Brad Paisley at rehearsals for the 43rd Annual ACM Awards Show in Las Vegas. Photo provided by the Academy of Country Music.
July 18, 2008 — Brad Paisley completed an instrumental album in the last few weeks, and he’s given it a title that describes it simply and directly: "Play".
The project includes guest appearances by the likes of Vince Gill, Steve Wariner and B.B. King, among others, plus a track that allows Brad to collaborate with the late Buck Owens.
The album "will surprise people," Brad told The Charlotte Observer. "It's not all country. We do everything from jazz guitar to one [song] that's very heavy metal."
Brad’s penchant for filling his live shows — and the Play album, in particular — with lots of guitar gives him a unique place in modern music. He believes there are very few real guitar heroes who are making hit records in 2008.
"There was a time when every band had a great player," he said. "I was watching VH1's I Love The '80s. They've got the hair bands on there. They were talking about 1985. There was so much guitar. These days, it's different. There's a lack. I'm doing my part, trying to play as many solos as possible."
And trying to work on another project. Even with Play still under wraps, he promises he’ll be back in the studio to work on his next album this fall, once he completes his current Paisley Party Tour, a GAC-sponsored package that also features Jewel, Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough.