Ricky Skaggs: Live at the Charleston Music Hall

LIVE AT THE CHARLESTON MUSIC HALL was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. "A Simple Life" won for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. "Get Up John" was nominated for Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Though he enjoyed his greatest commercial success as a mainstream country crooner, Ricky Skaggs is known to many fans as an ace guitar and mandolin picker whose first love is bluegrass. After returning to that love full-time in the late '90s, Skaggs formed Kentucky Thunder, an incredible backing band capable of following wherever Skaggs leads. LIVE AT THE CHARLESTON MUSIC HALL is that group's first live album, and it's a winner. With enough jaw-dropping chops to make Yngwie Malmsteen run home and break out the scale book, the band absolutely roars through the opening track, "Black Eyed Suzie," and rarely lets up thereafter.

Of course, It helps that Skaggs is both a fantastic songwriter and song selector. His versions of traditional tunes regularly take unexpected twists and turns, and he manages to make even an oft-covered pop chestnut like Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle" (which he originally recorded on his 1995 Atlantic album SOLID GROUND) sound deeply soulful. Not afraid to approach tearjerker ballads ("Somewhere Nice Forever") and old-time barnstormers ("Uncle Pen") with equal commitment, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder make LIVE AT THE CHARLESTON MUSIC HALL a fun and invigorating listen.