Vince Gill Readies Fall Acoustic Tour

Whether he's on stage with a cast of Nashville's best-known musicians or performing a stripped down acoustic set, Vince Gill is always immensely entertaining. Last year he celebrated the release of his four-CD set, 'These Days,' with a major tour featuring a 15-piece band that performed shows lasting more than three hours. In contrast this fall, he's embarking on a more striped down trek. Billed as A Special Acoustic Evening With Vince Gill, the tour starts August 18 in Wellington, Ohio.

"I'm doing the total opposite of what I did last year," Gill tells The Boot. "It's going to be just me and a couple of musicians [playing] small places, theaters. It will be intimate and informal and we'll shoot the breeze. It's going to be fun."

In contrast to his 2006-2007 shows, which featured a 15-piece band, this fall he'll only be accompanied by Pete Wasner on piano and percussionist Billy Thomas. Gill says he first began thinking about doing an acoustic tour after seeing one of his heroes in concert.

"I went to see James Taylor in a one man show last year, and I said, 'This is great -- great songs, great voice, nothing else,'" he says. "Every now and then, it's fun to hear music in its simplest form."

Naturally the tour will feature songs from 'These Days,' a 43-song collection that won the Grammy for Best Country Album, becoming Gill's 19th Grammy award win. Gill says he hasn't yet begun recording another album.

"I worked so hard last year, toured a lot, and did a lot," he says. "This year, I'm not going to do as much."

After Gill wraps the acoustic trek in November, he and his wife Amy Grant will embark on a Christmas tour.