Darrell is one of the most successful country-oriented songwriters of the last 20 years; his songs have been recorded by over 70 artists, from the DIXIE CHICKS to Guy Clark to Keb' Mo'. (The Dixie Chicks won a 2003 Grammy nomination for "Best Country Song" for Darrell's "Long Time Gone"). He is also a sideman of choice - having played in Steve Earle's Bluegrass Dukes and having recently turned down a gig with Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. "Modern Hymns" is an all-covers album of songs that greatly influenced Darrell while growing up; the award-winning songwriter displays his formative influences on country/bluegrass/contemporary folk-tinged versions of Joni Mitchell's "Urge for Going," Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc" (with guest vocalists Alison Krauss and Mary Gautier), Paul Simon's "American Tune," Dylan's "I Don't Believe You" and standards by some of his fellow Nashville tunesmiths (John Hartford's "Nobody Eats at Linebaugh's Anymore," Hoyt Axton's "The Devil," Kristofferson's "Jesus Was a Capricorn," Mickey Newbury's "Frisco Depot"). Guest of the CD, aside from Krauss and Gautier, include a mixture of country, bluegrass and "newgrass" A-teamers (Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Dirk Powell, Stuart Duncan), the Orchestra Nashville string section, revered British acoustic bassist Danny Thompson (Richard Thompson, Eric Bibb etc.) and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, among others.