Zac Brown Band connects

It didn't take long for Zac Brown to realize that Clay Cook was the missing piece for his band when the multi-instrumentalist joined the country act in 2009.

Sure, the Zac Brown Band, which formed in 2000, had a No. 1 hit with the anthemic "Chicken Fried" prior to Cook's arrival. But there was something lacking in the act's attack.

"Zac said that I filled a void," Cook said.

The amiable Cook has filled gaps by playing steel guitar, keyboards and mandolin, and perhaps most significant of all, he has a high tenor, which enables the band to deliver four-part harmonies.

"I can do a number of different things," Cook said in a telephone interview from Las Vegas. "I love that I'm put to use in many different ways in this group."

Brown, a playful vocalist-guitarist who had been trying to lure Cook to the band for three years before he finally defected from The Marshall Tucker Band, feels the same way.

"I know I'm wanted, and it feels good," Cook said. "I'm glad I came aboard because I ultimately wanted to be part of a band that was beginning or was in its early years. You couldn't have that with Marshall Tucker, which has been around since the '70s."

Cook craved being part of a group that would create new, vibrant music. His wish was granted. The Zac Brown Band, which will perform Saturday at the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, has enjoyed considerable success since Cook joined.

The laidback tunesmith also has written and recorded with John Mayer and played with Sugarland and Shawn Mullins. Since he joined Zac Brown, the band has hit the top of the Billboard Country Charts seven times.

"I think the reason we have so much success with our songs is that people can relate to them," Cook said. "I think the reason there is a connection is because we live this stuff. Some recording artists don't have anything to do with their songs, and that couldn't be the furthest from what we're about."

The Zac Brown Band, which also includes fiddler-vocalist Jimmy De Martini, guitarist Coy Bowles, bassist-vocalist John Driskill Hopkins and drummer Chris Fryar, has written enough songs for a new album, which may drop in 2012. The group will preview two or three new tunes in Tampa. Don't expect a sonic departure from the celebratory, atmospheric cuts it's known for.

"The new songs are a continuation of what we've been doing," Cook said. "We're not taking any crazy chances. The songs are coming from the heart."

The Zac Brown Band will play at 7 p.m. Saturday at the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4802 U.S. 301 N., Tampa. Tickets are $31.50, $47 and $57. Call (813) 740-2446.