioned Stuart’s incomparable sidemen, but he also continues on as an in-demand session player who’s performed with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Tim O’Brien, Rodney Crowell, Kim Richey and a host of others. From punk-rock and surf music to Western-swing and gospel, Vaughan’s played it all, and well, and the twang-infused V is no exception.
The Oak Ridge Boys add “swamp-funk” fun to one of V’s charming tracks, "Okolona, Tennessee," and on "Don’t Leave Home Without Jesus," a track he penned with Stuart, his gospel-shuffle plucking is at its level best. But V, as a cohesive whole,is a musical adventure that roots-music and vintage-country fans need to experience firsthand, for words that aim to do it proud don’t likely do it justice.
His sideman and session days are far from gone, but Vaughan's inaugural V effort is a happy addition to the multifaceted performer’s musical resume. The ever-evolving Mr. Vaughan has much to be proud of when it comes to his music career’s crown, and V is a true gem that the player should be anxious to polish to a high sheen.
Lisa L. Rollins - Texas native Lisa L. Rollins, Ph.D., is an award-winning feature writer, interviewer and journalism educator.
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