Vince Gill detours from country on romantic new album

(AP) — Singer Vince Gill is a standard bearer for traditional country music, thanks to his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre and his masterful guitar skills, but he only included one true country song on his latest album.

Down To My Last Bad Habit," out Friday just before Valentine's Day, is actually a collection of love songs influenced by rock, blues, jazz and pop, but he couldn't help paying tribute to his friend, the late, great George Jones on the final song, "Sad One Comin' On.

Gill admitted he didn't intend to write an album full of songs about romance and heartbreak, but over his 40-year career, those songs have always been fan favorites, such as his 1992 Grammy-winning hit, "I Still Believe In You," and "Look At Us" from 1991.

Gill brought in some of country music's skilled singers to amp up the romantic intensity for a couple of duets on the album, including Little Big Town and new country singer Cam.