Bluegrass Staple Skaggs Back with 'Strings'

09/11/2004 2:46 PM, Reuters
Jim Bessman

After several years spent exploring the roots and branches of bluegrass music with his recordings, Ricky Skaggs is satisfying his critics with an album of all new material.

"Brand New Strings" is due Sept. 28 on the artist's Skaggs Family Records label.

"One of the things that makes it special is that there are so many first-time recorded songs," Skaggs explains about the album, which is credited to Skaggs and his bluegrass band Kentucky Thunder.

"Since I came back to bluegrass (after a mainstream country career), I've been redoing a lot of old chestnuts by Bill Monroe, the Stanleys, Flatt & Scruggs and people like that because my heart's so into educating young kids out there and letting them know where the music came from, who the founders and shapers were," he continues. "But I also caught criticism from modern bluegrass musicians and writers who wanted me to do an album of all new material."

The turning point for Skaggs was the song "A Simple Life," from his 2003 album "Live at the Charleston Music Hall."

"I literally read the lyrics off the music stand, and then it wins the Grammy for best country performance by a duo or group with vocal. It blew me away and gave me the idea of doing new songs," he says.

Skaggs describes "A Simple Life," written by Mac McAnally, as "a Music Row song" that encouraged other Nashville writers to send songs his way.

Skaggs' contributions include fiddle tune "Monroe Dancin'." The song was inspired by his fond memory of Bill Monroe dancing to his fiddle playing at a bluegrass festival when Skaggs was 16. Skaggs also wrote "Appalachian Joy," originally penned for a since nixed Disney animated project.

Skaggs will participate in the "3 Shades of Blue" country segment of Jazz at Lincoln Center's grand opening festival Oct. 26. He is also "turning up the heat" on a long-sought album collaboration with Bruce Hornsby , with whom he recently performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Next up for Skaggs, who just turned 50, is "Skaggs Family Christmas." The album will be a Web site offering this year since its release comes only two months after "Brand New Strings," but it will be available in stores next year.

Reuters/Billboard