Photo: David McClister

Jim Lauderdale took the stage at Nashville’s historic Station Inn dressed in a smart purple blazer decorated in lightning bolts. A smart contrast with the five black-clad musicians who preceded him, Lauderdale is a presence.

Less than a week earlier, Lauderdale earned a Grammy for Bluegrass Album of the Year (Bluegrass Diaries), and while he certainly delved into his bluegrass catalog, Lauderdale also offered country ballads, gospel, honky-tonk, Americana and Gypsy jazz. He sang songs that he had written with famed Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter along with a slew of other originals that spanned his career.

The band itself was comprised of first-rate pickers. In addition to Brin Davies, Peter Rowan’s secret weapon, who was playing bass and singing harmony vocals, the group was filled out by Ollie O’Shea (fiddle), Todd Livingston (dobro), Jesse Cobb (mandolin) and Richard Bailey (banjo).

After the second set, Lauderdale returned alone and explained that his new album was due out in just a few days and wanted to perform a track off it. He then presented “I’m Almost Back,” a beautiful song about separation from the object of one’s affection. It was the first time of the night that Lauderdale really opened up on the guitar, breaking out of the chord changes to play some very sensitive and surprising lines. It was a touching ending. But of course, no one wants to go home on a quiet note, so he called the group back up and roared through “Doing My Time.”