ARTISTS

Brad Paisley

Brad was quickly acknowledged as one of country music’s most original and multi-talented artists, and his work has attracted collaborators both on record (Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Bill Anderson) and in his videos, which have been peopled by an extraordinary cast of characters, including Little Jimmy Dickens, Jason Alexander, William Shatner, Jerry Springer, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Jim Belushi, Andy Griffith and his wife Kimberly, among others.

The awards were quick in coming, including Album of the Year and Male Vocalist awards from both the CMA and the ACM, as well as Entertainer nominations from both organizations—a testament to the sheer breadth of Paisley’s career success on every level, including that of a tour headliner whose concerts in 2008 sold more than half a million tickets in just the first eight months of the year.

Brad uses HERCULES guitar stand GS414B and GS464B; keyboard stand KS140B; violin stand DS571BB; and mic stands MS401B.

I have two voices,” says Brad Paisley. “One is as somebody who conveys the lyric of a song. The other is as a guitar player.”

With Play, Brad indulges that remarkable second voice, bringing to the forefront his long-standing love for and mastery of the guitar, a gift that in 2008 earned him his first GRAMMY—Best Country Instrumental Performance—for “Throttleneck,” from his Platinum-certified 5th Gear album.

“This record,” he says of Play, “is essentially my love affair with the guitar.”

There are nods to surf music (“Turf’s Up”), rock (“Departure”), electrified bluegrass (“Kentucky Jelly”) and gospel (“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”), and tips of the hat to Les Paul (“Les Is More”), Eric Johnson (“Cliffs of Rock City”) and Stevie Ray Vaughan (“Playing with Fire”), among many others. Brad puts together a veritable Guitar School with “Cluster Pluck,” a chicken-pickin’ extravaganza featuring a Who’s Who of modern guitarists who happen to be “seven of my most important influences”: James Burton, Albert Lee, Redd Volkaert, John Jorgenson, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner and Brent Mason.

“These are all guys I know very well and was heavily influenced by,” he says, “so I wanted to have them on here. This is a glimpse into who I am.”

Play also features two songs written specifically for the other two members of the Paisley nuclear family—“Huckleberry Jam,” which kicks off the album, for son William Huckleberry Paisley (“I wanted to write a song encompassing his enthusiasm and energy”), and for wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley, “Kim,” a lovely acoustic tribute to love.

Now, with Play, Brad puts all his talents to work while concentrating on his passion for the guitar, a passion he has chased since he was 8 and his grandfather gave him his first one—a Sears Danelectro Silvertone with an amp in the case. The love affair with the instrument that began then is still going strong, and Play is proof that it is still helping Brad Paisley produce some of modern country’s best music.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/bradpaisley and bpaisley.blogspot.com.