Four girls with guitars and a piano man celebrate country music

It's almost impossible not to love Lee Ann Womack.

And that doesn't just mean her Grammy Award winning music that has made her a country and pop sensation with hits including "I Hope You Dance." It's the whole music-first attitude that Womack embodies that sets her apart from so many others.

"I was on stage opening for George Strait last year, and we were in huge venues, 20,000 seat venues," she said. "Those buildings aren't built for music, for real musical situations. So my band and I would dress up and play in a dressing room and it kind of became like a listening room. Everyone said 'You guys really have to do this on the road."

Now she's doing just that in an acoustic tour with Sara Evans, Sunny Sweeney and Joanna Smith and Phil Vassar, on the "Girls with Guitars and a Piano Man" tour.

Those that attend the local show can expect plenty of up-close-and-personal stories and reminisces from all the players plus an array of music, said Womack.

"It's sort of the brainchild of my husband [famed producer Frank Liddell who has produced all of Miranda Lambert's albums]," said Womack. "I think all performers would like to do this type of tour."

Although few do. Such concerts, though, are reminiscent of the more intimate country shows done in the past by such singers as Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn and other traditional country singer songwriters. That's another reason that the tour suits Womack so well -- she's a major fan of traditional country songs.

That love of traditional country is evident as she discusses working on her upcoming album, which Liddell is producing. Although the album will be contemporary, there will be all the nods to traditional country that Womack so loves. She's even gone about recording the album in a "traditional" way by recording the vast majority of the album live.

Thus far, Womack said she has chosen songs by other writers for her album, the first since "Call Me Crazy" was released about 3 1/2 years ago. Liddell has been instrumental in allaying her concerns about not writing for the album.

"My husband has a great respect for writers," said Womack. "And there are so many great ones in [Nashville], there's no shortage of great songs."

Indeed, the upcoming show will certainly demonstrate the wealth of solid country songs by contemporary artists who delve into traditional sounds. Consider that Evans is currently enjoying success from her latest album "A Little Bit Stronger" and Sunny Sweeney also found popular success on her 2011 release "Concrete." Add to that Joanna Smith's two singles "Gettin' Married" and "Georgia Mud" and Phil Vassar's vast catalog, and you have a show that will make even die-hard fans feel as if they've stepped into a Nashville club.

"When it come down to is," said Womack, "It's really all about the music."