Low-key Vince Gill ‘the opening act’ at Santa Rosashow

Nashville country music hit-makers sometimes get stereotyped as charming front men, backed by real musicians, but Vince Gill demonstrated his prowess as a skilled guitarist as well as a heartfelt singer, performing for 1,500 fans Saturday night at Santa Rosa’s Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.

Gill shared the evening with the Time Jumpers, an ensemble of outstanding recording session musicians, who started at garage practice sessions in Nashville in the late 1990s. When Gill plays with them, he’s one of the boys in the band.

“Gill’s got himself these studio players that are just stellar,” said Willits carpenter Parker Holt, who made the two-hour drive down to see the show. “I like how he’s tapping into the old music, like Bob Wills’ Texas swing.”

When Gill took the stage for his one-hour solo acoustic set that started the show, he introduced himself as “the opening act for the Time Jumpers,” then played a string of his own hits, including “I Still Believe in You” and “When I Call Your Name.”

Wearing flip-flops, a white T-shirt and jeans, Gill perched on a stool telling stories about his wife, singer Amy Grant, and his late father, “a lawyer by trade but a redneck by nature,” whom he remembered “with a cigarette in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.”

Often called “a musician’s musician,” Gill had some local musicians in the audience, including John Allred of Cotati.

“Vince Gill is so versatile,” Allred said. “I love his musicianship. He plays everything.”

After an intermission, the Time Jumpers took the stage for some stunning vocal and instrumental work, including hot fiddling by Larry Franklin, Joe Spivey and Kenny Spears.

Gill came to Santa Rosa fresh from winning the Country Music Association’s Irving Waugh Award of Excellence last Wednesday in Nashville. Named for a broadcaster of the ’50s and ’60s, the award, established in 1983, honors outstanding contributions to the for the advancement of country music.

The California leg of the Time Jumpers tour moves on to San Diego tonight and Palm Desert on Monday.

You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. Read his Arts blog at arts.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.