After debuting with an inventive reinterpretation of Bruce Robison’s “Leavin’,” IBMA Bass Player of the Year Vickie Vaughn returns with a striking remake of Vince Gill’s 1991 country hit “Liza Jane.” This new version, produced by longtime collaborator and fiddler Deanie Richardson, trades Gill’s electric swagger for acoustic grit, mixing bluegrass with soulful urgency.
Vaughn reimagines the song’s story, shifting from lighthearted flirtation to emotional confrontation. Her vocal delivery channels desperation and defiance, supported by Richardson’s expressive fiddle, which replaces Gill’s original guitar lines while also engaging in call-and-response exchanges with Vaughn’s voice.
The arrangement closely follows Gill’s original, including its extended instrumental outro. However, this rendition features a powerhouse lineup: mandolinist Casey Campbell, IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Cody Kilby, banjoist Wes Corbett, drummer Dave Racine, and harmony vocalists Lillie Mae and Frank Rische. Their dynamic interplay, layered over Vaughn’s driving bass, builds to a climactic refrain of “ooh, Liza, little Liza Jane,” recontextualizing the song within a darker, rootsier framework.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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