Jerry Douglas News

A few months ago, famed dobro player Jerry Douglas was having what he describes as "the worst day of my life." It concerned something seemingly trivial: an advertising campaign for a new line of guitars, and amid the "throwdown" that was ensuing, his wife called him, asking if he was sitting down.

It was at that moment Douglas was told he had been selected by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as its 2008 artist-in-residency.

"To me, what that place stands for is not modern-day country music, but where country music started, where it came from," he says, a childlike gleam in his eye. "So, I went nuts and was so honored that they asked me."

Fans of Douglas' work will argue that this honor has been a long time coming. As a session musician for countless acts including Randy Travis, Alison Krauss Union Station and Garth Brooks, he's been behind the scenes for decades. In bluegrass circles, he's been much more prevalent, often teaming with such stalwarts as Bela Fleck, Sam Bush and Tony Rice.

But Douglas is also well into a solo career, one that will be showcased with his four Hall of Fame artist-in-residency performances. He'll kick things off with a concert celebrating the August 19 release of his 12th studio album, "Glide."

The timing seems to have fallen right into place. Most of the record was done last year, but as Douglas was polishing it, something didn't feel right. "There was a piece missing," he says. "I went off down to Florida with my family, and when I was driving back, this Travis Tritt song came on the radio. I don't listen to country radio, but I had it on because I was tired. I started thinking, 'What a great singer he is.' Every time he called me in (to work with him), the song was a hit," he recalls.

So Douglas convinced Tritt to join him in the studio for a cover of Paul Brady's "A Marriage Made in Hollywood," and then he felt "Glide" was ready.

Among the album's 11 cuts, only two contain vocals. The set reflects the many types of music Douglas plays, from Mardi Gras-inspired funeral marches to atmospheric, bluegrass-influenced instrumentals.

"I wanted the core of the whole recording process to be the band that I travel with," he says. "I felt that these guys were playing as good as anyone that I could ever hire, and our personalities are all in line. There's no second-guessing at all."

Douglas promises to kick off his residency shows in grand fashion, with a slew of guests. "I know all it really means is I get to do four shows in this little theater, however I want to," he says. But then that little light kicks back on, as he ponders it for a moment. "I want to raise the bar for what to expect from a country artist-in-residency."

Reuters/Billboard