Here’s some advice for younger musicians in country music and beyond: if you want a long career, follow and study the career of Vince Gill. Now nearly 70 years old, the Oklahoma native and 22-time Grammy winner kicked off his 50 Years From Home tour at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando last week and played for 3.5 hours. Yep, you read that right. A man nearly 70 played 3.5 hours sans intermission. And it was utterly delightful.

Backed by a sterling band, Gill’s voice showed no signs of rust or decay and his guitar playing was nimble and nuanced as always. Playing nearly 40 songs, including eight from his cluster of EPs released this year, the set was vibrant, air-tight and wholly engaging. Of the new material all of it was memorable but quick standouts include the civil rights anthem “March On, March On,” the peerless “When a Soldier Dies” and the ballad “Benny’s Song” written for his guitar tech and longtime friend. But the apex moment might have been the smoldering blues cut “Nobody Held Her Like Me.”

Quick to give credit to his all-star band, Gill let some of his bandmates take the lead. Guitarist Jedd Hughes took to the mic for his oft-covered song “Loving You Is The Only Way To Fly” while bluegrass musicians Jeff White and John Meador traded vocals on Bill Monroe’s ubiquitous and iconic “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham sang lead on his not-yet-released single “Wrap My Porch Around.” That song is from his album ? due out later this fall. The band showcase concluded with two songs from backing vocalist Wendy Moten. She sang lead on “Ode to Bobbie Jo” and “I Still Miss Someone.”

Cover songs also got some treatment from Gill as well. Whether it was “The Bottle Let Me Down” or “Together Again,” both Haggard / Buck Owens songs from Gill’s oft-overlooked albeit wonderful record Bakersfield, Gill’s vocal precision was without flaw. As for his own discography there was a lot to savor. Whether it was ubiquitous ballads like “I Still Believe In You”, “When I Call Your Name” or “Look At Us” there was a presence at work that resonated far beyond the moment. Calling it transcendent is probably a lean towards hyperbole but even the songs from the back catalog (“A Little More Love”, “Take Your Memory With You”, “Oklahoma Borderline” and “What the Cowgirls Do”) had a freshness, a verve, a flair that one might not expect from an artist five decades into his career.

In short it was everything one could ask for and then some. This writer has seen many concerts in his time and few were as charming, entertaining and without flaw as Gill’s set. Earlier this year this writer saw the venerable Clint Black during a February residency at the Ryman and thought that was the pinnacle. But Vince and his band just might have outdone Black. After all, there’s a reason The Eagles handpicked him to fill the void of Glenn Frey and there’s a reason he’s won more than 20 Grammy Awards.

Few will ever do it better. This concert was proof of that.

For setlist junkies, the setlist can be found here.

Vince Gill’s Band
–Jedd Hughes on guitar
–Charlie Worsham on banjo, mandolin and guitar
–Eddy Dunlap on steel guitar
–Jimmie Lee Sloas on bass
–Billy Thomas on drums
–Jim Moose Brown on organ / keys
–John Jarvis on keys / organ
–Wendy Moten on backing vocals
–Jeff White on acoustic guitar and high harmonies
–John Meador on acoustic guitar and high harmonies