Ricky Skaggs Live At The Charleston Music Hall CD

Recorded live at Charleston Music Hall, Charleston, South Carolina in November 2002.

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.

Contains an untitled hidden track following "Get Up John."

Hall W/Kentucky Thunder

Personnel: Ricky Skaggs (vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin); Paul Brewster, Darren Vincent (guitar, background vocals); Cody Kilby (guitar); Jim Mills (banjo); Andy Leftwich, Bobby Hicks (fiddle); Jeff Taylor (whistle, accordion); Mark Fain (bass).

Personnel: Ricky Skaggs (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin); Paul Brewster (guitar, mandolin, background vocals); Darrin Vincent (guitar, background vocals); Cody Kilby (guitar); Jim Mills (banjo, background vocals); Andy Leftwich (mandolin, fiddle); Bobby Hicks (fiddle); Jeff Taylor (tin whistle, accordion).

Recording information: Charleston Music Hall, Charleston, SC (11/01/2002/11/02/2002).

Photographer: Erick Anderson .

Arranger: Ricky Skaggs.Dirty Linen (8/03, p.49) - "...The group manages to bring even old chestnuts to life, notably 'Black Eyed Suzie' and 'Uncle Pen'..."